Words From Rabbi White

Mazal tov to Raya Sukonik, who has become a great grandmother due to the birth of a grandson to her daughter Maya of Scranton, (who used to daven with us when we were on Bourret and Lavoie) and husband Volvi Polatchek. The mother is Etel Perel, who spent the summer with her grandmother in Montreal a few years ago and came to us at Chevra Shaas.

Julie Bacrie Cohen & Marc...Read more...

Dear mitpallelim

Things have been hectic the past couple of weeks, so I had to take a break from my “blog.” First, my granddaughter Shoshana gave birth to a girl, named after my wife. After that, I was admitted to the hospital for kidney surgery, a partial nephrectomy. For the past several days I have been recuperating at home. BH, the healing process is working. My post op...Read more...

Dear mitpallelim,

Well, Pesach is around the corner, and this is no April fool joke. 

As I am not able to arrange for mechirat Hamets this year, make sure to make arrangements ASAP with the shut office.

Today's kiddush is in honor of my dear student, Maia (Rivkah) Darmon, born on Shabbat Ha-gadol; kiddush cosponsored by her parents. Maia definitely would be categorized as the "wise"...Read more...

Dear mitpallelim,

The Zilbert brothers David and Marc observe yahrzeit for their father Aharon ben Nisan, on the 27th of Adar.

I observe for my wife Sarah Devorah bat Yehoshua on the 2nd of Nisan.

May their memories be for a blessing.

******

I...Read more...

We celebrate this week the bar mitsvah of Naor Dawit. I regret that it is impossible for me to attend.

Naor's father was the first person of the Ethiopian community that met me back in '95, when I first became the Rabbi of Chevra Shaas. He spoke passionately about the Beta Israel community, and the difficulties they were facing. Naor's mother has been a great friend to me and...Read more...

Dear mitpallelim,

This Friday is the first yahrzeit for my Aunt Betty Shapiro, Bessie bat Tsvi Hirsh. As you may remember, she passed away in Boston last year, “be-seivah tovah,” at the age of 105. Until about her last year, we would go over the parasha by phone every Thursday night. As she died without children, my brother and I said kaddish during the year.

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Dear mitpallelim:

Reminder: our friend Malcolm Moscovitch is in the Eldercare, Victoria entrance, 4th floor.

——

Wow, the land of Egypt really got a beating.

When I read this week’s parasha, the song that my grandchildren sang at the Seder rings in my head “10 Makkot, makkot 10, the Mitsrim were...Read more...

*Our friend Malcolm Moscovitch is in the Jewish Eldercare, Victoria entrance.

* Mariam Mintz and Stanley Goldstein observe yahrzeit for their grandfather, Shalom ben Yerachmiel HaKohen, on Tuesday, 24 Tevet

*******

GREAT NEWS:

Although not an agudist, I must give great credit to...Read more...

Dear mitpallelim: A thought on tefillah:

Many years ago, when I was in high school, we studied the Book of Mishlei (Proverbs.) Among the many verses that we had to learn by heart was lekh ‘el nemalah `atsel, re’eh drekheha va-hakham, “go to the ant, you lazy guy, see its ways, and become wise.” (6:6)

I never fully understood that verse,...Read more...

First of all, mazal tov to Simcha Foxman and Shulamit, on the engagement of his son Moshe Yehudah of Jerusalem

Since we are now in the festival of lights, we present a little light humor, that has been going around the internet in Hebew. Here is the translation: It purports to present a conversation between a young boy, and his "litvish," Yeshivish" father. It is funny, but reflects a serious "kulturkampf" in Israel. "Tattie" is...Read more...

In honour of the berit this past Tuesday of Akiva Simcha Tzur, son of my granddaughter Rosy and her husband Elchanan, grandson of my son Yehoshua and his wife Racheli, BH.

In this week's parasha, we read how Yaakov Avinu returned to his family in the Land of Canaan, after many difficult years of hard labour and deception from his relative Lavan.

But the return trip wasn't easy.  Yakov was afraid that Eisav would kill him...Read more...

Greetings from Teaneck

WHAT? It's already Rosh Hodesh Kislev? That means that Hanukkah is only in a few weeks!

What is the significance of lighting all 8 candles (our minhag is to light all 8 on the last day of Hanukkah, whereas the approach of Bet Shammai, as recorded in the Talmud, was to light all 8 specifically on the first day.)

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Last week. I referred to the sharp divide among Israelis concerning the Israeli election, and in that context mentioned Rashi's comment as to the purpose of the whole Book of Genesis: to show the connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.

This past week, we had the American mid-term elections, and the concern of many Jews was how the outcome could affect America's...Read more...

When I was a very young boy, growing up in Boston, I felt bad for boys growing up in New York. For we had the Red Sox, but the New Yorkers had to root for the Yankees. Ugh! 

That was a silly, childish thought. But, maybe not. Can you believe? After all the pride that Aaron Judge brought to NY this past summer, breaking Babe Ruth's 60 home run barrier by 2, and with a .311...Read more...

I am writing from Boca Raton, Florida, where I am spending part of the holiday with my son and his family.

I remember my first Sukkot in Montreal, when the sukka was covered with snow. Here it is the opposite: 88 degrees with high humidity! (Brings to mind the gemara at the beginning of tractate AZ, about the people who kicked the sukkah because it was too hot!)

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