From Baltimore to Beit Shemesh A Conversation with Rabbi Avrohom Leventhal


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Rabbi Avrohom Leventhal, a former Baltimorean and rebbe at Talmudical Academy, is now head of a major Israeli chesed organization, Lemaan Achai. He was in Baltimore recently, and we took the opportunity to speak with him.

Born in Annapolis, Rabbi Leventhal spent a number of his early years in Salisbury on the Eastern Shore, where his shomer Shabbos family used to host college students for Shabbos. Right after his bar mitzvah, he came to Talmudical Academy in Baltimore and, for the last two years of high school, learned in the Scranton yeshiva. Upon high school graduation, Rabbi Leventhal returned to Baltimore and spent the next six years at Ner Israel: three years in yeshiva and three years in kollel. His wife, Eshkie (neé Swerdloff), of New York, ran a popular daycare group for young children.


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The Best of Both Worlds?


children

by Sarah Toib


What’s your mother tongue? For Americans living in Eretz Yisrael, it’s sometimes hard to say. I’ve lived in Eretz Yisrael for almost 20 years, and I often come across women who grew up here but speak fluent English. So much so that I am sometimes surprised when I find out that they did not come from an English-speaking country. Their command of English is complete; they even have just the right accent, the right nuances, and often even the mentality of their parents’ home country. I wonder, how do they do it? How did their parents raise them to be so perfectly bilingual? 

What a gift! How I wish that all of my children had the gift of two languages. When I mentioned this to my oldest daughter, the one of my children who speaks a fairly fluent English, she emphatically disagreed. She said that growing up in a home of foreigners (referred to here as “chutznikim” because they come from chutz la’aretz) “feels like I’m a really skinny person trying to sit on two chairs; in the end I fall between them.” The cultural part of that statement needs an article of its own, but the bilingual aspect interested me. And so I decided to ask around, speak with others in the situation, and find out for myself: Do chutznikim growing up in Eretz Yisrael in a strong English-language environment have the best of both worlds? Or are they straddling the fence and have neither? What are the pros and cons of being raised in a bilingual setting?


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Seizing Righteous Opportunities


chesed

I am? fortunate to have met some truly righteous people over the course of my lifetime. Some are observant Jews, others are not, and some aren’t Jewish. Many are hidden tzadikim. These are individuals who are good and do good. The Talmud relates (Avoda Zara 24a) the story of Dama Ben Nesina, a non-Jew from Ashkelon who respected and honored his father and was meticulously honest. The purpose of Rebbe Eliezer relating Dama’s story in the Talmud was to teach a profound lesson about righteousness and respect.


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Shabbos in Tel Aviv


tel aviv

When someone visits Israel, they want to experience its unique atmosphere of kedusha, so it is only natural to think of spending Shabbos in Jerusalem. Who would think of spending Shabbos in secular Tel Aviv? Well, I did, and this was my experience.

My friend Chazkel was curious about a small outreach kehilla in the old neighborhood of Neve Tzedek. Neve Tzedek, once home to Rabbi Avraham Yitzchok Hacohen Kook, zt”l, and other saintly Jews, was Tel Aviv’s first neighborhood. Over the years, it has become very gentrified, its stylish architecture in stark contrast with some ultramodern skyscrapers. Some of the side streets reminded me of Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood.

Chazkel, a real wiz at finding fascinating things on the internet, found the following announcement for Kehillat Hhaslat (Chasalat is an acronym for all the types who gravitate here: chareidichilonichasidiSefardiLita’i, and Teimani.)

 


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Rav Yosef Ber Soloveichik of Boston, zt”l


joseph

My relationship with Rav Yosef Ber Soloveichik of Boston was somewhat different from that of his talmidim. He had two main groups of talmidim; those who saw themselves as part of the Modern Orthodox world and who had studied under him at Yeshiva University, and those from the yeshiva world at large who, predominantly but not exclusively, studied under him during the summer months in Boston. Many of the latter had also attended his shiurim at YU somewhat clandestinely.


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Missing the Memo


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Many years ago, on a family trip to Boston, we drove around a historic area that was lined with small brick buildings. They were reminiscent of the pictures one sees in history books. As we passed by Boston Harbor, my children started to exclaim how they remembered learning about the Boston Tea Party in elementary school. It brought back fond memories of the Boston Tea Party that their teacher made since, in addition to the tea, they also had cookies and cakes. This explained to me why the event was memorable, however, as the conversation ensued, it became clear that there was a gross misperception on their part.


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Standing Shiva


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My in-laws, Rabbi Gershon and Elana Grayman, lost their daughter on the 14th of Shevat (1/24/24). She was 21. May the neshama of Shifra Gittel bas Gershon Berel have an aliyah.

This article is about shiva – based on my recent experience as a family member of an aveil (mourner); it’s a topic not often spoken about. I must preface my thoughts by stating that I have zero intention of insensitivity toward those faced with the intense emotional, physical, and mental challenges that come with shiva. Please forgive me if I come across as callous in any way. This is just me voicing my thoughts in an effort to process them.


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The Rewards of Group Learning


learning

People are living longer. Many men can retire at age 65 and have at least 10 to 20 productive years ahead without the yoke of parnassa. Those who were unable to devote themselves to Torah learning because of the need to support their families can now return to the beis medrash. There is ample time, using this golden stage of life, to attempt to acquire the most esteemed accolade: talmid chacham! There are currently structured programs in Baltimore providing opportunities throughout the day for growth in Torah. No longer must we suffice with grabbing a Daf Yomi shiur in the morning and listening to our Rav explain a halacha between Mincha and Maariv. 


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Notes on Purim and Teenage Drinking


purim

With Purim approaching, we thought it might be helpful to consider the importance of speaking with your children about drinking. It’s an unpleasant topic, one that we parents might want to avoid in the midst of busy preparations for this happy day. Unfortunately, it has become necessary, just as we teach children to buckle their seatbelts in the car and wear their helmets when they ride their bikes.


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Faithful Reflections: Bridging Torah and Psychology for a More Balanced Life


anxiety

Dear Shlomo, 

I’m concerned about my husband. His depression and anxiety are having a profoundly negative effect on me and on the rest of the family. I want him to go to therapy, but he is not interested. Can therapy help someone who does not want to change?

Concerned


Read More:Faithful Reflections: Bridging Torah and Psychology for a More Balanced Life