SCHENECTADY–Congregation Agudat Achim (CAA) will hold its Shomrei Kehillah Awards Celebration on Sunday, June 3, at 9:30 a.m. at the synagogue, 2117 Union St.  The event will recognize outstanding volunteers and raise funds for programs and services of the congregation. Shomrei Kehillah translates to Guardians of the Community. Congregants who have made significant contributions to both the congregation and the […]

He credits his parents for his desire to serve Dr. Geisler, D.D.S. came to this area in 1975 for a general dental internship at Albany Medical Center Hospital. He later entered private practice with Dr. Fred Siegal and affiliated with Temple Israel. He and his wife Beverly Radlin had children, Andrew and Michelle. His Jewish communal activities involvement has included the […]

Izzy Ezagui, a decorated squad commander in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the only soldier in the world who returned to the battlefield after losing an arm in combat, will speak at Jewish National Fund’s (JNF) Breakfast for Israel on Monday, May 14, from 7:30 – 9 a.m. The complementary, annual breakfast program will be held at the Albany […]

By BOB MICHAELS “Improving Self-Control” was Prof. Mark Muraven’s topic at the recent congregation Gates of Heaven Brotherhood Breakfast-and-A-Speaker Program. Muraven is a Gates congregant and University at Albany psychology professor. Self-control is his main research interest. Importance Muraven explained that self-control problems evidently contribute to personal problems, including relationship failures, economic problems, criminal behavior, failure to maintain healthful physical activity levels, and addictions such as to food, alcohol, and drugs. Such problems, according […]

ALBANY–B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation in Albany has joined with Reform synagogues nationwide in a covenant to create a world of justice, compassion and wholeness. The congregation has signed a Brit Olam (“Covenant with the World”) from the Religious Action Center of the Reform Jewish movement to publicly reaffirm its commitment to meaningful social justice work grounded in sacred and enduring Jewish values. This […]

SCHENECTADY– The Schenectady Jewish Community Center will host a Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration noting Israel’s 70th Independence Day on Sunday, April 22, at 5 p.m. The Center is located 2565 Balltown Rd., Schenectady. The family-friendly event will feature a brief program (including a performance by Congregations Agudat Achim’s and Gates of Heaven’s religious school kids, a movie, a raffle, arts and […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO May 28, 1993, was graduation day at the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center, a division of Hudson Valley Community College, which offers a range of programs and educationally and economically disadvantaged adults. During and after the ceremony, there was laughter, tears, and the inevitable thanks that we teachers receive from our students on such occasions. Students want to […]

Rabbi Scott Shpeen will lead the Beth Emeth Lunch and Learn series in March and April. The first session will be a Jewish/Catholic dialogue at the Academy Road synagogue between the rabbi and  Bishop Scharfenberger from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on March 21 to discuss their recent joint trip to East Europe. The following four lunch and learn sessions will […]

By MARILYN SHAPIRO In May 2016, my husband Larry and I purchased tickets for a Flores de Mayo celebration sponsored by our community’s Filipino Club. I had met several of its members through my cardio ballroom dancing class, and they had hyped up the event for several weeks. “Lots of fun! Great music,” one of the organizers told me. “Just […]

By BOB MICHAELS “Telling True Stories in an Age of Fake News” was Journalist Paul Grondahl’s topic at the CGOH Brotherhood Breakfast-and-A-Speaker Program on Sunday, Feb 11.  “The free press,” Grondahl told those attending, “is the core of our democracy.”  Grondahl is the director of the NYS Writers institute. He had visited Turkey, where Tayyip Erdogan shut down 185 news […]