Rabbi's Weekly Message
I wish I had baggage!
August 9, 2026
It’s been an adventurous week. On Sunday morning, after nine straight weeks of hosting visitors from around the world, Chavie and I headed out for our family trip to Europe with Zeesy, Menny and Chana Laya. Three flights, and twenty-seven hours later, we made it to our mountain chalet in Werfen, Austria; our first stop on our road trip. While Baruch Hashem Zeesy’s cooler with her special medically guided meals arrived, two of our seven bags didn’t, including our “Kosher snack backup” bag and my duffle bag. Phone call after phone call, email after email, form after form, dealing with Delta, KLM and Austrian Air, baggage handlers in Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna, the bags finally made it. Yet, being in a foreign country without my clothing, without my “stuff”, without knowing what I’d wear for Shabbos, was hard and left me feeling hopeless; I felt vulnerable.

Montana's Jewish voice

Quarterly Publication by Chabad-Lubavitch of Montana
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.









