We went a little MIA. Somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma, we found ourselves smack in the center of a full-on thunderstorm when tornado sirens started blaring.
We pulled over. We prayed. We watched trees fly by.
And thank G-d, we’re alive to tell the tale. (Apparently, Dunwoody’s not the only place with power outages every other week.)
But even out there, on vacation in the tiniest of towns, we were on a mission.
Wherever we stopped, we searched for Jews. Search and you shall find—we helped not one, but two people have a bar mitzvah and put on tefillin for the very first time.
One was a 92-year-old man.
Yes, ninety-two. He was one third of the Jewish population in his city. (His wife and daughter were in the next room.) While we wrapped tefillin on the honorable Ronald for the first time in his life, we told him a story:
The Rebbe once asked a college student if he searched out and helped other students on campus put on tefillin. The boy answered, a little sheepishly, that he didn’t even put on tefillin himself.
The Rebbe replied (paraphrased, obviously): Is that their problem? You know about tefillin. And if you know something powerful, you share it.
That’s the truth.
That’s the job.
Be a lamplighter.
Light up wherever you go. Even if it’s pitch-black Oklahoma.
We got home late Tuesday night and hit the ground running.
Straight into Mitzvah Kitchen, which happened this weekend—despite another power outage.
Want in? Volunteer for Mitzvah Kitchen: July Edition. Come cook, pack, deliver, or just bring good vibes. We’ll take it all.
And lastly, I’d love to invite you to farbreng—real talk over real food.
This one’s in honor of Gimmel Tammuz, the auspicious anniversary of the Rebbe’s 31st yahrzeit.
Join me at 1:30 PM to talk about what it really means to make an impact.
Because being alive doesn’t just mean breathing.
It means lighting up your moments. Filling your time with purpose.
Candle lighting in Dunwoody today Friday, June 27th at 8:34 PM.
See you this week at the farmers market at Dunwoody Shoppes and at the July 4th Parade! You might already have your lawn chair out- we've got our Mitzvah bus stocked with ARKs and ready!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zalmy Goldberg
P.S. We started working on our gorgeous Jewish calendar.
It was so special seeing it hanging in so many homes when I came to visit.
Want to be famous? Place an ad.
Want to support something beautiful, Jewish, and full of heart? Definitely place an ad.
Farbrengen
Saturday June 28th 1:30 PM
A delicious lunch made even better by the beautiful stories and words of inspiration. Come to learn and connect on this auspicious day.
Reply to this email to RSVP
This post is from the Mitzvah House email newsletter, first sent June 27, 2025. For current programs, see upcoming Mitzvah House events. Questions? Call 678.769.4833 or email Hello@MitzvahHouse.com.