by Rabbi Shaps | Dec 2, 2021 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. You also only get one chance to create a first impression about somebody else. This week’s Parsha, Mikeitz, begins with Pharaoh having two dreams. When he is not satisfied with any of the interpretations...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Nov 19, 2021 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Vayishlach, Weekly Parsha
I had an unusual opportunity as a baal tchuva (someone who became religious later in life) that I got to pick my own Hebrew name. I chose the name Yisrael. There is a lot of depth and meaning behind this name, but the verse that introduces the name for the...
by Rabbi Shaps | Nov 11, 2021 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
We are called Jews as in Yehudi, from Yehudah. Historically, after the exile of the ten tribes, the overwhelming majority of Israelites were from the tribe of Yehudah and we became known as Yehudim. The Talmud teaches that there are three character traits of the...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Oct 29, 2021 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
What did you do today? Did you use your time to the fullest? This week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah (the life of Sarah), begins with the mention of Sarah’s death. And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years;...
by Rabbi Shaps | Oct 21, 2021 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
This Shabbos, thousands of Jews across the world are coming together to celebrate a special Shabbos known as the Shabbos (or Shabbat) Project. While every Shabbos is special, this weekend has been promoted and hyped in cities across the world to encourage those...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Oct 8, 2021 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting— “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!...
by Rabbi Shaps | Oct 1, 2021 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
We have all heard the expression “he/she is a work in progress”. Usually it is referring to someone who is somewhat rambunctious or not meeting your expectations. But the truth of the matter is that we are all a work in progress. This week we begin a new cycle of the...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Sep 10, 2021 | High Holidays, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Yom Kippur
Have you ever done something that you wish you could take back? Sometimes, only moments later you realized that you unintentionally hurt someone’s feelings or caused some other harm to yourself or others. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just...
by Rabbi Shaps | Sep 3, 2021 | Nitzavim, Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Rosh Hashana, Weekly Parsha
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” ― Yogi Berra It is the last Shabbos of the year and Rosh Hashanah is around the corner. Where are we in comparison to a year ago and where do we want to be next year at...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Aug 19, 2021 | Ki Tetze, Parasha, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
The War in Afghanistan seems to be in it’s final stretch nearly 20 years after it began. As many of its results were overturned so quickly, politicians and strategists debate each tactic that was used and discuss alternatives that never saw the light of...
