Rabbi's Weekly Message
Planned special moments. Unexpected special moments.
April 24, 2026
I just returned from New York where I traveled with Menny so that he could pray on his actual 13th birthday, at the holy resting place of our dear Rebbe. It was so special to see him make his first Bracha while laying his Tefillin, visit the grave of my mother of blessed memory, be called to the Torah for his first Aliyah in the Rebbe’s study at 770, and see him be enveloped with so much. Yet, on the night of his Bar Mitzvah, as he was about to crash after a long day, our host Daniel said “Menny, do you want to Daven with Minyan for your first Krias Shema D’Oraysa (biblically mandated recitation of the Shema)?”. He said “of course” and off we went to pray his first formal service as a Jewish man.
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A mashup of thoughts, ideas, news, and stories about this unique outpost of Jewish life in the West. Remote Jewish communities are as old as time, but this remote Jewish community is young, vibrant, and growing. Our saga draws on age-old Jewish values, quintessential Western grit, and the idealistic fire of four Chabad Families. Curious, complex, and committed, they model the highs and lows of being human, the relevance of being Jewish, and simmering, lasting courage to perservere.
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Totally Unexpected! Podcast
I love people and I love hearing their stories. I want to know who they are, how they got there, what didn’t go as expected, and what they did about it. That passion and curiosity led me to create “Totally Unexpected!” A podcast featuring interviews with guests who inspire me. Whether it’s the mom next door, the enlightened academic, or the maverick healer, I am here to learn about their unique contribution to our world.
Totally Unexpected! Blog
Welcome to Totally Unexpected! Where you can find my free flowing, stream of consciousness, unfiltered thoughts, and ideas. I process the twists and turns of life by sharing it with you. I hope this also helps you process your own struggles and joys.
I think of myself as a juggler: leading a Jewish community with my sushi loving husband, caring for my five rambunctious kids (who are adopted), and living in the Wild West of Montana, where it’s ALWAYS winter (or so it feels). It’s an art to be juggler, to live our fullest potential and still have very real lives. Not the perfect, glossy, manicured ones we so often encounter. I am here to be real.
I think of myself as a juggler: leading a Jewish community with my sushi loving husband, caring for my five rambunctious kids (who are adopted), and living in the Wild West of Montana, where it’s ALWAYS winter (or so it feels). It’s an art to be juggler, to live our fullest potential and still have very real lives. Not the perfect, glossy, manicured ones we so often encounter. I am here to be real.
