by Rabbi Shaps | Jul 3, 2025 | Chukas, Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Uncategorized, Weekly Parsha
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to tell a powerful story about “Yosele the Miser.” He was scorned by everyone in town for being notoriously stingy. No one had a good word to say about him. But the day after Yosele passed away, something strange happened: people...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Mar 13, 2025 | Elisha Guberman, Purim, Uncategorized
Purim is a time of joy, feasting, and celebration. But if we stop at the surface, we miss its deeper meaning. Purim is not just about survival—it is about identity. It is about knowing who we are, standing tall as Jews, and refusing to forget what truly matters. The...
by Danielle Altonaga | Mar 6, 2025 | Danielle Altonaga, Tetzaveh, Uncategorized, Weekly Parsha
We all remember the unprecedented year of 2020. Many people who typically worked in offices began working from home. Zoom meetings may have included pyjama pants, family members, pets and the whir of your roommate’s blender in the background… In our...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Jan 16, 2025 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Shemos, Uncategorized, Weekly Parsha
I remember when I first started wearing a kipa/yarmulke. I had started getting more into Judaism before that, but still it was a big step. When I decided to stop eating pork, that was a mitzvah between me and G-d. It could be that no one else would...
by Elisha Guberman | Jan 9, 2025 | Uncategorized
As Yaakov Avinu prepares to leave this world, he asks his sons to bury him in Eretz Yisrael, ensuring that his final resting place reflects the eternal bond between the Jewish people and their homeland. Yaakov’s strong demand from his son, to make sure he...
by Rabbi Shaps | Jan 2, 2025 | Uncategorized
In our daily interactions, when someone thanks us for a favor, we often respond with phrases like, “It’s not a big deal,” or “It was nothing.” Similarly, when someone apologizes for having wronged us, our reflex might be to say, “There’s nothing to apologize for,” or...