by Danielle Altonaga | Oct 16, 2024 | Danielle Altonaga, Sukkot
How a shattered door made me rethink everything It was just before Sukkot. I was staying alone at home, while the rest of my family was away. I was feeling pretty good on my own, and enjoying the quiet time. I came downstairs, and I froze… The door leading to...
by Danielle Altonaga | Sep 22, 2023 | Danielle Altonaga, Haazinu, Weekly Parsha
We just had Rosh Hashanah, complete with apples, honey, and (hopefully) a reality check! On Rosh Hashanah, we crowned G-d king. We reminded ourselves that our health, wealth and success all come from G-d, and we prayed for a sweet year. Interestingly, in this week’s...
by Danielle Altonaga | Aug 18, 2023 | Danielle Altonaga, Rosh Hashana
This learning is in the merit of Eliyahu Shmuel ben Tzipporah for a refuah shlema Tomorrow: Noun. “A mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation and achievement is stored”. Think about it. How often do you procrastinate? You’re tired, you’re busy,...
by Danielle Altonaga | Jul 21, 2023 | Danielle Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
“I just love being criticized”. Not a phrase you hear often… Yet, of course, we do need to hear criticism sometimes, in order to move forward and grow. In this week’s Parsha, Moshe reviews the Torah with the Jewish people, and reprimands them for their...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Jun 16, 2023 | Danielle Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
I started keeping kosher over a decade ago. I remember the strange sensation of feeling both proud and self-conscious at the same time… I knew I was making the right decision, yet I felt awkward about explaining to friends that I needed kosher food, or that certain...
by Danielle Altonaga | May 19, 2023 | Danielle Altonaga, Jerusalem
Today is Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day. It commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty in 1967. I love Jerusalem. I was blessed to live there for nearly three years. Have you ever wondered why Jerusalem is so important to us? King...
