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Author:Chabad Intown

May 25 2017

The Art of Gifting

Children, Holidays, Lifestyle, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

With the school year coming to a close, there is much ado about gifts: gifts for the teachers, gifts for the graduates and let’s hope at least a pat on the back for yourself as the parent.   I got my child safely through another nine months of schooling. Healthy lunches, clean clothes, homework and science projects. All done. For now. Yay me (times eight).   In the early years of the Intown Jewish Preschool, which I founded, the parents would ask me about arranging different end-of-year gifts for the teachers. A cute apron...

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May 17 2017

Lessons on Management

Children, leader, Lifestyle
by Chabad Intown

Most of us are in management. For starters we manage ourselves - or should be managing ourselves. Then, we manage our children. We manage around our spouses :-). Then perhaps there are those who manage others at work. Even if you are not at the top of the management chain but manage someone immediately at the next tier, you are still managing.   This week we read two Torah portions, Behar and Bechukosai. Behar means The Mountain. The Mountain we speak of here is the famous mountain of Sinai fame. Sinai's greatness...

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May 10 2017

Forbes Richest to Enriched

Israel, leader, Lifestyle
by Chabad Intown

I chanced upon the 'Forbes Richest Under 40' wondering for a moment why I wasn't gifted with ideas for Facebook, Uber, SnapChat, etc. and then realized I'm not under 40! Born a few years early.(What would I do with all those billions?)   A few hours later I listened to Shahar Azani speak about not pursuing a tech career path with the other tech Israeli's and choosing to be a representative of the State of Israel "until the day I die". He spoke about his passion to share with the world what...

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May 03 2017

Free to Pray

Israel, Prayer
by Chabad Intown

Good prayer has three ingredients; time, place and person.   Time - there is a time for certain prayers and there is a time to not pray certain prayers. For example, when the Jewish People stood at the sea, they were instructed not to pray but to move forward. Or, would it make sense to pray for rain in the summer season?   Place - the environment should be conducive to prayer. Clean, holy, and prayer is often times more powerful in locations that have a more direct channel eg; The Western Wall, the...

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Apr 28 2017

If I Were a Rich Man

Uncategorized
by Chabad Intown

Although there is a disproportionate number of wealthy people vs. those in poverty, the world overall and the Jewish People in particular are in a better material state then we were a century or two ago.   Various religions have varying opinions on the virtue of wealth.   It seems at first glance from the Mishna in Pirkey Avos - Ethics of our Fathers, which we study these weeks between Passover and Shavous (1 chapter per week) that perhaps wealth is not such a virtuous pursuit. The Mishna 2:7 first states "one who increases...

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Apr 19 2017

Now what?!

Uncategorized
by Chabad Intown

There are of course varying levels of Passover observance. If you observe even some basics such as two Passover Seders and not eating bread or leaven for eight days you may be breathing a sigh of relief at this time.   Like everything in life however, the sigh of relief carries a loss with it. There is something nice about the discipline of not eating bread and the commitment to a specific behavior or action for the eight days. So with the loss of that specific discipline you may be feeling a...

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Apr 14 2017

The Messiah is Coming, Sunday!

Holidays, Moses, Passover
by Chabad Intown

You have heard the statement Think Globally Act Locally. The cynic in me says yeah right. I've been thinking globally and acting locally since I was a child but have I changed the world? I like to believe that I am contributing to some level of positive change in the world, but will I ever really change the global picture? And even if my efforts will change the world in three generations time, do I want to be dedicating my life to changing the world for my grandchildren? And finally,...

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Apr 14 2017

Are you free yet?

Holidays, Lifestyle, Moshiach, Passover
by Chabad Intown

Each year the Passover Seder brings new insights and inspiration. (One of the perks of leading a communal or group Seder :-)).   This year I heard a beautiful insight that really resonated with me.   At the point in the Seder when we make the blessing on the Matzah we hold the top of the three Matzahs and the broken middle Matzah. The Matzah we eat at this point in the Seder is the Matzah of liberation; for there wasn't enough time for the dough to rise when our ancestor left Egypt. (As...

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Mar 29 2017

P.R.I.D.E.

Uncategorized
by Chabad Intown

Passover has taken the world by storm. Every retailer is getting into the business. Costco and others now sell Shmura Matzah (the handmade round matzah guarded from the time of harvesting from possible moisture - in short the best most kosher Matzah)!   Jews now observe Passover more than any other holiday on the Jewish calendar.   But it wasn't always that way. The comfort threshold for this Jewish observance has been moved or possibly re-moved. But it isn't that way necessarily with other Mitzvos and observances. And for good reason.   Doing Jewish...

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Mar 22 2017

Stressed Out?

Challenges, Lifestyle, Rebuilding
by Chabad Intown

Are you stressed out? Do you work too hard? You might be using your brain too much!   In this week's Torah portion, the Torah tells us "six days work shall be done". Passively.   King David tells us that work should be the toil of our hands (palms to be exact) not the toil of our heads. Our heads ought to be focused on life's purpose. When we are overly invested in our work we use up vital brain energy and it stresses us out and exhausts us.   Why should we not overly invest...

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