by Yiska Guberman | May 8, 2025 | Acharei Mos Kedoshim, Weekly Parsha, Yiska Guberman
This Shabbat, we read two parshiyot that are connected: Acharei Mot and Kedoshim.Parshat Acharei Mot begins by noting that these words were spoken “after the death of Aaron’s two sons,” Nadav and Avihu, who died when they came too close to God – a tragic...
by Rabbi Altonaga | May 1, 2025 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Tazria, Weekly Parsha
At NASA, when an endeavour is unsuccessful, they don’t call it failure, they call it “an early attempt.” There are two sides of this coin that make it such an effective methodology. 1. Wallowing in failure never helped anyone. If you let...
by Rabbi Shaps | Apr 24, 2025 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Shemini, Weekly Parsha
“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” We’ve all heard that saying. The pain inflicted by someone we trust as a friend can cut much deeper because our guard is down. When dealing with an obvious enemy, we remain vigilant, ensuring they don’t harm us. The...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Apr 18, 2025 | Passover, Pesach, Rabbi Michael Altonaga
At the beginning of Passover, we told our children: בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ … …because of this, Hashem did for me and took me out of Egypt. -Shemos 13:8 The simple reading is that this is an explanation for the...
by Elisha Guberman | Apr 8, 2025 | Elisha Guberman, Passover, Pesach
When we sit around the Seder table and bite into the crisp matzah, we often recall the classic explanation: “The dough of our ancestors did not have time to rise before God redeemed them.” This image of hurried departure, of last-minute scrambling, is...
by Yiska Guberman | Apr 3, 2025 | Passover, Pesach, Weekly Parsha, Yiska Guberman
Parshat Vayikra begins with an unusual detail in its very first word: “וַיִּקְרָא” (Vayikra—“And He called”). The aleph at the end of the word is written smaller than usual in the Torah. This seemingly minor scribal detail carries deep significance,...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Mar 28, 2025 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
When things don’t work out in your home, whose fault is it usually? What about when things aren’t going well at your job? In this week’s Torah portion, Pekudei, the Israelites put all their money, all of their labour, and all of their energy into building the...
by Rabbi Shaps | Mar 20, 2025 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Vayakel, Weekly Parsha
Research suggests that a healthy balance in relationships and interactions involves a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction. The idea, popularized by relationship researcher John Gottman, is that healthy relationships and...
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...
