Rabbi Shaanan Gelman

Parshat Ekev - 5779 “Red Herring Judaism” Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky Rabbi Yaakov Bienenfeld, Rabbi of the Young Israel of Harrison in Westchester, is a legendary Rebbe who taught at the Ramaz Upper School for over two decades. A number of years ago, the students were awaiting a visit from a certain prominent Rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva in an Israeli Torah institution.   As a show of respect, a delegation of students was stationed by the door to greet the esteemed guest. The Rabbi - who was wearing slacks, a blue oxford and a kippah seruga, passed by the students unnoticed and headed immediately up to the office, to prepare for his address to the student body and for the interviews he was about to conduct for his post High School program. Meanwhile, at around the same time, another man showed up, with a long beard, flowing payos and a long frock coat and hat. Instantly, the students ushered him into the assembly and broke out into ecstatic song, אור זרוע ...

Parshat Va’etchanan - 5779 Matters of the Heart by Rabbi Shaanan Gelman and Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky Some of you may recall a hilarious Staples commercial from the 1996. With the holiday classic “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” playing in the background, it shows a father prancing through the aisles as he pulls random items off the shelves, ecstatically throwing them into his shopping cart, while his two children trail behind him mournfully. This commercial highlights the conflicting perspectives on this unique season; On the one hand, it is at once a period of returning to school, which entails a number of mind-numbing yet essential items on a checklist; from filling out assorted medical forms to registering kids for hot lunch, coordinating carpool and purchasing last minute clothing and school supplies. But it is also a period in which we are returning from camp and summer vacations. This presents us adults with another daunting challenge. School or not, how can we m...