ב"ה

Stories That Inspire

This Boy Was Shocked to Discover What Was Inside His “Pillow”
Generations later, a family heirloom comes full circle.
Overcoming My Fear and Doing a Mitzvah for Our Hostages
This is my thing. It’s not big but it’s mine. And it’s not for me. It’s for them. The hostages.
The Empowering Legacy of a Young Athlete
The remarkable story of Sholem Benchimol.
Alone in the Cemetery Behind the Motel
A disrupted journey uncovers a Jewish grave in a non-Jewish cemetery, sparking a prolonged effort for a proper burial.
A Birthday Present from Above
A commitment to lifelong learning leads to remarkable birthday synchronicity.
The 96-Year-Old Survivor Who Did a Last (and First) Mitzvah
The younger of the two boys shared a story. “You know, it seems very quiet now, but this past Friday I experienced the greatest moment of my life.”
The Story of Sam, Who Gives Out Blue Bracelets and Bike Helmets
"As soon as I got to New York, I had 350 helmets made, and on my next trip to Israel, we gave out the helmets, T-shirts, pamphlets and stickers."
Would You Give Your Car to a Stranger?
“I filled my car with diesel fuel instead of regular, and now it won’t start!”
‘Home Away From Home’ at Miami University
Unexpectedly, Alan started to feel sick.
The Kindness of Young Boys Who Convinced a Camp to Go Kosher
Two camps that my father had contacted that week had already signed on, but everyone assumed that approaching the Hashomer Hatzair camp was an effort in futility.
In a London hospital, on Yom Kippur Eve, a Prayer Before Dying
They were surprised but grateful to see Doobie, telling him how meaningful his visit was at such an auspicious time.
I Never Knew I Was G-d’s Agent
The congregation was already deep into the Shabbat morning services when a little boy, dressed with a kippah and Shabbat clothing, ran into the synagogue, looked around with confusion, and ran out again.
The Unexpected Kaddish
I first met the family some seven years ago, when I was called to perform a bris on their newborn son.
What Made Me Cry Outside the Fruit Store
It was hard to concentrate. Words were spinning in my head, like a wheel of anxiety.
A Jew Named Elliot
How a homeless man was honored in death
It wasn't about until a year after meeting Elliot that I found out that he was Jewish, and that his name was Elliot Cohen. Although my Jew-radar failed me, the connection that Jews have when they find another Jew kicked in, and I tried to reach out in a more personal and meaningful way to Elliot.
Spending Shabbat in the ER
It was the most uncomfortable Shabbat I have ever experienced. What was meant to be a quick visit to the emergency room turned into a hospital admission over Shabbat, with no advance warning.
We Were in Thailand and the Meds Were in Cambodia
I was ready to tell my wife that one of us was going to return to Cambodia to retrieve the medication. And then I stopped. I googled “Chabad Cambodia.”
Why Elijah the Prophet Should Find Chabad
If only Elijah the Prophet would have visited my Chabad rabbis, instead of . . .
Handling electronic devices is not permitted on Shabbat, so I would have expected the rabbi to gently and respectfully ask his guests to refrain from using their phones. Not this rabbi.
Confessions At Coleman
The Sound of a Soul Inside the Walls of a Federal Prison
Wherever I went, I met women waiting to go home. But in each place, as we connected over the source of our souls, we realized how at home we truly were.
I Knew It Was Going To Rain Early This Year
Asi is one of a growing number of farmers who let their land lie fallow every seven years in observance of the Shemittah (Sabbatical) year.
The Man Who Helped Me Overcome My Stutter
A Tribute to Steve Giles, a Kind Soul
For a full year, Steve drove 45 minutes, rain or shine, and sat with me for an hour as he taught me all he knew to help me with my stutter. He never agreed to be compensated.
Our paths are guided from Above. Yet in each of our encounters, we are given the opportunity to help ignite a spark of another soul.
A Short Story about a Long Life
He was standing by the side of the road speaking through the open window of my car. "From this moment on," I said to him, "every good deed I do will also be credited to your account..."
Post-Op Popsicle
At first, we weren't concerned, knowing how children love to report even the slightest mishap. But when my husband and Rabbi Rosenfeld saw her sock bright red with blood, it was clear that she had to get to a hospital
Once he had been a brilliant Lower East Side yeshiva prodigy. The Depression had changed that. The Party valued him. After Stalin he rethought his life and was a watchmaker. One afternoon he asked me -- a Jewish illiterate -- if I wanted to hear a niggun
Listen to a Story...
He imparted a lesson not through speaking, but by listening to a story, a story he knew firsthand...
The Promise
My children specifically enjoy hearing my most vivid image of a late March Canadian blizzard, the night of my Bat Mitzvah . . .
Bonds
She walked out of the room. Halfway down the hallway she stopped and stood motionless as if confronting an invisible wall
Maria
Her English could only be described as broken at best. But her pride was evident in her erect carriage and the glow in her eyes as she relayed her story
Yellow Presents
“When I was about three years old, the war broke out. I was too young to know why things were so hard, but old enough to know that every egg and every piece of fruit was a real treasure.”
The Cigarette Beggar
It was rumored that back in Russia, before the Revolution, the Cigarette Beggar had been a wealthy man, with textile factories in Minsk and philanthropic projects all over the world...
A Hug from Heaven
"The first soldier killed in Cast Lead," Benny explained, "was named Dvir. His story touched us, and we decided to name our son after him."
A Soldier's Blessing
I was at my father’s side in the empty prep room. The room was silent; just the two of us. Suddenly—this could happen only in Israel—someone swung open the door and jabbed his head in. “I’m looking for my friend . . .”
A Short Visit
When I visit my parents’ graves, I am usually at a loss, unsure what to say and what to do. Are there prayers I should be saying? Should I be reading Psalms, and if so, which ones? Do I have a chat with them? What do I say?
A Blessing, a Miracle and a Farewell
A congregational rabbi shares three remarkable tales, each one demonstrating the miracles embedded within us.