Chabad has been a rock for me through the ups and downs of the last 4.5 years (yes 4.5 – I took a semester off). Their generosity, guidance and friendship have always been there for me. From the Sephardic Minyan to the Chevrutas that would lead to hour-long political discussions. I will never forget all the happiness and great times that I was privileged to experience. Chabad will be the aspect of my college career that I will treasure and miss the most, except for the time a certain someone ran over my glasses in her go-kart during a Chabad outing. But they say all the bad occurrences are for the good. I remember meeting Yisroel Slonim for the first time. I thought he was a girl (because he did not have his upsherin yet), I really did. Now, he is a weekly lecturer every Shabbat morning with Dvar Torahs that even the great sages of our day look up too. I am sorry I will not be here to see the younger children grow.
The people I have befriended and the memories I have will always be with me and has changed me for the best. I want to say thank you to Chabad for all that they have given me and for strengthening Jewish awareness in Binghamton – it is truly priceless. I wish only the growth of a strong Sephardic identity for the future.