The Chabad Intown Blog
You Had Me at Shalom
Musings on all things Jewish identity, inspiration Parsha, and everyday Jewish life from the Chabad Intown team.
Hope, Survival and Faith: With Former Hamas Hostages
Maya and Itay Regev, former hostages of Hamas captivity, joined Chabad Intown for an evening sharing their powerful story of survival, faith, and resilience. Through a moderated conversation, they reflected on their experiences and shared messages of gratitude and hope.
The Case for Living Unaligned
Do I do what doesn’t feel good, or do I commit only to what feels aligned with my inner truth? We live in a culture that prizes alignment above all else, authenticity, resonance, inner harmony. And yet, I want to make the case for something counterintuitive: the spiritual necessity, and even the holiness, of living unaligned.
Rosh Hashanah is coming (in December)
Rosh Hashanah is coming. The Rosh Hashanah for Chasidism that is. It is called the Holiday of Holidays in Chabad circles. It commemorates the liberation of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman from Czarist prison.
Stop Running From Yourself
We all have parts of ourselves that we love; the pieces that feel easy, smooth, and clear. And then there are the parts we struggle with; the ones we’d rather hide. At times, even from ourselves.
The First Anti-Semite (and What He Got Wrong)
Og was the biblical giant, the king of Bashan, the man whose bed stretched thirteen feet. What many don’t know is that Og was the first antisemite.
When Avraham celebrated Yitzchak’s birth, he invited the world’s leaders. The Midrash tells us that Og stood among them, looked at the eight-day-old baby, tiny and fragile, and sneered:
“This? This little thing is the future? I could crush him with one finger.”
Take A Break Do Something Useful
Do you ever want to take a break from yourself? A break from thinking? A break from feeling? The more sensitive you are, the more in touch you are, the smarter you are, the greater the desire to take a break, the greater the need to still the mind.
Soaking UP the Land!
Dena and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Israel. We went for a wedding but we also went to feel the land, to feel the people, to be with our People.
It's a Big Deal
Have you ever found yourself stuck in an airport with a cancelled or delayed flight? Perhaps you "found" yourself in a city with a job that you are not entirely sure how your life brought you to this circumstance.
The Bernie Marcus Torah Dedication Ceremony
Chabad Intown community gathered to celebrate the completion and dedication of the Bernie Marcus Torah. A living tribute to Bernie’s vision, generosity, and lifelong love for the Jewish people.
New Moon Rosh Chodesh Kickoff Event 5786 at the Pool!
New Moon Rosh Chodesh Kicks Off with Floating Serenity at Sunset!
Waters of Noach
The High Holiday season just ended and we are already knee deep in flood waters. These flood waters are called the waters of Noah.
In introducing Noach, the first description the Torah tells us that he was a Tzadik – a righteous man.
A New Year, Hope, Torah
The hostages are home. We can finally release the breath we've been holding. And while things are far from normal, we can begin to take a moment to reflect.
Surrender to the Dance
Some years ago I was in NY for the annual conference of Shluchim. I saw a friend who had recently celebrated the marriage of his daughter.
Your Presence is Your Present
We each yearn for inner peace. You know when the mind stops churning and the heart is at rest without angst?
For the most part, people are in two groups; Thinkers and Feelers. The Thinkers are constantly analyzing what's going on around them, how they are showing up, what other people think about this or that etc.
We’re One of those Rare Places
Chabad Intown YJP Intown Atlanta is one of those rare places where you can walk in and instantly feel at home—even if you’ve never set foot there before. Services are laid-back, come-as-you-are. We’ve got the “learners’ service,” where men and women sit together, ask questions out loud, and no one pretends to know the Hebrew by heart.
Is Your Food Ready?
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, September 6, 2021, six Palestinian prisoners carried out a dramatic escape from Israel’s Gilboa Prison. Over the course of several months, they had dug a tunnel from the bathroom of their cell using nothing more than spoons, plates, and other makeshift tools.
Gratitude In Two
It's a time of year that we reflect and take stock. Despite all the challenges we've encountered, each of us I pray have blessings in our lives to give thanks and gratitude to Hashem.
It's actually a nice exercise to say the morning blessings and to recognize all the basics that we have; feet, shoes, belts, ability to stand upright, water to wash our face and hands, ability to use the bathroom and the list goes on
War and Marriage
Mira and Moshe, Mazal Tov! It’s done! You are husband and wife.
Mira and Moshe, the Rebbe explains that the Shechinah, the Divine presence, hovers over the couple under the Chuppah, with a revelation that is comparable to the revelation of Sinai and that the marriage is a new covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people through each couple.
A Father’s Hug
Note: We have entered the final month of the Jewish year, the month of Elul. The Alter Rebbe explains its unique energy with a parable: During the year, if one wishes to see the King, he must pass through guards and gates, and only then can he enter the palace. But in Elul, the King Himself goes out into the field. There, every person can approach Him freely. The King greets each one warmly and with a smile.
Jerusalem, Atlanta
Judaism has some very obvious unique core beliefs. Among them is the role that Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular play.
Jerusalem's holiness starts with the creation of Adam and continues with the two Holy Temples that stood there. It begs the question, although we find references to Jerusalem in the Five Books of Moses (eg. Malkizedek the king of Shalem), we don't find the word Jerusalem/Yerushalayim explicitly mentioned as Jerusalem?