Albany, NY? | Imamother

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Moving/ Relocating

Albany, NY?

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amother

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 5:41 pm

So DH has a promising job opportunity in Albany and I KNOW that we have some imamothers from Albany!
Please tell me a little about the community?

I tried to look up kosher information online and didn't really find anything.

What about day schools? Mikvah?

We are MO, by the way.

Mimisinger

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 6:55 pm

The only kosher is at the Kosher Price chopper - the entire bakery is kosher and there are counters and some take out. (Or the old age home)

There is a mikva. Which isn't great, but is fine.

As for day schools - there is a Hebrew Academy that goes until 8th grade - has mixed classes.
There is also Maimonidies that is a Chabad school that boys stop after 8th and board elsewhere for high school. FWIU the graduating class (of girls) can be about 5 girls.

Beth Abraham is a nice shul with a great Rabbi.

Mimisinger

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 6:57 pm

Btw, there is no high school - unless you count the girls who go to Maimonidies. Others either board elsewhere - Brooklyn or go to public.

Ima2NYM_LTR

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 7:52 pm

amother- I live in Albany, as do 2 other imamother (only 1 is active).

Pm me and Ill send you my phone #

We are Mo as well, love the community. We've been here 10 years.
We belongs to congregation beth Abraham Jacob (Beth Abe) an OU shul. Rabbi Moshe Bomzer is both the Rabbi of the shul and the Rav haMachshir of the local vaad. We are a warm (emotionally, not meteorologicly) community.
Our shul has 3 kiddie minyans each week "littles', 'middles' and 'bigs' which the kids up to age 7 or 8 love to participate, and there talk about beginning a jr congregation for 9-12.
The mikvah is right near the shul- 2 bathrooms 2 mikvahs and a keilim mikvah. womens hrs by appointment only.
We have a full service butcher and bakery (PY but not CY) at the price chopper about 15 minute drive from the shul.
There are various learning opportunities. daf Yomi of course every morning. Womens learning on Shabbos afternoons, once during the week during the school year, and 1 Monday night a month. Also we have various mini-seminars and scholars in residence.
Ton of Chabad houses (9 currently, mostly of 1 family), but the 2 communities do mix and mingle to some extent. Most Lub. go to 'the shteibel' which is not officially Lub., but is the place they go. Also Troy and Schenectady have MO communities, but they are dying, and Chabad from Delmar up to Saratoga.
Jewish cub scouts/boy scouts. Someone is talking about starting a girl scouts.
2 schools. A conservative one, that most Mo send to- Ds's class is 1/2 MO. The otehr is run by one of the chabad families and is not officially Lub, but is mostly Lub and yeshivish kids. Also, our shul has a 2-4yr old day care/nursery.
Beth Abe has maybe 40 truly active families, plus the older couples, NCSYers, singles and occasionals. Lub community is about 20 families +/-. Outside of Albany there are another 5-10 families. Larger conservative community as well.
Houses range from $150,00 to $300,000+ (we have a house on our street up for sale!!!) these are nice, safe neighborhoods

PM me and Ill give you my #

Ima2NYM_LTR

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 8:01 pm

beth Abe
http://www.cbaj-albany.org/

2 schools
http://www.hacdalbany.org/
http://www.maimonidesschool.org/school/

newspaper (not very good)
http://jewishworldnews.org/tag/albany/

kosher info
http://www.saratogachabad.com/.....r.htm

mikvah
http://www.bnosisrael.org/

Federation
http://www.jewishfedny.org/

community history
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrar......html

amother

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 8:18 pm

Ima2NYM_LTR wrote:

OP here

Thanks so much for all the wonderful information! (and thanks to Mimisinger as well!)
DH is going for a second interview, once we know if this is really happening or not I will PM you! Smile

So you send your son to the Hebrew Academy? What grade? I have one kid (girl) who may be in Kindergarten next year and then 2 others (girls) who are preschool age.

Ima2NYM_LTR

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 8:23 pm

DS is in 1st grade
HACD's K class next year may be up to 20 kids- for the local schools, thats HUGE.

Beth Abe preschool is great. DS went there for 2 years. there is also the JCC, but that is not all Jewish, and the 2 conservative schools also have preschools.

In shul, they would probably be in the 'middles' group for davening. It is a great group and they learn a lot.

If you come up with you husband at his next interview, let me know and I will have you over for lunch. or, if you want to spend a Shabbos here, we would be happy to host you. It would be a bit of a squeeze, but it would be our pleasure.

amother

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 9:09 pm

Thanks so much!
I actually am not coming up with him because it's in the middle of the week and I need to work that day, as well as tend to the kiddies.

Do you happen to know off-hand what the cutoff date is for the Hebrew Academy to enter Kindergarten?
All my kiddies are Fall babies.

Thanks again!

Ima2NYM_LTR

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 9:33 pm

nov or dec I think. maybe early dec

amother

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 9:49 pm

Ima2NYM_LTR wrote:

nov or dec I think. maybe early dec

Oh that good, my kid are all October!

My oldest has been in preschool since she is 2 and she will be 5 in October. I really think she will be ready for Kindergarten (if there is space for her!)

Mimisinger

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 10:11 pm

Btw, as Ima alluded to, realize that the Hebrew Academy is not a frum school (it's conservative), though from what I understand, the principal is frum.

Ima2NYM_LTR

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 10:37 pm

the principle is frum. the K/1 Hebrew teacher is frum, and for the past few years abt 1/2 the incoming students are frum- there is even a Lub. boy in K this year!!!

Also, if you send your kid to HACD, you better like shlock rock

amother

Mon, Dec 27 2010, 10:47 pm

Amother:

Just wanted to give you another view of Albany. I grew up in Albany for over 15 years. My family first attended Hebrew Academy, and then switched to Maimonides Hebrew Day School. Granted MHDS is run by Lubavitchers, but it is not forced on you in any which way. In fact, they give children a well balanced Torah education, with secular studies. They are a small school, with small classes, but definatly with high standards. The education that I recieved from MHDS, still makes an impression on my life. The principles and staff are amazing and dedicated. (I went there from elementary thru HS)

As for Shuls; If you want a "heimish" atmosphere then the "Shteible" is the way to go. There is no reason that you couldnt be "members" of both shuls. Each one will give you something the other cant.

The Mikvah; has one regular pool and one based on the Chabad customs for the well... heated floors! I havent been there in awhile, but it was a nice, little, perhaps bit out-dated mikvah.

Kosher Food is as the other poster mentioned. Mainly in the big Price Chopper for deli and larger selection of kosher food. Albany ladies - can you still get dinner thru SUNY??

The community as I knew is like one big happy family. There is always the usual Jewish politics, its your choice to get involved or not. I often go for visits there, just to see the people and school. The Shluchim (all of them) are each amazing in their own ways.

There is some "cons" to Albany, however, if this is what you need to do for Parnasah, and you are ready for a small town (not sure where you are coming from), then Albany is a lovely place!

amother

Tue, Dec 28 2010, 7:08 am

OP here:
Thanks so much everyone!
I assume if this whole prospect goes further than we will go and check out both schools. I actually do have a very traditional Conservative friend who grew up in Albany (doesn't live there anymore) and went to HACD and it seems to me like she got a pretty hardcore Jewish education. I went to 12 years of frum yeshiva day school and her Hebrew was much better than mine embarrassed

.

Yes we would be moving there for Parnossah reasons. DH is the main bread-winner (I'm also a professional, but can't command anywhere near the same kind of salary) so we go where he goes!

We've lived everywhere from super large to super tiny communities, so I don't think we would be shocked or anything. Just the fact that there is a mikvah in town, you have a choice of schools, and that you can get fresh kosher meat is a big deal for us. Very Happy

Thanks everyone for your helpful info! Interview is next week! He really needs a new job and this seems like a place that I would love to live! Let's hope this goes through!!!!

amother

Tue, Dec 28 2010, 7:10 am

Ima2NYM_LTR wrote:

OP here: Hahaha, I grew up on Shlock Rock! I probably know all of their hits from the 80s by heart!

Ima2NYM_LTR

Tue, Dec 28 2010, 11:00 am

The principle of the school used to tour wish sholck rock, so the kids learn a lot of the popular songs

amother

Linen

Mon, May 27 2019, 12:58 pm

Last post on this topic was 9 years ago. Any updates on how the community and schools hav changed/ grown?

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