Snow falling briskly, cocoa soothing the throats and souls of all, and everyone gathering around the Shabbat tree for gifts from a certain someone.  Few feelings can ever really match the excitement of Shabbat, we all know the feeling of running down the stairs to see what Santa Ch'laus has given on Shabbat's eve.

Such was the scene Friday night in Barton Hall for Shabbat 1000, the biggest event Cornell Hillel (to non-Jews, read: Jews) organizes each year.  The dinner this year featured almost 1,500 people, so I think they hit the 1000 person quota (my math is shoddy at best).  The free dinner was open to Jews and non-Jews alike, which some (read: none) believe was only a measure to show that all college students are cheap, not just the chosen people.  (It's okay, I'm one of them so I can say it.)

The night's festivities were capped off by a performance by Ahmed Ahmed, an Egyptian American comedian who (hilariously) addresses his culture and life in relation to America and American culture.  It sounds uproarious.  Anyhow, he performed, presumably, with moderate to strong success.

Above, you can see me gettin' holy wit it (to the tune of Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" off of the album, Big Willie Style, 1997).