The Day The World Shook

Some videos for an inspiring Shavuot!

Courtesy of Aish.com

Yom Yerushalyim

Today is a really special day in Jewish History because it was on this day in the 1967 War when we recaptured Yerushalayim and we were able to daven at the Kotel for the first time in years. Now, thank Gd, there are so many Jews living in and visiting Yerushalayim, who can all go to the Kotel whenever they want! Thousands of Jews go to the Kotel today to sing and dance in gratitude for having Yerushalayim. 

Here is a video showing the Kotel throughout the years:

(Stories taken from Aish.com)

When the Western Wall was liberated in 1967, Jews from all over the World felt an electrifying excitement, as once again the Wall was in our hands.

The following two stories of Israeli soldiers, who participated in the liberation, exemplify how the Wall has touched the hearts of Jews throughout the ages.

Moshe Amirav, a paratrooper, describes his first minutes at the Wall:

We ran there, a group of panting soldiers, lost on the plaza of the Temple Mount, searching for a giant stone wall. We did not stop to look at the Mosque of Omar even though this was the first time we had seen it close up. Forward! Forward! Hurriedly, we pushed our way through the Magreb Gate and suddenly we stopped, thunderstruck. There it was before our eyes! Gray and massive, silent and restrained. The Western Wall!

Slowly, slowly I began to approach the Wall in fear and trembling like a pious cantor going to the lectern to lead the prayers. I approached it as the messenger of my father and my grandfather, of my great-grandfather and of all the generations in all the exiles who had never merited seeing it ― and so they had sent me to represent them. Somebody recited the festive blessing: "Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe who has kept us alive, and maintained us and brought us to this time." But I could not answer "Amen." I put my hand on the stones and the tears that started to flow were not my tears. They were the tears of all Israel, tears of hope and prayer, tears of Chasidic tunes, tears of Jewish dances, tears which scorched and burned the heavy gray stone.

Abraham Duvdevani also describes his first encounter with the Wall:

"Narrow alleys, filthy passageways, garbage at the entrances of shuttered shops, the stench of dead legionnaires ― but we paid no attention. Our eyes were fixed on the golden dome which could be seen from a distance. There, more or less, it had to be! We marched faster to keep up with the beating of our hearts. We were almost running. We met a soldier from one of the forward units and asked him the way and hurried on. We went through a gate and down some steps. I looked to the right and stopped dead. There was the Wall in all its grandeur and glory! I had never seen it before, but it was an old friend, impossible to mistake. Then I thought that I should not be there because the Wall belongs in the world of dreams and legends and I am real.

Reality and legend, dream and deed, all unite here. I went down and approached the Wall and stretched out my hand towards the huge, hewn stones. But my hand was afraid to touch and of itself returned to me. I closed my eyes, took a small, hesitant step forward, and brought my lips to the Wall. The touch of my lips opened the gates of my emotions and the tears burst forth. A Jewish soldier in the State of Israel is kissing history with his lips.

Past, present and future all in one kiss There will be no more destruction and the Wall will never again be deserted. It was taken with young Jewish blood and the worth of that blood is eternity. The body is coupled to the rows of stones, the face is pushed into the spaces between them and the hands try to reach its heart. A soldier near me mumbles in disbelief, 'We are at the Wall, at the Wall...' "

Counting Up

Before we answer this question, we need to ask another question: Why didn't Gd give the Torah to the Jews as soon as they left Egypt? Why did He wait 50 days? 

The answer is that when the Jews left Egypt they were on the 49th level of impurity and they weren't spiritually ready to receive the Torah. If Gd had given the Jews the Torah too early, they wouldn't have known how to handle such a precious gift.

We can use this to understand why we count up during the Omer to Shavuot, the 50th day. The time of the Omer has a special potential to help us in our growth process. In fact, each week and each day has a special characteristic that we are supposed to focus on. Each day of the Omer signifies another step in our growth, where we are removing a layer of dirt and revealing our spiritual beauty. Each day moves us closer to our ideal self to make us ready to receive the Torah on Shavuot. So we count up because each day is signifying a higher step on our growth ladder.

The Omer also teaches us that spiritual growth needs to be one step at a time. Only by setting realistic goals and becoming encouraged by our success will we have the stamina to continue growing.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (19th century Europe) took upon himself to lead an entire city back to Torah observance. He set up a weekly class and began by telling them, "If you have to work on Shabbat, at least try to minimize the violation." Today this would mean walking instead of driving, or setting your TV on a timer. With this approach, Rabbi Salanter was able over a few years to turn the community around to full Shabbat observance ― one step at a time.

The Kabbalists say that spiritual growth is "two steps forward and one step back." We will inevitably have setbacks. What's important is that we pick ourselves up and keep on trying.

Ideally, at the end of the Omer process on Shavuot we will be ready to receive the Torah through our work in self-improvement. "Shavuot" literally means "weeks," which in and of itself tells us that without the weeks of preparation beforehand, there is no Shavuot. So don't just count the Omer ― make the Omer count.

Happy counting!

Of Equal Importance

 

In the middle of Parshas Emor we recount again the laws and ceremonies of various holidays. Beggining with Pesach, the Omer, and Shavuous - and concluding with Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. What is strange, however, is what comes in between Shavuous and Rosh Hashannah.

In the middle of discussing these holidays, the Torah reminds us of something it has already said earlier; 'And when you harvest your field, do not cut off the corners, and your gatherings of your harvest- do not gather, leave them for the poor and the convert, I am Hashem (23:22)'. What is this doing in the middle of the holidays?

Rashi quotes that the pasuk is specifically put in the middle of this discussion to teach us the following idea: Anyone who does these mitzvos, of helping the poor and the convert, is considered as if he or she has built the Beis HaMikdash and brought sacrifices on the altar, just as they do during the holidays.

We know that mitzvos can be categorized into two sections: Those that are done solely for the sake of Hashem, and those that are done between you and fellow man. Perhaps the idea Rashi is trying to impart is that we cannot view one as greater than the other. It is easy to get swept up in the chase of Learning Torah and Davening to Hashem-which are obviously very important- but one musn't neglect that which is just as important. We must treat our fellow man with the utmost respect and kindess. Hopefully then, as Rashi says, we will once again merit the building of Beis Hamikdash.

Holiness

What does it mean to be a truly holy person? One would think that this week's Parsha, "Kedoshim"(Holy), might lend insight into what it means.

If, however, we examine what topics are dealt with in Kedoshim, it would seem strikingly peculiar if these issues were deemed "holy". The Parsha tells us about assorted interpersonal dealings and relationships with goyim. One would assume "holiness"implies cleaving to Hashem, or learning Torah. Why is there no mention of such things?

The truth is, if we rethink our perspective, it is no big deal to be holy while Davening or Learning. The holiness is naturally intrinsic to those acts. The Torah is telling us that the bigger holiness occurs when you can infuse your everyday actions with holiness. 

The Rambam, in his Mishneh Torah, has one whole volume titled "Kedusha". He does not list Learning or Davening. Instead he describes forbidden foods, illicit relationships, and food preparations. Specifically by everyday actions is where we can most express how holy we truly are. 

Taking The Step

Today was the first day that I wore my Kepa without covering it up with a hat. 

This was a step that I knew was coming and wanted to happen. It just had to be the right time and today was it. 

When I woke up, I got ready and proudly put my Kepa on and left my red hat that I usually put on top of my Kepa on my shelf with only my kepa covering my head. 

I wondered what people were going to say or act like but this still did not stop me. 

I am proud to be Jewish and I have nothing to hide. I was free. A free and proud jew in my school with nothing to hide. I was not hiding anything when I put my hat on the last 7 weeks. 

I still wore my Kepa but was just waiting for the right time to take the step after I made a huge announcement 2 weeks before so that is the reason. I did not feel the power until the afternoon, about 30 minutes before JSU, and then it suddenly came to me. I took the step! I was so proud and still am. I wear my NCSY SUMMER kepa around that I bought at Yom NCSY last year on TJJ. 

That’s how my first day went wearing my Kepa at school.

Post by,

Lee Goodman

Remembering Our Soldiers

Right now in Israel it is Yom Hazikaron, a memorial day for the fallen Israeli soldiers.

We should never forget how appreciative and be grateful we should be for the soldiers who are risking their lives for our safety and the safety of Eretz Yisrael.

These videos are about two incredibly heroic soldiers who gave their lives protecting what was so special to them.

Courtesy of Aish.com

"You can't fulfill your dreams, unless you dare to risk it all."

- Michael Levin

Feeling Hashem's Presence

Much of the focus of Pesach, specifically the Seder, is recognizing Hashem's control over the world. Whether we focus on Him causing unexpected frog invasions, keeping the world dark, or changing nature by splitting the sea, we emphasize His all-encompassing role in our world. These miraculous events allow us to tangibly feel Hashem's presence in our mundane world.

As we know, however, that feeling is less tangible nowadays (this is perhaps the motivation to retell the story each year). This idea may also be a reason for what we read in shul tomorrow, on Shabbos Chol HaMoed. Moshe Rabbeinu asks to see Hashem, to make His presence more tangible. 

As much as Hashem tells us that Moshe can only see His "back", the Torah never actually tells us that he saw it. An additional level of interpretation, however, explains that we do see Hashem's back, as the Torah continues "Hashem said to Moshe, 'carve for yourself two stone tablets...'" (34:1). Hashem's back is the luchos, the Torah. 

True, the main message of the Seder was to recognize Hashem's role in the world, which is the idea behind three of the four cups- "v'hotzeiti", "v'hitzalti"and "v'ga'alti" (I took out, I saved, I redeemed). But perhaps the last cup is to ensure that our connection to feel Hashem remains without the miracles. "V'lakachti" (I took) is to take Bnei Yisrael as a nation, to bind them to Him with the Torah.

Many times we find it difficult to connect to Hashem in our routine Jewish practices. The key is to follow the message of Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu. To follow the idea of the fourth cup of the seder. If we want to make Hashem more tangible, we can look in the Torah.

What If Moses Had Facebook?

Faster Than Time

(From a shiur by Rabbi Akiva Tatz)

Our Rabbis tell us that the Jews in Egypt were on the 49th level of impurity and had they stayed in Egypt a moment longer they would have sunk down to the 50th level and would never have been able to be redeemed.

How could it be that in one second the Jews would have fallen to the lowest spiritual depths? One moment seems like a very short amount of time for that to happen...

The danger to leaving Egypt wasn't that we would sink to the lowest level in a moment, but that if Hashem waited any longer we would have lost our momentum and our alacrity to push ourselves from the depths to the higher levels.

We could think about this a little further: What's the difference between matza and chametz? Time! The ingredients are basically the same, but the time it takes to make it makes all the difference in the world. If we delay one more second than the matza will turn to chametz.
Our Rabbis say: "Mitzvah haba'a leyad'cha, al tachmitzena (from the root of chametz)" - " When a mitzvah comes to your hand, do let it become sour." We learn from here that when we have the opportunity to do a mitzvah, to do something great, we should grab at that opportunity right away! If we wait we will lose our excitement and we could lose that opportunity.

That's why it was so important for the Jews to leave Egypt very quickly. The Jews were on an intense spiritual high, and if they didn't leave at that moment they would have lost their inspiration and wouldn't have been able to leave Egypt.

We can apply this to our own lives: When we feel inspired or when we have the opportunity to do a mitzvah, we should grab hold of that inspiration right away and do something great with it!

Have a chag kasher v'sameach!!

Fire Burning

We have recently begun reading the book of Vayikra, also known as Leviticus. While Breishit and Shmot, the past two books of the Torah, have been mostly narrative and stories, this one, simply put, is not.

How can we make sense of and relate to a book that discusses the duties of the priests when most of us aren't priests and we don't (YET) have the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple?


In the beginning of Tzav, the parsha that we just finished, the Cohanim are instructed to leave a fire burning on the mizbe'ach, the altar. This fire burns the sacrifice all night and they "clean up" (a bit more complicated than that) in the morning.
How can we even BEGIN to relate to this?
Well, each of us within us has a metaphoric mizbe'ach - although we don't live in the Beit HaMikdash times (YET), we are each able to access and utilize our own altar. On that altar, we have a fire that is always burning. That fire is the spark of Gd within every person. No matter what, that fire is never extinguished. That fire enables us to make our own sacrifices, whether that be taking on a new mitzvah, davening, learning, granting yourself the permission to feel or do what you aren't accustomed to. The goal of the korbanot, the sacrifices, was to become closer to Gd (Korbanot comes from the root of karov, to come close!). We, too, are able to come closer to Gd if we recognize and appreciate that fire that always burns within each and every one of us. Often we feel as though we need to look outside of ourselves for the resources to change when in fact, more often than that, Gd has already given us the resources and tools that we need!

You're Never Alone

"I am HaShem your G-d, who took you out of Egypt."

Remember that HaShem is ALWAYS there for you. 

Happy Pesach!!!

Substance Over Style

In a Parsha which at face value seems tediously descriptive of foreign concepts, one statement of our Rabbi's stands out as a message not only for karbanos but for our lives.

In Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:17, we read about the poor person's korban. As opposed to the wealthier members of the Jewish people who brought big animals, the poor person only a bird or two (depending what he is bringing). This could be fairly discouraging.

The pasuk, however, tells us that this korban was just as pleasing to Hashem as the others. As Rashi quotes from the Midrash, "He who brings a lot or he who brings little, [it is pleasing to Hashem] as long as their intentions are for Heaven". 

Many times we become discouraged by our lacking circumstances or even our inability to do practice X or Y. Sometimes we can only do Z. As long as we have the right intentions, and we are truly doing all we can, that is all it takes to pleases Hashem. 

Have a great Shabbos.

“It’s not how much or how little you have that makes you great or small, but how much or how little you are with what you have.” 

- Rav Shimshon Rephael Hirsch

Education = Freedom?

We clean our houses like crazy; there is never enough time before Pesach. We dread the lack of bread and fill ourselves up with the same sugary snacks year and year. By the time Pesach is over, we are thankful that we can finally eat normal food and not have so many days of chag...

BUT WAIT! 

Why rush through the Seder?!!? 

Quick thought about the Seder: 

The mitzvah of Seder is to tell the story, to teach your children (okay, to teach the people around us). 

Seders are supposed to be engaging and lively! 

We are commanded to educate others for multiple reasons, including the necessity of passing down the story, as well as the strength and inspiration that we can gain from teaching. 

(In your head, you're saying: Sarah, this is nice, but I don't have kids, how does this relate to me??!!) 

Even if you don't have kids, teaching other people is something that you do daily, whether or not you realize it. Whenever you answer a question, you are teaching (yes, even your teachers and rabbis!). Your beliefs can be strengthened by strengthening others. 

Brief overview: 

The real power of the Seder is education: technically, to educate your children, but loosely, to educate the people around us. Through transmission of thought and tradition, we are ensuring the existence of our people. The very ensuring the existence and vibrancy of our people IS freedom. 

What Is Our Secret?

”...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”  

 - Mark Twain
(“Concerning The Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, 1899
see The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, Doubleday [1963] pg. 249)

What do you think is our secret?

Leading with Lollipops

You don't have to be on *Regional Board to be a leader. In all likelihood, you already are one... you just might not know it yet! Take 6 minutes and be inspired by someone who changed another's life through a story he doesn't even remember happening, and pay it forward! Give another person the gift of knowing how they've changed your life. Candygrams, ncsy tzadikim on fbook, or old fashioned phone call... there are ways to show gratitude and at the same time help enlighten others to their impact as leaders!

*That being said...  RB might just want you anyway :)

Wisdom From a 109 Year Old Holocaust Survivor

109 year old Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer, shares very powerful wisdom.

 

 Attitude is everything!

(Video from Shelley Israel)

Appreciating People

In Pirkei Avos (1:15) it says, "vehevai mikabel es kol haadom bisaiver panim yafos" -
"you should greet every person with a pleasant demeanor."
Why does the mishnah say haadom, instead of adom.
The same question could also be asked for the statement in Pirkei Avos (1:6) that says, "vehevai dan es kol haadom likaf zchus" - "and give every person the benefit of the doubt."
Why the extra letter "hey" before adom?? There must be a message here..

The Sfas Emes tells us that this little extra letter actually gives us the secret to having successful relationships. "Kol haadom" literally means all of the person. We learn from here that in order to be pleasant to every person and in order to judge them favorably we need to respect and appreciate all aspects of their being. Once we are able to recognize all of the great qualities in people it will be natural for us to greet them pleasantly and judge them favorably!

Let's take this even deeper. Rabbeinu Yonah asks a really interesting question: One of the fundamental concepts of Judaism is "veahavta l'raiacha kamocha" - "love you friend as yourself." Why is it that the word "raicha" is used here instead of a different word, like "chavercha?"
Rabbeinu Yonah says the most amazing idea which, if we really take to heart, can make our relationships much more meaningful.
He says that in the word "raicha" is the word "ra" meaning bad. What this means is that everyone has some bad in them, some type of flaw. We shouldn't even expect to meet perfect people, because people like that don't exist. Sometimes we see faults in people and from then on it's hard to think of them without thinking of their faults.
"Veahavta l'raiacha kamocha" is teaching us that in order to love people we need to look past their flaws and appreciate the greatness that's inside them.

(Step By Step, article by Rabbi Shalom Rosner)

In the beginning of this week's Parsha we find an integral lesson of learning hidden in the first Pasuk. Rashi tells us that the word "l'ha'alos", to bring up (the flame of the menorah), is purposeful, specifically chosen instead of "l'hadlik", to kindle.

He explains that the Kohen would keep his flame by the wick of the menorah and wait while it flickers until the flame itself can stand alone, without the Kohen's guidance. Rav Hirsch explains this along the lines of a teacher and a student.

A teacher's job is to guide the student, keep him in line, ensure the light of the flame even if it flickers. Eventually, however, the goal is for the student to shine brightly himself. Ultimately, he should also be able to kindle someone else.

Hopefully, we will all fulfill this mandate and internalize for ourselves the ideals of the Torah, in this recommitment during Purim. Have a great Shabbos and a wonderful Purim.

The Grogger - Dreidel Showdown

The gemara (megillah 16a) says that Haman came to get Mordechai as he was teaching a class. After the shiur ended Haman asked the students what they had learned. They said they learned that during the time of the Bais Hamikdash a man would take a handful of fine flour to make an atonement. Haman responded that their fine flour displaced his 10,000 talents of silver (which is what he gave to Achashveirosh to destroy the Jews).
The Avnei Nezer asks: It sounds like Haman is saying that the Jews beat him. Haman was a pretty full of himself, so why would he want to give the Jews the impression that his plan failed??
Haman was also a really sneaky guy. He knew that the Jews have a tremendous power of prayer, and he was scared their prayers would ruin his evil scheme. Therefore, he wanted them to think that they won so they wouldn't pray with such devotion.
But as it turned out, it was his plan that was an epic fail!

Which brings us to the grogger - dreidel showdown.
Have you ever wondered why the handle of a dreidel is on top, while the handle of a grogger is on the bottom?? There's no such thing as coincidences in Judaism :)
Here is the amazing answer:
On Chanukah we had miracles such as the small group of Maccabeim overcoming the entire Greek army and a little jug of oil lasting for 7 days. These are what we call open miracles; it was completely clear that Hashem was involved. On Chanukah it was Hashem who took initiative and brought salvation from above, and therefore the handle of the dreidel faces upwards towards Hashem.
On Purim the miracles were very hidden. During the Purim story Hashem was working undercover, and therefore His name isn't mentioned at all in the megillah! (It isn't mentioned openly, but our rabbis say that every mention of "the king" in the megillah can be understood to refer to Hashem). On Purim our salvation came through our own initiative. When Haman tried to trick us to stop davening he didn't realize that we have a connection to prayer that is very deep and can never be taken away from us. Because we took the initiative to bring about our salvation, the handle of the grogger faces downwards towards us.

Happy happy Purim!!

HAMENTASHEN RECIPE

Here is a delicious hamentashen recipe I took from my roommate. I may have tasted one or two after she made them... :-)

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

1/3 cup orange juice

5-5 1/2 cup flour

3 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients an roll out into dough.

My family uses the top of a glass to cut the dough out into circles. 

After cutting out the circles, put some filling in the centers (jelly, chocolate chips, poppy seeds etc..)

Simply pinch the dough into triangles. Make sure they are tightly pinched together so they don't come apart in the oven!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until a light brown. Depending on your oven, they may be done in as little as 12-15 minutes, so check then and adjust the time as needed.

ENJOY AND HAVE A HAPPY PURIM!!! :]

The Dash by Linda Ellis

The Dash

By Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak


At the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone


From the beginning to the end.


He noted that first came the date of her birth


And spoke of the following date with tears,


But he said what mattered most of all


Was the dash between those years.


For that dash represents all the time


That she spent alive on earth


And now only those who loved her


Know what that little line is worth.


For it matters not, how much we own,


The cars, the house, the cash,


What matters is how we live and love


And how we spend our dash.


So think about this long and hard;


Are there things you’d like to change?


For you never know how much time is left


That can still be rearranged.


If we could just slow down enough


To consider what’s true and real


And always try to understand


The way other people feel.


And be less quick to anger


And show appreciation more


And love the people in our lives


Like we’ve never loved before.


If we treat each other with respect


And more often wear a smile,


Remembering that this special dash


Might only last a little while.


So when your eulogy is being read


With your life’s actions to rehash


Would you be proud of the things they say


About how you spent your dash?

Perspective

Life is a funny thing. You never know when you're going to have a profound effect on someone, whether from a conversation or just being yourself in their proximity. This is something to always keep in mind - because you never know what affect it is going to have on people, one should always do their best to make a positive impression and impact. When speaking, choose words carefully and make sure to get your point across. Speak thoughtfully. Live thoughtfully.

'Till 120!

Today's Hebrew date -- the 7th of Adar -- is Moshe's birthday and yahrtzeit (death date). Moshe, arguably the greatest leader of all time, lived 120 years and is the paradigm for the traditional Jewish birthday wish to live 'till 120! ("ad meah v'esrim!"). The Torah itself states that not only did Moshe live a long life, but his "eyes didn't dim, and his vigor did not diminish" (Devarim 34:7) and in Breishit 6:3 G-d Himself says that man won't be immortal, but that his years will be 120 -- the sign of a full, complete life.

Interestingly, people have always had an obsession with youth. From claiming to be 21 years old forever, to plastic surgeries, to anti-aging creams, to the legendary search for the fountain of youth, people have a fascination with the mystery of how to break nature's prescribed path of growing old.

But its rare to really appreciate the beauty that growing old entails.

In fact, the phrase itself speaks worlds: to grow old.

To live a static life is not much of a life. But to GROW old? Now that's pretty awesome.

A few weeks ago on Shabbos, I had the privelege of witnessing and being inspired by a man who knows the meaning of "growing old." Rabbi Sidney Keiman, the rabbi emeritus of Congregation Adereth El in Manhattan, turned 100 years old on January 27, 2013. The Shabbos before his birthday (parshat Beshalach) was understandably an incredible one for the entire community.  Rabbi Kleiman was called to the Torah for the aliyah that included Az Yashir -- the song of gratitude that the Jews sang when passing through the red sea on their way out of Egypt. Two congregants lifted R' Kleiman from his wheelchair and supported him on either side as he stood with an unnatural strength before the Torah for the entire aliyah. In respectful awe, the entire congregation stood right along with him.

 

I wish I could take a peek through the window of what Rabbi Kleiman has seen over the past century, but suffice it to say I doubt he could have ever predicted the iPhone 5. When he first arrived in his shul, there were still individuals there who were alive during the Civil War! He was there during the Great Depression when congregants would donate coal and clothing instead of money. Can you imagine someone who was not just alive during the Holocaust, but was a full fledged rabbi of an American shul in 1939, leading a congregation through those years of tragedy? And then to witness the complete turn around with the celebration that followed the establishment of the state of Israel!

100 years down the line, though wheelchair bound, R' Kleiman is still the first one in shul every single day. In fact, that's how he spent his 100th birthday -- going to shul like he does every other day. Perhaps the most beautiful part of his birthday shabbos was seeing R' Kleiman, still fully with it, give a brachah in a strong powerful voice to the crowd of children presenting him with his birthday card.

In his own words in an article about him:

( http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/interviews-and-profiles/rabbi-kleiman-still-the-first-one-in-shul/2012/01/19/ ):

"I'm not that big a man. My name is Kleiman, which means 'small man,' kleiner mann. I'm just happy to do what I do, and if people want to follow my example, so much better."

When we think about growing old, we tend to wonder: What's the secret? I want to share with you a short clip from the Ellen Degeneres show, featuring a 105 year old woman Edythe Kirchmaier. When asked the secret to living a long life, her focus was on positivity. In her words, "If something happens, I can't do anything about it. So I don't let it bother me."

Wishing us all a long meaningful life! Till 120!