The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University 420 Murray Hill Rd. • Vestal, NY 13850 607-797-0015
info@chabadofbinghamton.com www.JewishBU.com
Volume 15, Issue 1
Published by CHABAD OF BINGHAMTON
Contact us at: Hakesher@JewishBU.com
Editor Rivkah Slonim
Staff Writer Alan Zeitlin
Administrative Assistance Ruth Shea
Proofreading Chaya M. Slonim
Design Avrohom Weg
Photo Credits
Abigail Goldsmith
Adam Horowitz
Felicity Johnson
Dear Friend,
A WORD FROM THE DIRECTORS
On Yom Kippur it was Manchester, England. On Chanukah, Bondi Beach in Australia.
“How does it feel?” our friends ask. We see the sincere concern in their eyes and hear it in their voices.
How does it feel to see colleagues targeted and communities attacked? How can it feel anything but heart-rending and gut-wrenching?
And yet, in some perverse way, it is all too clarifying.
Who can forget the shock of Mumbai in November 2008? Our colleagues, Rivky (pregnant at the time) and Gabi Holtzberg, along with their guests, were murdered in their Chabad Center by Islamist terrorists from Pakistan—operatives ostensibly dispatched to assert control over the third of Kashmir that belongs to India.
Why devote so much effort—nearly twenty percent of their operation—to killing a handful of Jews? With all their hatred of Hindus, they did not attack a single Hindu temple. Nor did they deliberately target any of Mumbai’s hundreds of thousands of Christian “infidels.” Why?
For the same reason the Romans executed ten Jewish sages for teaching Torah. For the same reason Hitler weakened his war effort against the Allies to round up and murder Jews.
The answer is not rational—but it is real.
As Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote: “The Jew is the sacred being who has brought down from heaven the everlasting fire and has illumined with it the entire world.”
Evil hates what is good and holy. It seeks to extinguish light at its source. To instill fear—to make us cower and lose heart.
That is why attacks are timed for our holidays.
Why they target visible expressions of Jewish pride and communal gathering.
And why they single out those who consistently champion Jewish joy, belonging, and identity.
This is where they gravely miscalculate.
Simply put, they have chosen the wrong people.
The Rebbe taught us well:
- Do not back down.
- Do not run in fear.
- Turn tears into action.
- In building further you will find comfort.
- A little light dispels great darkness.
We have our marching orders. Together with you, we will overcome the challenges ahead.
Of course, we will take the necessary steps to ensure security. But our focus is on moving forward with renewed resolve.
We will build—larger, deeper, and wider.
We are am hanetzach, the eternal people. Backing down is not an option.
Shedding increased light is the only option. Indeed, on the Fifth night of Chanukah, the New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns launched the One Mitzvah for Bondi Campaign (yes, that is what the initiative is called) accessible at nsw.gov.au/community-services/one-mitzvah-forbondi. This is what we call forward thinking!
With warm regards and deep appreciation for your enduring friendship and support, N’hiye B’kesher, let’s stay connected and be in touch!
the Welcome Back Ch’ BBQ.
January 2026, Volume 15, Issue 1 Hakesher is published two times a year by Chabad of Binghamton, 420 Murray Hill Rd., Vestal, NY 13850. Postage paid at Newark, NJ post offices.
the cover: Daniel Kovan ‘27 enjoying
Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe of righteous memory
TORAH
The Me Word
By Rabbi Yanki Tauber
The first symptoms appear in the very first days of life. At 14 months, the condition is acute. It peaks on or about the subject’s 14th birthday, and shows no sign of abatement before age 54 or 64. In certain cases, it extends to extreme old age and beyond.
It’s called many things—independence, rebelliousness, non-conformity. It’s something that comes imbedded in every human psyche: a persistent, agitating willfulness to “be my own person.”
Few things are as insulting to our self-image as the notion that we’re one of the pack, that society dictates our habits and behavior. If our parents wore their hair short, we fight them to grow it long; if we blossomed into consciousness under the tutelage of a long-haired generation, we shave it to the scalp. In practically everything we do, we feel the burden to affirm our individuality to ourselves and to the world at large.
But like most everything else in the nest of paradox that is the human being, our sense of individuality comes coupled with an opposing drive: the desire to belong, the yearning for communality with our peers. Our identity craves and needs both distinctiveness and homogeneity, both a self and a family.
The Chassidic masters tell us that these are not, in truth, opposing aims; in fact, they corroborate and fulfill each other. A well defined individuality enhances a person’s contribution as a community member. And a tightly knit community enhances the worth of the individual.
Chassidic teaching demonstrates this truth with the example of words in a sentence. For example, the five
words “man”, “is”, “an” “individualistic” and “creature” each posses meaning. But the sentence “Man is an individualistic creature” contains much more information and insight than the sum of its words. In this case, five times one equals much more than five.
Our identity craves and needs both distinctiveness and homogeneity, both a self and a family.
In order for this quantum leap in significance to occur, two contrary forces have to be applied. Too much unity among the words (as in “manisanindividualisticcreature”) produces gibberish, as does too much independence (as in “Is creature man an individualistic”). The sentence must delineate the individuality of its member words, and the words must subjugate themselves to the communal logic of the sentence. When both these needs are respected, the result is a communality that is enhanced by the individuality of its members, and individualities enhanced by their membership in the community.
Since the universe is basically words (see Genesis 1), the above should work equally well in the grammar of marriage, community building, international relations and cosmic harmony, among other things.
Yanki Tauber is a chassidic scholar and the author of eleven books—including the groundbreaking Book of Jewish Knowledge—and hundreds of essays on Jewish and Hasidic thought. From 1999 to 2014 he served as content editor of Chabad.org, the world’s largest Jewish educational website. Tauber is currently a senior editor at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. He is also editorin-chief of The Book, a new translation and anthologized commentary for the Five Books of Moses.
It takes an extraordinary person to be an angel.
The children of Chai Lifeline are grateful to the many super-extraordinary people at
The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life and Sigma Delta Tau at
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
For being our amazing Chanukah Angels.
We love the toys, games, and gifts. But we are blown away by the caring and compassion that led you to make sure our Chanukahs were super bright this year.
Director Hits the Mark with Netflix Docs, Shows Jewish Pride
By Alan Zeitlin ‘00
Director Ari Mark is holding out hope that his docuseries may lead to the discovery of a missing person.
He said about 50 million people have viewed “Amy Bradley is Missing” on Netflix, and noted that many have different theories of what happened to Bradley, who vanished aboard a cruise-ship in 1998. The film shows how some claimed to have seen her.
The owner and founder of Ample Entertainment, whose previous documentary was the riveting, “This Is The Zodiac Speaking” about a notorious murderer, says he understands how to make content people want to see.
Mark, who graduated from Binghamton in 2000, said he was glad to see the return of the last 20 living hostages that had been held in Gaza. Two months after the attacks of October 7, 2023, he offered his office building in Culver City, California for the largest mural of its kind of hostage posters and the phrase “Bring Them Home Now.”
“I don’t care what people think and I’m an extremely proud Jew,” Mark said. “I got a lot of heat from the mural, but I also got random people with tears in their eyes who told me they weren’t really connected with Judaism, but it meant so much to them. The only thing we have at the end of the day is integrity and our identity. I would feel terrible about myself if I was one of those scared Jews cowering in the corner.”
Francisco State University.
His journey includes working for AMC and Xbox. “Amy Bradley is Missing” is his biggest hit yet.
Mark is versatile as he is a director, producer, writer, and is at the helm of his own production company. Known for his outside shooting in basketball games while working at Camp Ramah in Nyack, New York, he said people imagine they’ll meet the powerbroker to help them make it in Hollywood, when that’s not how it works.
“People think it’s about getting lucky,” Mark said. “The truth is it’s about grit. You have to keep pushing. You’re making something from scratch and the only way is to be determined to do it, no matter what. I wasn’t the biggest numbers person in school. The thing which they don’t teach you is how to interact with people and how to get them to do what you want.”
Mark said while he’s aware the campus thankfully doesn’t have a high level of antisemitism that other colleges do, both university students and alumni across the world are facing growing antisemitism.
Mark’s first time behind the camera was his short “The Gift” about his grandfather, and his life before the Holocaust. The film is gripping partly because of the work of Yoni Goodman, animation director for the film, “Waltz With Bashir.”
Mark attended Ramaz and said his transition to college was difficult, beginning as a freshman in 1996.
“I lived in Newing,” Mark said. “A lot of people would just drink. They were partying constantly. I had nothing in common with them and I was pretty miserable. I was thinking about transferring and if not for Chabad, I don’t think I would have made it. I would have left.”
It was at Friday night dinners that he found great friends in Stuart Mayer, Darrin Peller, and David Birk, who he’d later live with off campus. Mark said he isn’t sure why he decided to join Alpha Epsilon Pi but there were fun times.
“I can remember like it was yesterday, walking with Darrin in the snow from Chabad to our fraternity house, because we didn’t want to drive on Shabbos,” Mark said. “One time I came to Chabad in sweatpants. I don’t think Rabbi Slonim was impressed. But they couldn’t have been nicer.”
Mark said he enjoyed many great moments, including Simchas Torah, and he graduated in 2000. Not long after the 9/11 attacks, Mark went to the West Coast and got his MFA in film production from San
“College is a good time to deal with confrontation,” Mark said. “I think people should take everything as a learning moment and figure out how to respond. If you don’t know how to talk about Israel in an intelligent way, you’re in trouble. Once you’re not in college, you could be at Trader Joe’s or you could be at a party, and you might hear a comment. You can’t let it go. I think you have to express how you feel. Displaying weakness is not gonna get us there.”
Mark proposed to his wife, Danielle, in Prague. They have two sons and a daughter. He said he didn’t get into the film business to make money, but rather to tell important stories and plans to make some Jewish related films in the future.
He said he remembers when there was a small crowd on Friday night and he was pleased to know 400 or 500 students attend Friday night dinners.
“We take things for granted but Chabad has had the growth over the years because they’re very accepting but work very hard,” Mark said. “They deserve the results they’ve gotten. “If I was an extremely wealthy person, I would donate a lot of money. I know Chabad is giving students a chance to make connections with friends that they’ll still be in touch with many years later and giving them an experience they’ll take with them forever.”
Class of 2000 graduate Ari Mark is grateful to the friends he made at Chabad and said it is crucial for Jews to be proud of their identity.
MAZEL TOVS
‘86 Mark and Debbie Solkoff announce the birth of their first grandchild, Ethan David Prince-Solkoff. Mazel Tov to Maya Solkoff ‘22, a new aunt.
‘87 Michael Fuller and Lisa Lebowitz announce the engagement of their son Ian Fuller to Aviva Friedman ‘25. (see ‘25 for full details)
‘90 Sandy Bodzin and Shoshana Gross announce the birth of their granddaughter Chana Na’amah on November 12, 2025, born to their son Adin Bodzin and daughter-in-law Miriam (Spigler) Bodzin. She was welcomed home by big brother Akiva Yisrael.
‘91 Shoshana Gross and Sandy Bodzin announce the birth of their granddaughter. (See ‘90 for full details).
‘93 Melanie (Cohen) and Amatzia Spiegler announce the birth of their granddaughter Chana Na’amah on November 12, 2025, born to their daughter and son-in-law, Miriam (Spiegler) and Adin Bodzin. She was welcomed home by big brother Akiva Yisrael.
Shari and Damian Bursztyn announce the engagement of their daughter, Shoshana Bursztyn ‘22, to Jasper Newman. (see ‘22 for full details).
‘94 Steve and Emily Ebner announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Ebner, to Jacob Smigel ‘22. (see ‘22 for full details).
‘95 Robert and Trica Hoff announce the engagement of their son Benji Hoff ‘24 to Reina Amar ‘24. (see ‘24 for details).
‘96 Aimee and Jonathon Baron announce the Bat Mitzvah celebration of their daughter, Avital, on October 26, 2025.
‘97 Avraham and Yuttie Polinger announce the birth of their grandson Yosef Yitzchok, born to Chanah and Yedidia Rabenou on May 28, 2025.
‘98 Joshua and Karen Friedman announce the engagement of their daughter Aviva Friedman ‘25 to Ian Fuller. (see ‘25 for full details).
‘99 Danielle Druck and Daniel Dauber announce the engagement of their son, Sam Hilbert, to Sarah Wurzberger; a March 19, 2026, wedding is planned.
Paul and Adar Hilbert announce the engagement of their son, Sam Hilbert, to Sarah Wurzberger; a March 19, 2026, wedding is planned.
‘00 Yitzchak and Ortal Danesh announce the birth of their daughter, Esther Malka, on October 17, 2025. She was welcomed home by her siblings, Menashe Etian, Shiri, and Sarah.
‘01 Yehoshua and Ahuva (Reich) November announce the marriage of their daughter Sheindel to Shneur Pink from Manchester, UK, on September 16, 2025.
‘05 Barak and Lauren Raz announce the birth of their daughter, Aya, on August 17, 2024.
‘08 Ben and Shani Nabavian announce the birth of their son Gavriel (Julian) on August 14, 2025.
‘10 Tara (Blackman) and Jake Musiker announce the birth of their son, Yaakov (Micky) Yonah, on August 10th, 2025.
‘12 Alex (Abel) and David Segal announce the birth of their son, Shmuel Chaim, on July 19, 2025. He was welcomed home by big brothers Ezra and Noah.
Marni Strauss announces her marriage to Toivy Silver on December 21, 2025.
‘13 Eliza (Abraham) and Josh Kaplan announce the birth of their daughter, Sara Raizel, on June 30th, 2025. She was welcomed home by big brother, Yudi.
‘14 Eyal and Leeal Menashe announce the birth of their daughter, Adele Sarah, on June 15, 2025.
‘15 Meredith (Abel) and Judah Blumenthal announce the birth of their daughter, Sigal Miriam, on August 30, 2025. She was welcomed home by big sister, Amalia.
Joella (Goodman) and Sammy Apple announce the birth of their daughter, Rachel Tikvah, on July 16, 2025. She was welcomed home by big sisters, Nechama, Sivan, and Shira.
Talia Jacobson and Tom Aspis announce the birth of their son, Nigun
Yaakov, on September 28, 2025.
‘16 Sammy and Joella Apple announce the birth of their daughter, Rachel. (See ‘15 for full details).
David Feingenbaum and Michelle Handis announce the birth of their daughter, Mila Hannah, on August 11th, 2025.
Fiona (Tarzy) and Jon Margareten announce the birth of their twin daughters, Miley Brooke and Maeve Ivy, on September 1st, 2025. They were welcomed home by big sisters, Amber and Callie.
‘17 Seth and Arielle Finkelstein announce the birth of their daughter, Chanah Leah, on October 31st, 2025.
Ayal Goldberg announces his January 1, 2026, marriage to Ema Corrado. Ayal is working as a child psychologist in NYC; Ema is chief of staff for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). They will be making their home in Hoboken.
Moshe and Rikki Ohana announce the birth of their son, Ezra Yichak, on July 28, 2025. He was welcomed home by big sister, Elana Esther.
Eli and Liz Reichner announce the birth of their son, Yakir Ephraim, on July 16, 2025. He was welcomed home by big sister, Ayelet.
Talia Schwartz and her husband, Austin Rief, announce the birth of their son, Rami Yehudah, on August 27, 2025.
‘18 Eliana Cutler announces her marriage to Mo Fink on August 25, 2025. Eliana is a pediatric Occupational Therapist, and Mo is a software Engineer. They make their home in Miami Beach, Florida.
Shelby (Mandel) and Shimmy Rapp announce the birth of their son, Dovid Yisroel, on September 19, 2025.
Spencer Pokorny announces his engagement to Lauren Schaffer. Mariah (Stein) and Avi Kozlowski announce the birth of their son, Menachem Eliezer, on July 20th, 2025.
Gabi Zweig announces her engagement to Eitan Hirsch Muzinek; an August 30, 2026, wedding is planned. Gabi works as a nurse; Eitan directs a sports company named Tazuz. They plan on making Tel Aviv their home.
Elias and Eliana (Epstein) Miller announce the birth of their daughter, Devora Bird (Tziporah), on November 26, 2025.
‘19 Marc and Talia Generowitz announce the birth of their son, Yochanan Yair (Jack).
Ben Turner and Helena Lustig announce their September 7, 2025, marriage.
Jasmine Yahoudaee and Daniel Tabaroki announce their October 3, 2025, marriage.
Ariel and Arielle (Goldschmidt) Gidon announce the birth of their daughter Miriam on December 1, 2025. She was welcomed home by big brother Jacob Ely.
‘20 Elliot Beretz and Rebecca Rothchild announce the birth of their son, Julian Avery, Yehudah Aryeh, on October 29, 2025. He was welcomed home by big brother, Mikey.
Continued on Page 22
SYMPATHIES
Chabad mourns the passing of...
Ronald Melstein, father of Robert Melstein ‘96, on May 7, 2025.
Tmima bat Shmuel Saltiel, mother of Dr. Michelle Mayer ‘96, and mother-in-law of Marc Mayer ‘97, on August 26, 2025.
Yocheved Leora (Judy) Tannenbaum, mother of Alex Tannenbaum ‘15, on November 11, 2025
May the families be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Don’t see your occasion listed?
That means we did not know!
Please make sure to stay in touch!
To Know Where You Are Going, Know Where You Came From JAMESKWALWASSER ’28
By Alan Zeitlin ‘00
James Kwalwasser is worried that his parents might kill him if he buys any more books. He’s partly joking, but reading is very important to the sophomore at Binghamton University. So is volunteering in the Jewish space. Last year, while he attended yeshiva in Israel, he volunteered one day a week at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Even in Binghamton, he continues his work for the library in helping to
little antisemitism. But he still feels it is important for people to be able to debate.
“People in this generation should know they have an obligation to be able to defend their ideas,” he said.
As part of the Nitzavim fellowship, he was trained in Israel advocacy. He also volunteered for Yad Vashem for the last three summers, translating (from Hebrew to English) the notations on the backs of over 2,000 photos, as well as testimonies related to the Shoah. He also volunteered for Operation Benjamin. In that role he researched the profiles of American Jewish soldiers killed during World War II compiling data for an app the organization is building. Part of his work took him to cemeteries in France, ensuring that the headstones of fallen Jewish soldiers have stars of David on them, rather than crosses. He has also done a lot of research about his own family, finding 98 Ashkenazi relatives.
gather archival materials about various Jewish communities. He hopes to go back and continue this work.
Kwalwasser’s mother graduated from Binghamton and he is glad he came as well. “The community here is incredible,” he said. “We have more than 500 students on Friday night. It was easy for me to find a great chavrusa (Jewish study partner) and it’s a great place to be.”
A graduate of SAR Highschool, Kwalwasser was a captain for model congress in high school and said he is interested in politics but not sure he will pursue a career in that realm. He also hasn’t ruled out becoming a rabbi. He is grateful to be at Binghamton where there is a robust Jewish environment and
He said his great-grandfather was on one of the last boats to get out of Germany in 1939. “What strongly resonates with me is knowing Torah, knowing history and interacting with the world,” he said.
He said he enjoys peeling potatoes to help prepare for the large meals at Chabad and enjoyed the Mega challah bake with influencer Melinda Strauss. He also enjoyed a Jewish U course he took at Chabad.
“I couldn’t recommend coming here enough,” he said. “There are some many groups of friends. There is something for everyone.”
He said one highlight was dancing in the street for Simchat Torah. People might have thought we were crazy but it’s okay,” he said.
Whether it is a Gemara, another Judaic text or a secular novel, he said you won’t catch him using a kindle, reading on his phone.
“No way,” he said. “I need to feel the book in my hand.”
Celebrating the Chagim/Holidays
The following note appeared in our inbox from Kalman Leib, the father of two Binghamton students (well... one of them is now an alum).
Defying Gravity
Wicked Part II was out for Thanksgiving. In his 1991 book, Gregory Maguire, was inspired to weave in powerful messages of how the Nazis used propaganda to turn Europeans against the Jewish People. In a comical twist of fate, the purveyors of the propaganda of today, are the very ones acting, promoting and giving awards for the movie. As my Bubby Rose used say, HaKadosh Baruch Hu has a sense of humor. Jewish people are used to both, the impossible, and the impossible being possible. Succot 2025 which included Family Weekend at Binghamton was one of these moments. There are 10 miracles that occured in Temple times outlined in the mishne. One of them was “The people stood crowded together, yet had enough room to bow down during worship”. When I first learned of this concept it sounded great, but I didn’t expect to see such a miracle in my lifetime. That was, however, precisely what I witnessed this past Succot at Chabad of Binghamton.
Before our very eyes, my wife and I witnessed 670 people, students and parents, in Chabad’s Succah at one time. Each person received a full course meal that included soup. The soup was hot, and the pace of the meal was speedy thanks to a dedicated team of students. Everyone was not only fed a gourmet multi-course meal, but 670 Jewish students and parents performed the mitzvah of celebrating the Shabbos whilst sitting in the succah.
Yom Tov in Binghamton is always special: Rosh Hashanah services and meals for those who stay in Bing, warm, accessible, Yom Kippur services and Breakfast, high energy Sukkot meals in a cozy Sukkah built to accommodate 500, Sukkah Mobile bringing mitzvos on the spot to people on the go, Rock 'n' Ribs, and the new level Simchat Torah Celebration taken to the streets.
New students enjoyed a flurry of events including Move in Shabbat, Move in Day Brunch (for parents as well), an Ice Cream Social, Freshmen Falafel Night and the iconic Jewau Cruise. The famous Welcome Ch'BBQ for all students rounded out that first week of celebration.
A Tale of Two Cities
Coming Full Circle: The Warmth of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Itkin, AH, The Mitzvah Hub, and the Binghamton Connection
By Yehoshua November
Once in a rare while you meet a person who embodies the earnest and grateful ideals you read about in sacred Jewish texts. Not aloof, this role model takes an interest in your life. He’s the kind of person you feel comfortable confiding in. It’s clear he feels blessed, happy, and proud to be a Jew. And out of a delightful contagion, his pride and happiness rubs off on you.
My wife and I married in the summer of 2001, a few months after we’d graduated from Binghamton University. (We met when we sat across from each other during our first Friday night dinner at Chabad House and seldom missed a Chabad event throughout our three years in Binghamton). We soon settled in Pittsburgh to pursue graduate studies and begin our new life together, which is when we were fortunate enough to forge a connection with Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Itkin, affectionately known to his friends simply as “Fitche.”
A joyous Chabad Shliach and Chassid whose warmth and sincerity always proved disarming, Rabbi Itkin grew up in Crown Heights, just two doors down from 770 Eastern Parkway, Chabad World Headquarters. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1981 with his wife, Nechoma, where he served as mashpia, or
spiritual mentor and Torah teacher, for Chabad yeshiva students and the larger Pittsburgh community for over forty years. Eventually, he became the founding member of Pittsburgh’s kashrus committee in addition to continuing his other works.
Working as a mashgiach, or kosher supervisor, to supplement my stipend as an M.F.A. student in poetry, I was privileged to spend many hours in Rabbi Itkin’s company and to watch him interact warmly with individuals of varied backgrounds. When caterers’ or chefs’ tempers flared in high-pressure moments, he never lost his cool. If I made a mistake, he lovingly corrected me. No question, no matter how simple, exhausted his patience. He came up with creative kashrus solutions on the fly and would often break into lively Chassidic song or dance while we worked.
One personal turning point occurred when I had just left a meeting with a famous poet and professor of creative writing, arranged by the head of my graduate program. Already disillusioned with literary culture and drawn increasingly toward Chassidic life, I could not help but see the renowned poet, who’d boasted about his publications, as cold and self-centered. And how warm Rabbi Itkin appeared, in contrast, when I met him to assist with hashgacha work in a hotel kitchen, his shirt untucked and glasses fogged from kashering forks in a huge vat of boiling water. “Yehoshua, so great to see you,” he chimed as he placed his arm around my shoulder. The two portraits–that of unpretentious Rabbi Itkin and the unhappy poet–could not have differed more starkly. My wife pregnant with our first child, it dawned on me that we needed to try to raise our family with something akin to the living and vivacious Judaism Rabbi Itkin embodied. When I finished my poetry program and my wife completed her social work degree, we temporarily relocated to Morristown, NJ, to join a yeshiva-based community and enroll in Torah classes. (Later, once I’d completed my rabbinic studies, I returned, to my surprise, to academia and became a professor of creative writing. But that’s a story for another occasion.)
Goldie Itkin Ohana at her wedding with her father, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Itkin,obm.
Fast forward some two decades. If you visit the Binghamton University campus these days, you will find it hard to miss the Mitzvah Hub, a Mitzvah mobile stationed each Tuesday on “the spine,” a central pathway connecting key campus buildings. Playing joyous Jewish music and offering hot food and drink, Shabbat candles, and an opportunity to don tefillin and recite blessings, the Mitzvah Hub magnetically draws in Jewish students. The Hub’s comfortable interior even boasts a lounge upholstered in Binghamton University’s green and white colors.
The Hub was constructed in the memory of Rabbi Itkin, who passed away in December of 2023. The project was spearheaded by Rabbi Yisroel and Golda Ohana, who joined the Chabad of Binghamton Shluchim team in 2019 to focus on student engagement. Golda is the daughter of Rabbi Itkin. Rabbi Itkin’s passing at the age of sixty-nine left a painful void for his family, the Pittsburgh community, and the thousands of students he inspired (including my own son whom Rabbi Itkin and his son, Rabbi Chaim Itkin, took under their wings). Following the Shiva, the seven-day mourning period for Rabbi Itkin, Rabbi Ohana came up with the idea of creating a Binghamton University Mitzvah mobile in his fatherin-law’s memory. Family and friends rallied around the bold plan. They helped raise the necessary funds to purchase a vehicle at an auction, commissioned a designer and builder to reconfigure the bus’ interior
into a comfortable lounge space, and hired an artist to paint meaningful Jewish murals on the exterior.
Life as a student on a college campus can sometimes feel lonely. I remember walking through the Student Union in my early twenties with what felt like the existential weight of the world on my shoulders, and then feeling uplifted when I spotted Rabbi and Rivky Slonim at their table. A ray of light shining through a gloomy Binghamton winter day.
Today, in our post October 7th culture, the sense of isolation Jewish students feel on many university campuses has only intensified. Fortunately for the Jewish student body at Binghamton University, Rabbi Ohana stands outside for hours each Tuesday, in the cold or heat, to welcome a new generation of young Jews into the colorful and spacious Mitzvah Hub–a vibrant and radiant source of Jewish pride. Ohana
noted that he sees the Hub as the ideal way to carry on his father-in-law’s legacy: “He was a source of lively Jewish enthusiasm. And that is embodied perfectly in the Mitzvah Hub.” Mrs. Golda Ohana said that she can easily imagine her father “inviting Jewish students into the Hub to say L’Chaim, dance, and share words of Torah.”
Rabbi Ohana adds, “One of the beautiful surprises has been that Jewish students have come to rely on the Hub’s presence on campus. They see it as
Goldie rapping with the girls.
At Yeshivat Binghamton there are hundreds of students learning in:
Personal chevrutahs and Chaburos in the Bais (almost 24/7)
Dine and Divine
Jewish U
Supper and Study
The Rebbe's Sichos
Pizza and Parasha
Hilchot Nidah and Kisui Rosh
Sinai Scholars
Sinai Plus not to mention Panoply, the Yom Iyun and the Sinai Excursion/Pegisha.
Fun. Fun. Fun.
Apple Picking
Bubble Soccer
Paint and Sip for Seniors
Pizza Making for Freshmen
Dave and Buster's Excursion
Challah Bake
Winter Cinnamon Roll Bake
Donut Making
Midnight Madness Breakfast
For
Binghamton Gets a Rise
Hundreds attended the annual Mega Challah Bake with a special presentation by influencer,
Melinda Strauss
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Devin Luffman
Today represents a major milestone for me. I did not grow up Jewish.. My mom is Jewish, but I was raised Catholic because of my Dad. I never felt particularly close to or connected to Catholicism, and I thought for most of my life that maybe religion just wasn’t for me. That was until high school when I met my girlfriend, Sara. Sara is Jewish, and she knew my mom is Jewish, so she made it her mission to immerse me in the culture and tradition that I didn’t really get to experience while I was growing up. It started off with a Rosh Hashanah dinner, then a few weeks later going with her to her grandma’s house to break the fast on Yom Kippur. For the first time in a long time, I was happy to celebrate holidays, especially holidays that have such a rich history and significance. I felt included and like I finally belonged somewhere...
Since then, it has been my goal to learn as much as I can about Judaism. I realized that youtube videos weren't cutting it anymore and I needed to learn from Rabbis, so I joined Sinai Scholars here. at Chabad of Binghamton with Rabbi O. There was one thing that I was taught during my studies that really stuck out to me: “a Jew is a Jew is a Jew,” meaning that regardless of how I was raised, I always was and will be Jewish.
Now here I am, becoming a bar mitzvah. I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue my Jewish education and strengthen my connection with G-d.
As my mitzvah project, I expressed to Rabbi O that I wanted to wrap Tefillin everyday. This mitzvah is very extremely meaningful to me because it represents me choosing to be Jewish and loving my religion everyday. We wrap tefillin to dedicate ourselves to G-d, and this is a mitzvah that I want to dedicate myself to everyday.
Erica Schechter
Growing up, I did not know much about Judaism. My family and I were the only Jews I knew of in my town. I went to public school and did not have much of a religious education. This led me to feel like I didn’t belong when I was in Jewish spaces.
When I was in high school, I began to feel a very strong pull to learn more about my roots, but by the time I was in college, my Jewish involvement faded into the background.
In my senior year, while abroad in the south of France, I experienced my biggest wake up call. I had been studying French for many years and I was so excited to be there, and so excited to be immersed in the language and culture I had fallen in love with. I felt like I was truly having the time of my life and discovering who I was.
Suddenly, the horrific terrorist attack on october 7th happened. I stayed up all night that night, feeling an immense sense of horror and grief. Meanwhile, France was at the highest terrorist warning. Walking through anti-semitic graffiti and protests everyday, and hearing the thoughts of my host family, teachers, and friends abroad, became a new normal that shocked me to my core. I realized, with much sadness, that many friendships and connections I treasured were much more superficial than I thought, and that there was much darkness in the world that I had not seen before.
Strangely, in the midst of all this, when it would have been so much easier to deny or not think about being jewish, I began to cling onto it more strongly than ever before, and it became a light amidst this darkness to me. Yet at the same time, I had next to no idea what being Jewish meant. And with that, I felt lost.
Upon returning home, I sought out Chabad near my home and eventually went to study more about my heritage. This journey has taken me near and far and up and down, and now I feel blessed to be here for graduate school to continue my next steps in this strong Jewish community at Binghamton. Although incorporating more Judaism into my life has not been a completely straightforward process, I am so grateful for each and every step.
Skyler Winnick
I grew up in a very traditional Jewish family; we celebrated holidays, said the prayers and did the basic Jewish traditions, but I wasn't really involved in the Jewish community. My brother was and he really inspired me to find out more and take next steps into the traditions and rituals.
One of the first steps on my Jewish journey has been having Rabbi Levi come put a kosher Mezuzah on my door and the doors of my house mates. Sharing that moment with him and with my friends meant the world to me. I thank my parents for everything they have done for me including driving up to support me on this day.
Mazel Tov!
Five BU students embraced their Jewish identities in a deeply moving
BAR/BAT MITZVAH CELEBRATION
The celebration was sponsored by the Vilinsky family in memory of their son, Camren '19, a beloved member of the Binghamton Jewish community. Mr. Ed and Mrs. Dalia Vilinsky gifted one of the bnai mitzvah with his own pair of Tefillin and all of the bnai mitzvah with special gifts for the occasion. In his extemporaneous remarks Mr. Vilinsky spoke directly to the bnai mitzvah saying, in part: “Don’t overcomplicate this. Just keep focused on your relationship with G-d. That’s what this is all about; you and Him.”
Farrah Pascarella:
I grew up in an interfaith family, with my mother being Jewish and my father being Catholic. But even so, I always felt Jewish.
When I turned 12, I was so excited to have my bat mitzvah—I mean, I’ve had the Pinterest board for it since I was 10. You know, the one with my big puffy dress, the themes, even the candle set up.
And then the thing that uprooted everyone's lives happened… COVID.
What I thought would be an early spring break turned into months, then years, and eventually, my bat mitzvah plans disappeared altogether. It felt like yet another sign feeding my doubt.
...Coming to Binghamton, I found a Jewish community more vibrant and welcoming than I ever imagined. No one made me feel “less Jewish” for not knowing every prayer or every holiday. My new friends were excited to teach me the customs and cheer me on—even when I told them I’d be having my bat mitzvah at the geriatric age of 18.
When I attended my first Shabbat dinner, I was blown away by the number of students there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people come together like that in any other part of campus life. Despite my family being three hours away, there was a sense of love and connection between everyone that presented a new family for me to build new Jewish traditions with.
As I stand here today, I realize that this journey wasn’t linear. It was about learning who I am—about embracing every part of my story, even the messy, confusing, and unconventional pieces. I’ve learned that Judaism is something you live... Today isn’t just a celebration of a bat mitzvah; it’s a celebration of finally seeing myself the way my family, my friends, and my community have always seen me: as a proud Jewish woman, worthy and whole just as I am.
Emily Belyansky:
Traditionally, a Bat Mitzvah marks a young Jewish girl’s step into maturity at age twelve. As I stand here today as a college freshman, I’m not embarrassed but I'm grateful. Grateful that I was given this opportunity now, at a time in my life when I can truly appreciate it
Before coming to Binghamton, I often hesitated to share my Jewish identity. Growing up in a mostly Catholic town on Long Island, it sometimes felt easier to hide the Jewish part of myself. My friends would obsess over Christmas lists, confirmation dresses, and Easter dinners as I stayed quiet, trying to blend in whenever those conversations came up. I spent so much of my childhood wishing I could join in and at times dismissed that I was jewish. I questioned whether I was a “real” Jew. That changed the moment I arrived at Binghamton...
From previously questioning whether I was a “real” Jew, I am now confident that my Jewish identity is in my blood forever. I’m proud of where I am, grateful for how far I’ve come, and excited to continue growing in my Jewish learning.
Girls Night Out. Poke Bowls, Magnet Decorating, and Pickle making and Pickleball. The guys enjoyed Burrito Balls and the game.
Tyler Goldfarb and Nicole Chernow announce their engagement.
Hannah Greenwald announces her engagement to Elan Glatt; a May 5 (Lag B’omer) 2026 wedding is planned. They will make their home in Jerusalem, Israel.
Emily Lahm announces her engagement to Jonathan Schneck; a March 8 wedding is planned. Emily is an HR business partner at Tiffany and Company, and Jonathan is an Associate at Generate Capital.
‘21 Matt Benak announces his engagement to Ariela Fromowitz. Ariela is earning her PsyD at St. John’s University; Matthew is an associate at Seward and Kissel LLP.
Matan Karudo announces his engagement to Eliana Namdar; a March 2026 wedding is planned. Matan works in Marketing; Eliana is a teacher. They will make their home in Great Neck.
Jonathan Tuvy announces his engagement to Michal Shalamov.
Jonathan is an engineer and has been working in the Pharmaceutical industry for three years, supporting process engineering for pharmaceutical manufacturing; Michal is a doctor, currently completing her pediatrics residency.
‘22 Shoshana Bursztyn announces her engagement to Jasper Newman: an August 23, 2026, wedding is planned. Shoshana is pursuing a law degree at Cardozo; Jasper works in real estate. They will make their home in New York City.
Nicole Chernow and Tyler Goldfarb announce their engagement.
Jacob Smigel announces his engagement to Samantha Ebner; a March 8, 2026, wedding is planned. Jacob works at S&P Global, and Samantha is a consultant at C Street Advisory Group. They will make their home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Michael Khaldarov announces his engagement to Ariel Wajnrajch; an August 30, 2026, wedding is planned. Michael and Ariel are both working in Finance in New York City. They will make their home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Jonathan Kirsch announces his engagement to Simone Schnall; a September 3, 2026, wedding is planned. Jonathan is an Account Manager at Bloomberg; Simone is a medical assistant at a fertility practice and is applying to medical school. They will make their home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Nathan and Carolyn Klausner announce the birth of their son, Boaz Divr, on November 2, 2025.
Ariela Fromorwitz announces her engagement to Matt Benak. (See ‘21 for full details)
Arielle (Goldschmidt) and Ariel Gidon announce the birth of their daughter (see ‘19 for full details).
‘23 Lexie (Rosenblatt) and Ioni Wolfson announce the birth of their daughter, Liana Shoshana, on July 21st, 2025.
Jacob Roth announces his engagement to Hadassah Turk Tolub; a June 18, 2026, wedding is planned. Jacob is teaching STEM at the Shefa School and getting his Masters in Special Education; Hadassah is earning her Masters in Social Work at YU. They plan to live in Israel for a year, then move to Philadelphia to start a family.
Ariel Wajnrajch announces her engagement to Michael Khaldarov (See ‘22 for full details)
Chaviva Liss announces her engagement to Harry Shams; a June 14, 2026, wedding is planned. Chaviva is a geriatric social worker; Harry is a trader at a hedge fund. They will make their home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Rosalie Sohn announces her engagement to Josh Matthew; a June 2026 wedding is planned. Rosalie attends Touro College of Dental Medicine; Josh is an accountant.
‘24 Daniel Mizrachi and Ahava Rosenberg announce their engagement. A February 1, 2026, wedding is planned. Daniel is starting Medical school at NYIT in August; Ahava is working at UJA. They will make their home in Forest Hills, Queens.
Matthew Plotsker announces his engagement to Amanda Kleiman; a June 21, 2026, wedding is planned. Matthew is a Management Consultant at PWC; Amanda is a Digital Risk Consultant at EY. They will make the Upper West Side their home.
Scott Mayer announces his engagement to Leila Tilem; a June 28, 2026, wedding is planned. Scott is currently at GW in Washington DC; Leila will take a gap year before pursuing a career in law. They will make Washington DC their home.
Benji Hoff and Reina Amar announce their engagement; a June 22, 2026, wedding is planned. Reina is working in finance; Benji is pursuing a law degree at Fordham. They will make the Upper West Side their home.
‘25 Aviva Friedman announces her engagement to Ian Fuller; an August 9, 2026, wedding is planned. They will make Highland Park, NJ, their home.
Simone Schnall announces her engagement to Jonathan Kirsch. (See ‘22 for full details)
Amanda Kleiman announces her engagement to Matt Plotsker (See ‘24 for full details)
Seth Schlank announces his engagement to Shoshana Levine; a June 1st, 2026, wedding is planned. Seth is earning his Masters in social work at Wurzweiler; Shoshana is doing graduate work in Talmudic Studies at YU.
AJ Keiser and Eli Lewis announce their marriage on December 18th, 2025. AJ is working in Structured Finance at EY; Eli is working at the Manhattan Children’s Center. They will make their home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Lemor Waldman and Joseph Korman announce their engagement; a June 14, 2026, wedding is planned. Lemor is doing actuarial consulting; Joseph will be working in Data Analytics.
Nathan Azagury and Abby Lopchinsky ‘26 announce their engagement; a May 25, 2026, wedding is planned. Nathan is working at JB&B as an electrical engineer; Abby will graduate in May and plans on becoming a nurse. They will make their home in Teaneck.
Ezra Cohen and Maya Davis ’26 announce their engagement; a July 30, 2026, wedding is planned. Ezra is a research assistant and TMS coordinator; Maya is completing her nursing degree at Decker School of Nursing, Binghamton.
Haley Schreiber announces her engagement to Noam Karger; a July 26, 2026, wedding is planned. Haley is working as a nurse; Noam will work as a Mechanical Engineer. They will make their home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
from Page 13 a home base.”
In a development that recalls Rabbi Itkin’s contagious warmth and love for fellow Jews, many students have taken on the role of assisting the Ohana’s in running the Hub, inviting other Jewish students inside to put on Tefillin or say a blessing. Similarly, at this past year’s Kinus Hashluchos, Chabad’s International convention for female emissaries, Mrs. Ohana addressed a crowd of her colleagues to discuss the advent of the Mitzvah Hub, emphasizing the personal nature of the project and encouraging those present to think big and take initiative in bringing Jewish warmth and pride to their respective campuses.
Chassidic thought teaches that each “small” Mitzvah represents an embrace between the human and the
Divine and is, therefore, an occasion for true joy. Furthermore, because each Mitzvah was commanded by an eternal G-d, the spiritual ripples the Mitzvah creates never cease. It follows that a mitzvah represents a treasure one must share enthusiastically with others. These ideals pulsed through Rabbi Itkin’s time on this earth. When the colorful Mitzvah Hub rolls onto campus each week, playing uplifting Jewish music and equipped with the good stuff that nourishes soul and body, Rabbi Itkin’s spirit—his disarming warmth, joy, and love for a fellow Jew—lives on, shining ever brighter.
DEFYING
GRAVITY - Continued from Page 9
The Succah was both cold… and filled with warmth. The students gave up their tables and sat with their plates of food on their lap so that the parents who were visiting could use the tables. The kindness of the shluchim and shluchos is contagious and creates a flurry of good-will from young students who worked so hard to make the night a success and who will certainly carry this feeling of purpose into their adult lives.
In this Succah, at Chabad on any weekend, in fact, any day, the students have an oasis, not only from their studies, but from the negative chatter they see online.
Here is where they can see what torah is… and feel in their bones why they should rally around it. Here is where they can hear, see, smell and touch the unyielding and unwavering commitment that is Yiddishkeit.
Here is where they can know subliminally that those black letters on the torah in the ark, back in the synagogue can blaze in technicolor for those who choose to defy gravity and carry food platters after a long week of exams or sit with their food on their laps so that others can have tables.
Yehoshua November’01 is the author of three poetry collections: G-d’s Optimism, a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize; Two Worlds Exist, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and Paterson Poetry Prize; and The Concealment of Endless Light (Orison Books, fall 2024). His work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Tikkun, Moment, Best American Poetry, and on National Public Radio and Poetry Unbound. November teaches writing at Rutgers University and Touro University.
