Near-Blizzard Shutters Classes at Binghamton University

As news crews scouted the best locations to document the first major winter storm to strike New York’s Southern Tier region in three years, snowfall from blizzard-like blast led Binghamton University to cancel classes and forced its Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life to reschedule its annual Purim carnival that was supposed to take place Feb. 25.

Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Levi Slonim said that organizers were expecting to hold the carnival before the start of the holiday on Saturday night, but 20 inches of snow fell over the course of 30 hours. They rescheduled the bash for Monday night.

Services at the Chabad center on the actual holiday, including readings of the biblical Scroll of Esther and a Purim feast, went ahead as planned on Sunday.

“Crews had to plow our driveway several times,” said Slonim. “But the show must go on.”

According to the Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Weather Channel sent meteorologists and producers to Binghamton in advance of the storm.

On Monday, students were hyped for the rescheduled carnival, which annually attracts an average of 2,000 celebrants. Activities planned for the two-hour extravaganza – which is coordinated by the Chabad center, Alpha Sigma Phi and Alpha Epsilon Phi, and co-sponsored by Hillel, Jewish Heritage Programs and Sodexho Marriott – included mechanical bull riding, “Human Bowling,” and an “Extreme Bungee Sport Challenge.”

“The carnival is a huge program on every level, and we begin to plan and work on this months in advance,” carnival director Jon Cogan said in a statement. “Having such a wide coalition of university groups co-sponsor and event in honor of a Jewish holiday is unique to our campus.”

“This is a great way for people to celebrate, have lots of fun with their friends, and benefit charities too,” added Ian Schrier and Arielle Fineman, who chaired the carnival’s raffle fundraiser.

Proceeds from the carnival, said Slonim, will benefit the local Jewish Family Services, earthquake relief in Haiti and Children of Chernobyl, a project of the Lubavitch Youth Organization in Israel that has rescued thousands of children from radioactive contamination in Ukraine.