Purim is a time when we acknowledge that what we see is often far from the reality of what’s happening behind the scenes — be it the masks that are worn, drinking “a little” to bring out one’s inner thoughts, or simply the story of Purim, which is an enigma in itself.  It describes a […]

Tu B’Shvat (the 15th of the Jewish month of “Shvat”) is always one of those holidays that, on the outside, is quite deceiving.  No one right now is looking out the window and thinking to themselves, “This is the perfect time to celebrate trees.”  Why not wait until March or April (when the showers come), […]

The House’s Social Action programs are a different kind of learning. They encourage us to act outside of our comfort zones and work on some of the most challenging relationships we encounter in our lives. The physical gifts we pass on to others usually take second seat to the lasting effect of the actual act. […]

Kol Nidrei had just ended, the High Holidays were truly the highest, and everyone felt uplifted and on fire. While walking out of shul, a certain chassid approached his Rebbe and confidently asked, “Wasn’t your Yom Kippur amazing?!” The Rebbe paused for a second and responded, “How should I know? Ask me at Chanukah time […]

I am always fond of reminding people that our celebrations of Jewish holidays are not about the past.  Jews don’t “live in the past”  ̶  rather, we continue to be inspired by past values and traditions, which create even brighter, richer, and more fulfilling futures! There are many moments in Jewish history that are significant, […]

For Rabbi Rafi’s 42nd Birthday, we’ve asked him to give a brief lecture on the purpose of birthdays, our Earthly reason for being, and the significance of the number 42 and its correlation to creation. While you’ll have to catch the complete guided tour on Tuesday December 1st at Shaarei Tefillah, we figured we’d give […]

It’s birthday fever! By Divine (non)coincidence, The House has celebrated a few special staff birthdays within mere weeks! (A Happy Belated to Bonnie Oppenheimer whose birthday was on November 17th, and Happy Birthday to Marni Gelkopf, who turns 23 today!) To round it all off, Rabbi Rafi’s 42nd Birthday is just around the corner. While […]

Why do we rush to build our Sukkah? I hope that you enjoyed an uplifting Yom Kippur experience. I am still flying from a Neilah that had me soaring. It was a day that reminded me of what is truly important and valuable in life – and that I always have the ability to strengthen […]

On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, who holds the pen? I am sure that you will agree, it is hard to believe that yet another year has gone by! The House has undergone an amazing period of growth – most importantly, with the nearly two thousand young adults who are inspired by our relevant Jewish […]

The House moves to Lipa Green, Sherman Campus I remember it like yesterday: opening the doors over 10 years ago, to the very first program at The House’s first and only location. We sat on the floor (we had no furniture) with our first group of 5 students, learning about the relevance of Jewish values […]