There is something unmistakably unique about Chanukah. When we reflect on the Jewish calendar, we notice that most of our holidays are inward-facing. We celebrate them within our homes, our shuls, and our personal spiritual space. We do not stand in the middle of the street blowing shofar for all to hear; we do not walk around publicly holding up our matzah to declare our freedom; even the kedushah of Shabbos is observed with dignity and privacy.
Chanukah alone breaks that pattern. The mitzvah of pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle, is not a detail but the very definition of the mitzvah. The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) states clearly that the candles must be placed “קובעת שהדלקת נרות חנוכה נעשית על פתח ביתו מבחוץ”, at the entrance of one’s home, facing the outside world. So central is this value that one cannot even recite a bracha unless the light will be visible to someone (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 672:2). It is a mitzvah designed for the eyes of others.
There is another perplexity as well. No other mitzvah excludes personal benefit. We eat and sleep in the sukkah. We enjoy Torah on Shavuos. Shabbos itself is “חצי לה’ וחצי לכם”, half for Hashem, half for us. Yet the words of הַנֵרוֹת הַלָלוּ remind us that the Chanukah lights are kodesh, holy, “ואין לנו רשות להשתמש בהן”, we are prohibited from using their light for any personal purpose. The candles radiate outward, yet remain sacred and untouchable.
Why the difference?
A Light Born of Crisis
To understand this, we must revisit the history of Chanukah. The Yevanim decrees were not aimed at our bodies, they targeted our identity, our spirituality, our Torah. The Yevanim sought to “make them forget the Torah and to remove us from Your ways”, the ways of the Torah (Al HaNisim). Many of our brethren succumbed and assimilated. The Maccabean revolt was not only a battle against an empire but a battle within our own communities as well. There were those who gave in, leaving Torah life, and there were those heroes, like Chana and her seven sons, who embodied unwavering courage, sacrificing everything to remain faithful to a life of kedushah.
The miracle of Chanukah was not only the military victory or the oil that burned beyond nature. It was the miracle that a group remained loyal, that the flame of Torah did not go dark. As the Midrash in Bereishis teaches, “מעט אור דוחה הרבה מן החושך”, even a small light can push away great darkness.
This is at the heart of our pirsumei nisa. We place the candles facing outward to declare publicly that not only did Hashem perform miracles then, but the light of a committed few can uplift the many now. The message is one of solidarity and strength:
“איש את־רֵעהוּ יעזורוּ ולאחיו יאמר חזק”, each person helps his friend and says to his brother: Be strong (Yeshayahu 41:6).
Our lights say to one another: We are still here. We are still strong. And together, we will remain faithful.
Why We Cannot Use the Light
The prohibition of using the Chanukah lights emerges naturally from this understanding.
The Ramban (Shemos 27:20) writes that light represents spiritual clarity. The Maharal (Ner Mitzvah) explains that the Chanukah light represents the supernatural divine illumination that preserved Torah in that dark era. Such light is not utilitarian. It is not meant to serve our needs. It exists to proclaim something greater, the presence of Hashem even when darkness seems overwhelming.
By forbidding personal use, the halachah teaches us:
This light is not about me.
It is about us but our identity, our faith, our resilience, our collective future.
Building Community Through the Candlelight
If the candles are meant to shine outward, what does that ask of us today?
The outward flames remind us that our community, like these neros, is holy, that each person carries a spark that lifts the whole. The holiness of the candles reflects the holiness of the people who gather around them. When we light, we declare that our community, too, is kodesh and that we carry responsibility for each other.
Chanukah invites us to ask:
Drive around your neighborhood after lights the Chanukah Menorah and consider these ideas; How do we care for our neighbors? How do we unify our families and our shul, or friends, and Yeshivas and schools? What chessed can we illuminate for someone facing darkness? How can we strengthen the kedushah of our community so that children grow up surrounded by light? Just as the candles must be seen by others, our actions must shine as well.
A Prayer for Our Community
As we stand before the menorah this year, let us daven that our community continues to grow in strength, achdus, and kedushah. May we support one another during challenges, lift each other during moments of weakness, and build a future where the flame of Torah burns with warmth and clarity for our children and for all generations.
יהי רצון שנזכה להאיר זה לזה, ולעשות את קהילתנו מקומות של קדושה, חסד, וביטחון.
May the light of Chanukah shine outward, and inward, guiding us toward a stronger, holier, and more connected community.
About the Author:
Rabbi Dr. Avichai Pepper is a seasoned educator with a rich academic and professional background. A graduate of the New England Rabbinical College in Providence, RI, he has devoted his life to the pursuit of knowledge and the nurturing of young minds and support of Torah and Jewish communal growth. Rabbi Pepper holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University, alongside a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Bellevue University and a Master’s degree in Counseling from Liberty University.
Currently serving as the Director of Educational Advancement and Community Relations at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, Rabbi Dr. Pepper leverages almost 30 years of dedicated service in Chinuch (Jewish education) and community development. His extensive experience in Jewish education includes various impactful roles, demonstrating his commitment to fostering academic excellence and personal growth within the Jewish educational system. He has played a role in the Jewish Day School movement in several cities including Providence, RI., Houston, TX., Seattle, WA., Phoenix, AZ., and currently, Silver Spring, MD. He also serves as a teacher coach through Lomdei and is an adjunct professor at Woodmont College – School of Education and School of Behavioral Science..
Rabbi Pepper’s expertise lies in cultivating an environment of positivity and encouragement, where students thrive academically, socially, and spiritually. His leadership is rooted in the belief that a supportive and dynamic school culture is key to unlocking each student’s potential and empowering students’ growth, ensuring their holistic development and success.
We got you in. Well… kind of. Not through a secret back entrance — but the next best thing. And thanks to Jake Turx, you’re walking into the White House without ever leaving home.
Silver Spring Live! is bringing you a behind-the-scenes experience you don’t get every day — a walk inside the White House with Jake Turx, Senior White House Correspondent at Mishpacha Magazine.
Thanks to Jake, our community gets an exclusive two-part video series:
The moment Jake arrives and makes his way into the White House grounds:
Stepping into the legendary White House Press Briefing Room — where presidents’ press secretaries take questions from reporters around the world.
From security gates to the front row of American journalism, these clips put you right in the action. Whether you’ve followed national news for years or just want a peek behind the scenes, you’ll enjoy this rare view.
📹 Watch both videos below and enjoy the VIP access!
Big moments don’t just happen on TV — sometimes they land right in your WhatsApp feed. Thanks to Jake Turx, we got to bring you closer to the heart of American politics than ever before. From the first step through the gates to the click of cameras in the Press Briefing Room, you’ve just walked the same halls as the country’s top journalists. That’s the kind of access you only get when you’re part of Silver Spring Live! Stay tuned — the next big moment might be even closer to home.
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When passion meets planning, industries change. This is how the Jewish trade show world was born. Let’s start from the beginning—how did this whole idea even come about?
Sure. Maybe we can spend a few minutes going back to how this all started. First of all, to introduce myself—my name is Mike Weber. I grew up in Boro Park and went to yeshiva there for a few years. I got married in Boro Park and started out working upstate in the Catskills. My first job was actually managing a bungalow colony.
It so happened that they needed some upgrades, and during my first year managing, I got involved in some construction projects. That’s really what got me into construction. While I was doing that, a friend introduced me to the National Builder Show in Vegas. It was a big group of frum people who went together.
The timing was complicated because the show was Thursday through Sunday, which meant being there over Shabbos. But we had an organized group and a full Shabbos program. This was about 23 years ago, when the internet was barely a thing. Email wasn’t common, and social media didn’t exist—so trade shows were one of the few ways to connect and share.
I remember thinking, “We need something like this for our community.” But these things take time, money, energy. A few years later, I partnered with a good friend, Mendel Lerner, who ran the Raleigh Hotel in South Fallsburg. I told him, “Mendel, we need to do something. Maybe you’ll help me out?” He said, “Sure, I’ll give you the venue and a good price on food—just make it happen.”
We scheduled it three weeks later, and boom, we were doing an expo.
Most people in the community had never even heard of a trade show. They thought it was like a camp performance—they didn’t really get the concept. So I had to explain: “You do what you do every day. You talk to people about your product or service. You see if they’re interested. You give more information. That might lead to a deal. That’s a trade show.”
Fast forward 15 years—now you have big events being done by major kehillos like Satmar, Skver, Klausenburg, and others across New York. People are much more familiar with what a trade show is. And it’s taken off in a very big way.
Today, the New York show takes place in a venue over 60,000 square feet. We get over 5,000 attendees and 300+ booths. It’s become a real movement.
That’s a major leap—from a bungalow colony to 60,000 square feet in NYC. How did it grow from Catskills-to the broader community and start reaching other communities like Washington D.C., Silver Spring & Baltimore?
At some point, I felt a sense of mission—this can’t just be for New York. Other communities need it too. The first event I did outside of New York was actually still upstate, in the Catskills, but on a small scale. Since I was already a contractor, I had connections with a lot of subs. I reached out to them, and we put together our first local expo with 30 booths. That was the first year. And it was a hit—people left on a high.
The next year we had 50 booths. The following year? Seventy. It just kept growing. Then someone came to me and said, “You need to take this to the next level. It’s time to do something for the broader community.”
Upstate was still limited—it was mostly for the bungalow colony crowd. People had just started buying second homes up there, but it wasn’t the main market. So we pivoted. We decided to bring the event to the Monsey area—Monsey, Monroe, that whole region.
It was a huge step. I still remember: one company really pushed me. They said, “I’ll sponsor. I’ll help. Just do it.” I ended up getting nothing from that company in the end, but it was their nudge that gave me the guts to put down a $25,000 deposit on a 60,000 square foot venue. That was a serious leap of faith.
That kind of risk—$25,000 upfront—that’s not small change. Did you already feel confident in the model?
I knew we had something powerful. The event had already proven itself. So we jumped in. And since then, we’ve done more. We did a big event for the tri-state area, centered around the five boroughs and surrounding parts of New York. Obviously, Brooklyn is a hub, and people were asking us, “When are you doing something for the city?” So we did it.
But I always try to emphasize: nothing starts out big. It starts with a vision, and it takes a huge amount of effort—cold calling, explaining what this is, convincing people to try something new. It was a process.
Last year, we brought the show to Baltimore for the first time. And baruch Hashem, it was a huge success. We had nearly 1,000 attendees and over 50 exhibitors. For that community, it was brand new. The concept was unfamiliar. But people were excited.
And now we’re gearing up for year two. There’s momentum.
You’ve built something incredible—what’s your message to families and professionals in Silver Spring, Potomac, Rockville, Chevy Chase, and D.C.? Why should they be there?
Because amazing things happen when people come together. I’ve seen it—guys walk in not expecting much and walk out with real opportunities! New vendors, new clients, even new direction. There’s so much talent and drive in your area, and this event brings it all into one space. If you’re even a little curious, just come. You never know who you’ll meet or what doors might open.
And you really believe one day can make that kind of impact?
I do. When people show up with an open mind and good energy, powerful things happen. One conversation, one handshake—it can shift your entire year. And that’s what this is about: real connections, real growth.
And the truth is, we’re just getting started. There’s so much more I want to share in Part Two next week. You’ll see—it’s only going up from here!
The long sunny days of summer can seem like a time for relaxation and fun as school is out and work slows down. Yet mental health challenges can continue despite the warm season. People who struggle with depression or anxiety can feel even more isolated and alone when they believe that others are having a wonderful time at the pool or traveling, but that only they failed to get the life memo on how to live a carefree life and frolic with friends and family during the summer.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Depression and anxiety are distinct, but there are several overlapping symptoms. They often co- occur, regardless of which one develops first. People may also become anxious about how depression affects their life, roles, and relationships, or become depressed and hopeless about how anxiety limits them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, known as CBT, is an evidence-based treatment, meaning that extensive empirical research has proven its effectiveness. CBT focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors in order to change the way that someone feels.
Mistakes in Thinking
Both depression and anxiety cause distorted thinking (“thought traps”) involving harsh self- judgments and hopelessness as well as unhelpful behaviors such as avoidance. Thought traps can distort how people think about themselves, others, and the future. They may believe negative thoughts about their own competence, worth, and lovability. They might see themselves as fundamentally flawed and inadequate, feeling shame or embarrassment about their perceived shortcomings. A common pattern of thought traps is the overestimation of threat or difficulty of situations coupled with an underestimation of the ability to cope with discomfort (e.g., “I couldn’t handle that if it happened”). These negative thoughts often contribute to withdrawal and avoidance of other people and activities.
Unhelpful Behavior: Short-Term vs Long-Term
Avoidance plays a key role in many mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, by maintaining a vicious cycle. The more you avoid, the more you tend to avoid. As individuals rely on avoidant coping, their world shrinks, with fewer opportunities for positive experiences and to collect evidence against negative thoughts and expectations. The short-term relief that comes from escaping or avoiding a difficult situation reinforces the belief that someone can’t handle uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or sensations. For example, they might think, “Phew, thank goodness I didn’t go to class today when I felt unprepared!” This pattern can lead to a downward spiral of more avoidance of situations and interactions, which can worsen depression and anxiety
in the long run. For example, someone may come to think, “I’ve missed so many days of class that I can’t go back now; I’d better drop the course. What’s wrong with me? I’ll never be able to graduate”.
Fighting Depression and Anxiety
Fighting depression and anxiety involves resisting urges to engage in avoidance or safety behaviors. Safety behaviors are things people do to reduce anxiety and help them feel safe, such as scrolling on their phone in a social setting to look busy so they feel less anxious that others will think they are weird standing alone. (Another vicious cycle- if you do look busy, it will prevent someone from coming over to talk with you!) Instead of avoidance, people are encouraged to tolerate discomfort and make decisions based on personal goals and values.
Related to reducing avoidance, another essential strategy for combating mood and anxiety difficulties is Behavioral Activation. There is a link between mood and activity such that when we don’t engage in activity, we tend to feel worse, whereas we get a mood boost and a sense of accomplishment from engaging in activity. People often tell me that they will resume activities when they feel better AFTER their depression or anxiety has improved. I gently ask, how will that happen? We can’t directly control our mood but we can have much more control over our behavior. Planning to first change mood and THEN change behavior keeps a person stuck waiting to feel better before they can take the steps that we know can help to decrease depression and anxiety. Behavioral activation flips the script and empowers people to FIRST change their behavior and increase activity, in spite of not wanting to do so because they feel depressed or anxious, in order to bring about the desired change in mood.
Engaging in CBT with a trained licensed professional can help modify the unhelpful patterns of thought and behavior that keep people stuck and serve to maintain avoidance, depression, and anxiety. Below are 5 tips to consider implementing on your own.
Summer strategies to combat depression and anxiety:
1) Create structure. A lack of structure during summer can make it difficult to feel motivated to get up and start the day, which can lead to spending more time in bed. This may be especially true for teens and young adults who were registered for programs in Israel this summer but had their plans canceled due to the war. Consider scheduling an activity in the morning to push yourself out of bed. Plan an activity with someone else to increase accountability and improve the chances of following through, such as taking a walk with someone or attending a shiur together. It will be harder to cancel at the last minute.
2) Take small steps to reduce avoidance and reliance on safety behaviors. Take small, manageable risks and notice what happens. If socializing after shul feels uncomfortable and you usually leave right after davening, try staying just a few extra minutes. Instead of avoiding eye contact (a safety behavior) and hoping that nobody notices you, make eye contact with one person and start a brief conversation. Even if the situation does not go as you would have liked, you may notice that, nonetheless, you were able to get through it. As you learn that you are more resilient than you think and can handle situations even when things don’t work out, you may feel emboldened to try other activities or interactions. You are not a delicate flower and you can do hard things!
3) Put down your phone and go outside. Summer offers us longer days with more opportunity to catch some sunlight and fresh air in the late afternoon/early evening, which can help boost mood and increase physical activity. Give yourself some respite from incessant political stress and war updates and leave your phone behind.
4) Medication changes. Summer can be a good time to consult with a medical professional to start or change psychiatric medication when the stakes at school or work may be lower, in the event of side effects from beginning or tapering off medication.
5) Be realistic and plan ahead for Fall. If you or a loved one experienced significant depression or anxiety before the summer but seem to be feeling better during the summer (especially true for college students who suddenly have several months of reduced academic and social demands), consider whether some of those symptoms are likely to return when stressors resume in the fall. Summer can be a good time to research licensed clinicians who provide CBT and begin therapy to address depression and anxiety when there are fewer demands on your time. Proactive steps during the summer can prepare you to face returning fall stressors with new tools in your psychological toolbox and greater confidence to effectively cope with challenges, both now and in the future. This article is provided as psychoeducational information for the community and is not intended as psychological treatment and does not constitute creation of a doctor-patient relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call 9-8-8, the national behavioral health emergency number, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Dr. Selena Snow is a licensed psychologist. She is the founder and director of The Snow Psychology Group, a private practice of psychologists specializing in CBT and other evidence-based treatment for depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma for ages 12+. They also conduct neuropsychological evaluations for ages 18+. Services are provided In-Person in Rockville, MD and via Telehealth in over 40 states. For more information, visit www.snowpsych.com or call the office at (240) 676-4206 x1.
If you own a home or drive a car in today’s world, insurance isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. But that doesn’t mean it’s always simple to navigate. Between deductibles, liability limits, exclusions, and endorsements, many people understandably feel overwhelmed and default to “whatever we had last year.” The good news is, understanding your coverage doesn’t need to be complicated—and small adjustments can make a meaningful difference.
Let’s start with home insurance. At a minimum, your policy should insure your home at its full replacement cost—not just what you paid for it or what it costs on Zillow. Especially in today’s construction market, rebuilding after a loss can cost far more than expected. Make sure your policy accounts for this.
Pay attention to coverage for personal property as well. Many standard policies cap reimbursement for items like jewelry, silver, or certain religious articles unless you schedule them separately. If you’ve renovated your home, finished a basement, or purchased new high-value items, it’s a good idea to update your coverage so it reflects what you actually own.
Auto insurance also deserves a closer look than it often gets. Maryland and DC minimum requirements are low, and in the event of a serious accident, they may not be nearly enough. Your liability limits should realistically reflect what you’d be responsible for, G-d forbid, in the event of an accident. This is especially important if you own a home or have savings that could be at risk in a lawsuit. You should also make sure your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is adequate, which is protection for when another driver causes an accident but doesn’t have enough insurance to cover injuries.
If you or your spouse own a small business, especially one that operates from home or online, it’s important to know that most homeowners policies won’t cover business-related losses. Whether it’s product inventory, client property, or even a visitor injury during a business-related appointment, a separate policy may be needed. Fortunately, business coverage can be affordable and flexible, tailored to match your risk and industry.
Insurance may not be exciting, but it is one of the few areas where a little bit of knowledge can protect a lot. If you haven’t reviewed your policies in the last few years—or if you’re not quite sure what you’re paying for—it might be time for a fresh look.
The bottom line: your insurance should reflect your life—your home, your family, your responsibilities. And while no one enjoys thinking about worst-case scenarios, there’s a certain peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re prepared.
As someone who lives in the frum community and works with clients across Baltimore and Greater Washington, I understand the rhythms, priorities, and sensitivities that come with our lifestyle. I’m always happy to answer questions, explain options, or review your current coverage.
I’d be happy to help. Just reach out to discuss how we can tailor a policy to fit your needs.
About Judah:Judah Wealcatch is a licensed insurance broker based in Baltimore, Maryland. He works at Herman E. Wealcatch Insurance, a family-owned agency that has been serving Baltimore, the Greater Washington area, and beyond for 40 years.
A baby. Twelve months. A thousand opinions. Sharon Mazel makes room for what matters.
New parenthood has a remarkable ability to turn a straightforward question into seventeen open browser tabs. By the time you have compared the advice, the baby has moved on to a different problem.
That is the appeal of Bite-Sized Parenting: Your Baby’s First Year. Parenting and pregnancy author Sharon Mazel, known for her work on the What to Expect books, brings the first year into focus through an illustrated, month-by-month guide.
The first year, without the information overload
Even the subtitle gets straight to the point: The Essential Guide to What Matters Most, from Sleeping and Feeding to Development and Play, in an Illustrated Month-by-Month Format. It is an ambitious range of subjects, organized around a refreshingly practical question: what is useful to a parent right now?
There is a reason that approach feels timely. New parents are surrounded by information, but information and reassurance are different things. A long list of possibilities can leave a tired reader with more questions than they started with. A visual format and a clear place to begin offer a different reading experience: something you can return to when the house is finally quiet, even if that quiet lasts four minutes.
From What to Expect to Bite-Sized Parenting
Mazel’s background in pregnancy and parenting publishing includes the What to Expect series. Her own book puts a distinctive format around the questions that accompany a baby’s first year. The emphasis is on making a large subject approachable, with illustrations and a structure that follows the passing months.
For anyone buying a gift for expectant parents, that is part of the appeal. A useful book earns its place beside the sofa, within reach of someone who has a baby in one arm and very little patience for finding the right chapter.
A Greater DC conversation, with a little comic relief
For a conversation in our Greater DC community, Mazel sat down with Sender Gross and Dovi Neuburger to discuss the book. The setting was intimate; the subject could hardly have been more universal.
Neuburger brings the comic relief—a useful contribution to any discussion of a stage of life in which an uninterrupted shower can qualify as a wellness retreat. The book, mercifully, comes with its own illustrations; readers are spared having Dovi demonstrate a bedtime routine.
Gross, a Greater DC entrepreneur working across media advertising, public relations, and an emerging technology venture, tends to find the opening and move. Here, the opportunity was simple: bring a widely followed parenting author into a local conversation and put her work in front of the families it was written for.
The promise of the format is compelling: a way into a big year, one manageable piece at a time. For parents whose reading is regularly interrupted by the person they are reading about, that is a strong place to start.
Parenting author Sharon Mazel in conversation with publisher and media strategist Sender Gross and his cousin, comedian and media personality Dovi Neuberger. Photography: Donni Krainess.Behind the conversation. Video and photography by Donni Krainess.
Politics, family, and a conversation with the governor. Comedian and media personality Dovi Neuberger joins his cousin, Sender Gross, a publisher and media strategist, for an exclusive campaign interview with former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan at his Annapolis office. Together, they sit down with Hogan to discuss his campaign, his vision for the future, and the issues that matter most to the Greater DC Jewish community.
Cover: Rabbi Eli Stefansky holds a Yeshivat Reishit mug during his Moed Katan Daf 3 shiur, following the completion of Maseches Megillah.
More than 200 students. Fifty-seven from Reishit. One shared achievement: completing Maseches Megillah, a daf at a time.
Students from Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and other yeshivas in Israel joined Rabbi Eli Stefansky for a siyum celebrating the completion of Maseches Megillah through Daf Yomi. For Reishit’s 57 participants, the evening marked weeks of daily learning, encouragement from their rabbeim, and friends helping one another keep going.
The challenge brought together more than 200 American yeshiva students, many around 18 years old, around a straightforward commitment: follow Rabbi Stefansky’s shiur and finish the masechta together. The promised celebration was an all-you-can-eat fleishig meal in Jerusalem. Getting there took the quieter work of opening a Gemara every day.
Reishit students celebrate the completion of Maseches Megillah with Rabbi Eli Stefansky at Sheyan restaurant in Jerusalem.
Reishit students helping one another stay with the daf
The initiative grew within the learning environment built by Reishit’s rabbeim and staff. Their teaching, patience and attention to each talmid gave the students a foundation for taking on another commitment. Alongside the yeshiva’s regular sedarim, the Daf Yomi effort became a shared project that continued in the beis midrash, around campus and in the dorms.
Brachi Feder, Ezra Friedman and Menachem Rosner, all from West Hempstead, Long Island, helped keep that project moving. They encouraged their friends to continue, answered questions and learned ahead so they could help others understand the material. Working with Reb Eli and av bayis Sender Gross, they turned an ambitious goal into daily, practical support for the chevra.
That student leadership mattered. A friend checking in after shiur, explaining a difficult passage or making time to review could help someone return the next day. The achievement belonged to the young men who kept learning and to the wider Reishit community that supported them.
Dovid Amar of Woodmere, NY; Ezra Friedman of West Hempstead, NY; Ikey Rozehzadeh of Teaneck, NJ; and Doni Horowitz of West Hempstead, NY, learn with av bayis Sender Gross.
Daniella Gross: a welcoming home for the students
Daniella Gross, Reishit’s eim bayis at the time, supported the students with meals and a welcoming home. She hosted and cooked for the boys who were continuing with the challenge, giving them another place to feel encouraged and cared for. Her contribution was part of the daily support that helped sustain the learning beyond the shiur itself.
Rabbi Eli Stefansky on Daf Yomi: the strength of showing up
Rabbi Eli Stefansky captures his approach in a familiar line: “It’s not about the Daf, it’s about the Yomi.” The emphasis is on the daily commitment. Completing a page matters, but so does becoming someone who makes time for Torah again tomorrow.
For a young person taking on Daf Yomi, that distinction can make a demanding goal feel approachable. A whole masechta may seem far away. Today’s learning is a smaller, clearer task: open the Gemara, follow the discussion and give the material serious attention.
Stefansky’s Mercaz Daf Yomi began with a small gathering in his home to review the week’s learning. His decision to begin a shiur in the middle of a masechta reflects the same encouragement: a person does not have to wait for an ideal starting point to begin learning.
A daily shiur also creates a shared point of connection. Students can discuss the same question, compare what they understood and help each other through a difficult sugya. At Reishit, that connection was visible in the students who prepared ahead and made themselves available to their friends.
The pace of Daf Yomi asks for both commitment and humility. Some passages take more work than others; asking a question or returning to review is part of learning. The support of rabbeim, chavrusas and fellow students helps make that effort sustainable.
A siyum gives the daily work a moment of recognition. Its lasting value, though, is the habit students carry into the next masechta. The Megillah celebration was a chance to appreciate what they had completed—and to see another day of learning as something within reach.
Gemaras in hand, and an invitation to begin
Rabbi Stefansky made free Gemaras available to students who committed to learning, offering ArtScroll Hebrew or English editions. With books in hand and support on campus, students could take the first step and build a rhythm alongside Reishit’s daily schedule of shiurim and sedarim.
Reishit students listen as Rabbi Eli Stefansky introduces a Daf Yomi challenge that would bring more than 200 American yeshiva students together to complete Maseches Megillah.
A personal invitation, and a shared celebration
Rabbi Stefansky personally invited the Reishit students who had helped sustain the initiative to join him. Their work on campus had helped their friends stay motivated and keep pace. The Taanis Daf 31 shiur image records an earlier moment in that wider learning journey.
Reishit students join Rabbi Eli Stefansky for Taanis Daf 31. He personally welcomed the young men helping their friends stay committed to the daily daf.
At the Megillah siyum, Reishit student Jonah Gerson delivered a dvar Torah, giving the students a voice in the celebration of their own achievement. The meal at Sheyan in Jerusalem brought the chevra together beyond the beis midrash, with the friendships formed through learning still at the center.
Building ahavas Torah, one day at a time
The wider learning effort encouraged students to continue, with some completing three, four or five siyumim. Each completion was a reason to take the next step. Rabbi Stefansky’s encouragement, the guidance of Reishit’s rabbeim and staff, and the students’ care for one another all contributed to that growing ahavas Torah.
For the 57 Reishit participants, the accomplishment was both shared and personal. They celebrated together, but each had made the daily decision to learn. The story belongs to that commitment—and to the community that helped it grow.
Reishit students gather in the beis midrash to hear Rabbi Eli Stefansky and strengthen their commitment to daily learning.
From the archives · Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz, zt”l (1921–2018)
This historical tribute is filed in WJJ’s memorial archive after Rabbi Pelcovitz’s passing on March 14, 2018. This digital archive edition was added on November 1, 2026. The original article was published by The Jewish Home on April 12, 2018. Original reporting and byline are retained below.
Rabbi Raphael “Ralph” Pelcovitz helped shape the White Shul and the Torah life of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns. This article forms part of Washington Jewish Journal’s archive of Jewish leadership, learning, and community history. Read the illustrated article in the Rabbi Pelcovitz Living Library and the original Jewish Home issue.
Secrets to His Success
Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz, zt”l · 30 Days Since His Passing
By Susan Schwamm · The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018
Speaking with TJH two years ago, Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz, zt”l, noted at the end of the long interview that he knew thousands of people. “How do you manage to remember everyone?” the interviewer asked him. “Well, if I like you, I remember you,” the rav, who was 95 years old at the time, said. “You must like a lot of people,” the interviewer rejoined. “Yes, I definitely do,” Rabbi Pelcovitz responded.
An encounter with Rabbi Pelcovitz meant not just a few moments of chitchat. With his distinctive smile and wit, he instantly related to all, regardless of age, affiliation or attitude. People were not just congregants or passersby. They were humans, tzelem Elokim, each with their challenges and triumphs, accomplishments and losses, humor and pain.
Although Rabbi Pelcovitz was the consummate people’s person and that was his primary focus, his vision was broader in scope as he spent over six decades molding the Far Rockaway community into a bastion of Torah and derech eretz.
What was Rabbi Pelcovitz’s secret? How was he able to see a desert with just a few tents of Torah and then help to build the flourishing paradigm of Torah and tefilla that we have today in our community? How was he able to unite a kehilla that consists of black hats, baseball hats, and bare heads? How was he able to insist on halacha without alienating those who perhaps were not as stringent? Why did every person he encountered feel that instant connection with the rav?
It was over six decades ago when Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz, zt”l, moved to Far Rockaway. The then-fledgling community that sat on the border of Queens and the South Shore of the Five Towns was a new frontier for pioneering Orthodox Jews who were inching away from the tenements on the Lower East Side and the crowded streets of the Bronx. A large portion of what is now prime real estate in Far Rockaway was, back then, uninhabited marsh land. There were a total of two shuls in the area – Shaaray Tefila and Kneseth Israel, which was located on Nameoke Street and Dinsmore in Far Rockaway and was, indeed, white. The Far Rockaway-Five Towns community was home to just a few Orthodox families, and there was a smattering of schools and groceries that were dotted throughout the landscape.
But the young rabbi was hopeful. He envisioned a bustling, Torahdik community where all types of Jews could raise their families in a safe, warm and loving environment. Yes, seen through the lens of 2018 it’s quite feasible. But, at the time, Rabbi Pelcovitz was stepping into the unknown, armed with only his passion for spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit and the hope that others would join him on his journey.
“The community when I came here had a limited number of people who were shomrei mitzvos, shomrei Shabbos, who were people who knew how to learn or wanted to learn,” he told TJH in 2016. “And one of the major challenges that I found when I came here was to create in the people a desire to want to learn, to want to know more, to want to grow.”
Despite it being a challenge, Rabbi Pelcovitz rose to the occasion – and he brought the community up with him. Slowly, he introduced adult learning classes to both men and women in the community. His lectures filled the shul on Shabbos and during the week. He helped to expand the chevra kaddisha within the community and taught halachos to both the men and the women, establishing the 7th of Adar as Chevra Kaddisha Day to give honor to those who toil in this most worthy chessed shel emes.
Indeed, the community was receptive to Rabbi Pelcovitz’s ideals, and its spiritual growth came at a rapid pace.
In a feature on Rabbi Pelcovitz in the book, The World That Was: America, Rabbi Pelcovitz recalls his early days as a rav in the Far Rockaway community.
“People were moving to this [Far Rockaway] community who were shomer Shabbos, yeshiva educated, and committed Jews. It was a breath of fresh air [as compared to his other positions as a rav],” Rabbi Pelcovitz said. “A definite advantage of this was that you were dealing with those who were receptive to what you wanted to present and accomplish.”
The Far Rockaway community wanted to grow.
“The climate of the community – and it was amazing to see – was that as time passed there were social pressures to be more Observant. For example, having a sukkah was an act of courage. In Far Rockaway, even in the ‘50s, it had reached a point in certain neighborhoods that if you did not have a sukkah you were ashamed. People built sukkahs who were not even that frum.
“The benefit was that, eventually, some of these people became Observant for the proper reason and not just to keep up with the Joneses.”
Seeing that his kehilla was ripe for Torah learning, Rabbi Pelcovitz urged his community forward.
He was instrumental in helping to establish the Vaad Hakashrus in town and in building a mikveh in Far Rockaway for the community.
Every decision of his made along the road in elevating the frum community in Far Rockaway was made with an adherence to halacha. In fact, when working on the eiruv at the time, Rabbi Pelcovitz invited Rabbi Shimon Eider, who was the known baki at the time on eiruvim, to help establish the eiruv.
“He also knew,” said Dr. Nachum Pelcovitz, Rabbi Pelcovitz’s youngest child, “that he would need the haskama of the gadol ha’dor as there were very few eiruvim in America at the time.” He involved Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, to ensure that there would not be any conflicts within the community when it came to the eiruv.
“He set forth to establish a Torah community,” Dr. Pelcovitz said, “and that’s what he did.”
Daas Torah was also asked when it came to the mechitza in the new building of the White Shul. (The shul moved to its current location in 1964.) Rabbi Pelcovitz consulted with Rav Moshe and there were certain changes that were made to the original plans of the mechitza to ensure that it was k’halacha. “He made sure to get Rav Moshe’s haskama so that everyone would be onboard and that nobody should question it.”
Elevating the Small Towns
Rabbi Pelcovitz was born in Canton, Ohio, in 1921. His father, Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovitz, was the rav of the shul in Canton. In 1928 the family moved to Bridgeport, CT. There, young Raphael attended public school and a Talmud Torah in the afternoons.
When Raphael was just 12-years-old, Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovitz sent his son to learn in Eretz Yisroel, something that was not done in those days. Raphael traveled with his mother and sisters by boat for two weeks before finally reaching the Holy Land. His mother had traveled with his sisters to find a shidduch for one of the Pelcovitz daughters and, indeed, once they came to Eretz Yisroel, a suitable shidduch was found. The wedding was held in Eretz Yisroel after Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovitz journeyed from the United States to attend the simcha.
Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovitz, with his long white beard, was part of a group of rabbanim who joined in the Zionist conferences in Europe. Perhaps that it why he sent his son to learn in Eretz Yisroel at such a tender age.
After the nuptials, Raphael stayed in Israel with his sister and new brother-in-law and learned in the mechina of Chevron Yeshiva, celebrating his bar mitzvah without the rest of his family. He stayed there, learning diligently, for four years until unrest and riots forced him back home.
When Rabbi Pelcovitz came back from Eretz Yisroel, he went to Torah Vodaath, where he learned under Rabbi Shlomo Heiman. Rabbi Pelcovitz was known for being an ilui, earning a certificate of semicha from Rabbi Heiman at the young age of 20. When he was given the approbation Rabbi Heiman told him to hide the certificate in a drawer until he would come of age, as he was really much too young to have used it.
Learning in Torah Vodaath opened worlds for Rabbi Pelcovitz. He spoke of his love for his rebbe who taught him how to learn a blatt Gemara and how to give over a blatt, an essential component for rabbanim when learning with their kehilla.
Another person who had a seminal influence over Rabbi Pelcovitz while he was learning in Torah Vodaath was the menahel, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz. Rabbi Mendelowitz imparted hashkafa to the boys, giving over shiur to select bochurim.
In those days, there was no dormitory in the yeshiva; students would rent rooms. Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovitz would send his son money for room and board, and Raphael taught in the Talmud Torah to earn extra money.
Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz’s first foray into chinuch was as the principal of a day school in Hartford, CT. In the 1940s, a day school was almost unheard of and the concept of not attending a public school was considered by many to be un-American. Despite the uphill battles and the very few supporters that he had, in his two years as principal Rabbi Pelcovitz expanded the school and recruited new students.
A new community came knocking, this time by way of the rabbinate. Rabbi Pelcovitz applied for and was accepted to the position of rabbi of the shul in Saratoga Springs, NY, and principal and teacher in the Talmud Torah in January 1945. During the year, the community in Saratoga Springs was small. There was only one shul in town, and not everyone who attended was frum. Even so, the lectures given by Rabbi Pelcovitz were given in Yiddish. During the summer months, though, the town’s mineral baths drew Jews from the city who basked in the warm weather, balmy temperatures, and calming spas found in Saratoga Springs. In those months, the shul had no trouble finding a minyan.
When Rabbi Pelcovitz came to town, there was only a minyan on Shabbos. Slowly, he urged his congregants to join him during the week, particularly on Monday and Thursday when there was laining.
The children of the town attended Rabbi Pelcovitz’s Talmud Torah, where many children of different ages learned about Yiddishkeit together.
After two years leading the Saratoga Springs community, Rabbi Pelcovitz was offered a position in Akron, Ohio. The community there was bigger and Rabbi Pelcovitz didn’t have to lead the Talmud Torah, as the community itself – and not the shul – had a Talmud Torah for the community’s children.
At the time, the Conservative movement began to hold sway over some of the Jews in Akron and there were congregants who left to the movement. Rabbi Pelcovitz described those days as “swimming against the current.” European-born Jews were pushing for their families to become more Americanized, hoping – foolishly – that modernizing their children would keep them from going astray. Despite the pull and nagging of his congregants, Rabbi Pelcovitz upheld the values of Yiddishkeit and compelled his congregation to join him in keeping halacha. He did this by remaining firm and sincere and consistent in his views. One area in which this was particularly evident was his success in keeping the building of his new shul within halacha.
In those days, some congregations – and certainly those who wanted to “modernize” Judaism – wanted to forgo the mechitza and install a microphone to be used on Shabbos in shul. But Rabbi Pelcovitz won on both counts when the new shul was built in Akron: it had a proper mechitza and there was no microphone.
“If you are strong and willing to do what is necessary, putting yourself on the line, 99% of people will accept what you say,” Rabbi Pelcovitz said about his time in Akron.
Rabbi Pelcovitz also observed that there was a lack of interest in his congregants in Yiddishkeit. The older generation was dying out; the younger generation didn’t have knowledge about their past. As such, he arranged classes to educate his members, calling am ha’aratzus the greatest threat to Yiddishkeit. He also reached out to them, connecting with them and forming friendships.
“It was not a conscious type of thing like today’s kiruv work – there was no label associated with it then,” he said of his relationships with his congregants. “You try to have a lasting impact on them, so they will continue to be your talmidim for years to come.”
Aside from the relationships with his members, in those days, being a rabbi in a small town bettered the community and made the congregants hold fast to their past. “Just the rabbi’s presence can have an effect,” Rabbi Pelcovitz noted. “I learned this from a man in Saratoga Springs. He came over to me and said, ‘I’m glad you’re in town because Pesach is coming and when a rabbi is in town I don’t eat chometz. When there is no rabbi I feel differently.’ Similarly, in Akron, people would say to me, ‘Your presence has an impact.’”
After a few years in Akron, Rabbi Pelcovitz made his way to Far Rockaway, NY. The rest, as they say, is history.
Secrets to Success
Just as a rav is multi-faceted, his kehilla is varied, with members spanning a spectrum in hashkafa, ideals and values. And each individual within that kehilla is unique, with distinctive character traits, wants and needs.
A good rav, then, in order to be successful, needs to be limber. He needs to be able to uplift his congregation regardless of where they stand. He needs to draw some closer than others; he needs to reach out further to others.
Rabbi Pelcovitz, in his three decades as rav of the White Shul, helped his kehilla reach new heights. It’s hard to pinpoint his secret to success. Perhaps that is because there was not just one secret behind his towering accomplishments.
Part of Rabbi Pelcovitz’s success in helping to cultivate a vibrant frum community in Far Rockaway was his focus on the youth. Families with children were moving into town and Rabbi Pelcovitz saw the utility of getting the youth involved. To that end, he helped establish a Youth Activities Committee, where young children were able to attend programs on Shabbos and Sunday. Ayouth minyan was formed; Shabbos afternoon groups were offered. Chol hamoed trips and activities for children on Sunday were instituted. The shul was not just a place to daven. It was a vibrant, integral part of the families’ lives.
The young families who were moving into town were welcomed into the shul, joining the board and helping to establish new programs. They felt that they were needed and instrumental in the shul’s success and growth.
Two years ago, when Rabbi Pelcovitz was feted at the White Shul for his 65 years of leadership in the community, he spoke of his sincere, deep love for his congregants and the community. “The secret of our success,” he told the crowd, “has been the fact that we’ve looked upon each other as achim, brothers. When we speak of achim, we are saying and we are looking at our connections – every man, every woman, every individual in shul – we were not just givers and receivers… We needed to be m’shtatef with one another.”
That relationship of giving to one another ensured a deep connection between the rav and his kehilla. “There is so much emes and so many feelings and emotions and so much ahava and kavod that are mutually flowing in two directions – of individual to his tzibbur and from the tzibbur to an individual,” Rabbi Pelcovitz said.
He urged the crowd, “You need to be extremely sensitive to every need of your students, your congregants, of your children, especially as they grow up.”
Perhaps that was also part of Rabbi Pelcovitz’s success. It was the nuances that he noticed within each person, the uniqueness of every individual in his shul that did not go ignored. When speaking with his kehilla, a rav tailors his message to his crowd – and to each person within that crowd, helping them to grow in their individual way.
“A rav learns over time that he must choose the areas which to him are most important and then energize the people to follow him and the example he sets,” Rabbi Pelcovitz told TJH two years ago. “Above all, he must understand that it is far more important to convince people than compel them, to mold rather than manipulate, to motivate rather than manage, and to inspire rather than to impose.”
Rabbi Pelcovitz spoke of Rav Chaim Brisker and how, besides being a teacher and a preacher, Rav Chaim reminded his children that a rav must be concerned with the welfare and the wellbeing of his people.
“Moshe Rabbeinu is the only one that we call ‘Rabbeinu,’” Rabbi Pelcovitz noted. “He was not just the ultimate teacher and classical teacher, but he was also concerned for the welfare of the people. It all comes back to the welfare. And the welfare of the people is not something that should be looked upon as being beneath my dignity.
“There was a time when rabbanim’s primary concern was the welfare of their community – is there a person who is suffering? Is there a person who is sick?
“All the stories that you hear from gedolim, the stories that came down the corridors of time without any compromise, were the stories about concern and chessed. And the reason is because man is created b’tzelem Elokim. Hashem always gives. Therefore, you cannot break the mold of what is in your DNA. That is the DNAof a person, to be a nosain.”
During shiva, Dr. Nachum Pelcovitz noted that he was amazed at the span of his father’s relationships with generations upon generations within the same family. Rabbi Pelcovitz maintained relationships with hundreds of individuals throughout the years, joining them in their simchos and their times of sorrow. “The best way to summarize it,” Dr. Pelcovitz said, “was when a gentleman came over to me with tears in his eyes saying that my father was his m’sader kiddushin at his wedding and that my father spoke at his 50th wedding anniversary. You see the extent of the kesher he had with people and the impression he had on people. He never severed that relationship.”
Dr. Pelcovitz noted that, aside from the constant concern and the connection with each individual, part of Rabbi Pelcovitz’s success was his yashrus and consistency in all matters.
“He felt that emes and being yosher would always get through to everybody at whatever level they are in Yiddishkeit. He was extremely consistent,” Dr. Pelcovitz said. “He always had respect for everybody, no matter what type of hashkafa they had. He connected with others who were consistent and had yashrus in their views. He seemed to understand people and was able to understand where they were hashkafically and in life in general.”
It was this yashrus that Rabbi Pelcovitz brought with him from Torah Vodaath and that served him in every kehilla that he led. He wouldn’t back down when it came to halacha and stood firm in the name of Yiddishkeit despite tremendous pull the other way.
Rabbi Pelcovitz’s adherence to halacha and yashrus was infused with an optimism, a joie de vivre. He would sprinkle his lectures with words of wisdom entwined with witty jokes and lines, drawing in his listeners.
Optimism was integral to Rabbi Pelcovitz’s success. Indeed, half a century ago, the world was very different. Rabbanim were not held in the esteem they are held today. Many times, rabbanim were forced to swim against the tide, and some – sadly – succumbed to the pressures of their kehilla, letting halacha go by the wayside. But Rabbi Pelcovitz, with his optimism, yashrus, and love of another Jew managed to swim upstream, bringing his kehilla along with him.
His optimism was highlighted in the hakaras hatov he had to his Creator. “He gave thanks to Hakadosh Baruch Hu every day,” Dr. Pelcovitz noted. “Prior to his petira, he told us how lucky he was and how thankful he was and how good Hashem was to him, allowing him to see so many generations. He was zoche to be sandek at a great-great-grandson’s bris – that is something you don’t normally hear about! And he was zoche to have his wits and chochma with him until the end.”
Two years ago, at the White Shul event, Rabbi Pelcovitz quoted Irish playwright Samuel Beckett during his speech: “Ever tried, ever failed – no matter. Try again, fail again – fail better.”
“There is so much chochma and wisdom in that. You realize that your journey is never complete,” Rabbi Pelcovitz, 95-years-young at the time, said. “You’re always en route. And when you try, you don’t always succeed; very often you fail. It doesn’t matter. Try again, fail again – but this time fail better.”
Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz’s life journey took him from Canton, Ohio, to Israel to Saratoga Springs to Akron and finally to Far Rockaway and the Five Towns. His voyage was filled with successes and challenges, and yet, throughout the decades, Rabbi Pelcovitz shouldered on. What may have been a journey started off by an intrepid American boy hoping to make a small mark on Judaism in America ended with him being forever remembered as a founding father of what is considered today to be one of the premier Orthodox communities around the globe.
His mission – accomplished. May HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim be a meilitz yosher for our community.
PUBLICATION NOTE
The White Shul will be publishing a Sefer Zikaron for Rabbi Pelcovitz at their upcoming dinner. To contribute with letters, photos or recollections, please contact SeferZikaron@WhiteShul.com.
Original newspaper pages and photographs
The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 70The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 71The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 72The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 73The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 74The Jewish Home · April 12, 2018 · page 75
This memorial source guide is filed under the date of the original Five Towns Jewish Times issue, two days after Rabbi Pelcovitz’s passing. This WJJ digital archive entry was added November 1, 2026.
Remembering Rabbi Raphael “Ralph” Pelcovitz
The March 16, 2018 Five Towns Jewish Times cover features Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz and begins Rabbi Yair Hoffman’s article, Rabbi Ralph Pelcovitz, z’l: An Appreciation, continued on page 16. Hoffman remembers the White Shul’s rav as a scholar, author, translator, and warm communal leader. He highlights Rabbi Pelcovitz’s learning at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas under Rav Shlomo Heiman and the scholarship of his Sforno translation and notes.
