Rabbi charged after party at student center

The co-director of Shabbos House, a Jewish student center serving the University at Albany, was charged with unlawfully dealing with a child after an underage UAlbany student fell unconscious from alcohol and was taken to a hospital after attending a party at the house, according to a Fox 23 report.

Rabbi Mendel Rubin received the misdemeanor charge from Guilderland Police after people gathered at the home, located at 320 Fuller Road, for his birthday on Feb. 5.

The underage student recorded a .459 on a handheld blood-alcohol device before he was taken to the hospital, according to a police report obtained by the television station.

“EMS reported the person to be highly intoxicated and it appeared he had been sick,” Guilderland Police Captain Curtis Cox told the news station. “That’s when officers started their investigation.”

In an interview with the Albany Student Press, Rubin’s attorney, Peter Gerstenzang, disputed the reading on the blood-alcohol device, saying the machine is susceptible to higher readings when someone has alcohol in his or her mouth. He said the reading would not hold up as evidence in court.

“With a .459, there would have been a fatality. The guy would have been dead,” Gerstenzang said. “That’s ridiculous.”

Gerstenzang said the party started around 9 p.m. and wrapped up an hour later. The student was taken to the hospital around 10:15 p.m.

In addition to serving as a student center, Rubin lives in the upper level of the house with his wife Raizy, who serves as co-director, and their six children. According to its official Web site, the house receives some funding from University at Albany Hillel and UAlbany L’Chaim.

In a statement, members of the university’s Jewish community praised the Rubin family as “mentors” and “responsible, dedicated, compassionate and knowledgeable role models.”

“It is imperative to note that this incident was truly unfortunate and totally isolated,” read the statement, which was issued on behalf of students and alumni by Hillel Student President Yael Gavronsky and L’Chaim President Genna Friedman. “From our personal experience as devoted participants at Shabbos House weekly functions we cannot emphasize enough that alcohol consumption has never been or will ever be part of this beloved institution’s culture or identity.”

Gerstenzang said the party was mostly for adults and graduate students, but some undergraduates were in attendance. He said alcohol was served to those over 21, but the student helped himself and was not served by the Rubins.

“It’s an aberration. There was alcohol there, the student helped himself to the alcohol and became ill,” said Gerstenzang, adding that the family is “horrified.” “It’s a religious institution. It’s not a frat house.”

The current Shabbos House was built and opened before the current academic year after an extensive fund-raising effort brought in $1.3 million. Meals are offered to students every Friday night as part of the celebration of the Sabbath.

Gerstenzang said all alcohol has been strictly banned from Shabbos House in the wake of the charge. Grape juice has been substituted for wine in a blessing each Friday, he said.