Welcome to Achim
Achim was founded in 1989 when America opened her doors welcoming the Jewish people from the Soviet Union. The generosity extended to them by the American government was of miraculous proportions. Paysach Diskind recognized this event as the harbinger that would lead to a thriving Russian Jewish community here in Baltimore.
Achim has built a vibrant community of Russian speaking Jews who connect to our people and to our Torah. We continue to reach out, welcoming more people to be part of this community. We continue to reach in, strengthening the ties within our beautiful community.
We welcome all members of the Jewish people to join our community. You do not need to speak Russian to join and participate in the classes and activities.
Please consider joining one of our programs. We are confident that you will find it a meaningful experience.
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THE PACKED TAXI
By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner This week’s Torah portion talks about the mitzva of paying for a service that one owes, on time. As the Torah says, the wages of a hired man shall not remain with you [all night] until the morning (Vayikra 19:13, Parshas Kedoshim); and it says...
read moreTHE BURGLAR BARS
THE BURGLAR BARS By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner This week’s Torah portion opens with the importance of having a system of adjudicating disputes in a Godly manner. This leads us to the following true story. Aron lived in an apartment building on the ground floor. There was a...
read moreTHE TRAPPED PET MOUSE
THE TRAPPED PET MOUSE By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner This week’s Torah portion discusses how Bilam beat his donkey unnecessarily. The angel asked Bilam, “Why did you beat your donkey? (Bamidbar 22,32)”. The Sefer Chasidim (Os 666) writes that this verse is one of the sources...
read moreRAV DISKIND’S PARSHA INSPIRATION
A BUILDING OF JOY
What a remarkable Parsha the Torah presents us as we draw closer to Rosh Hashana! This week's Parsha, Ki Seitzei, is packed with mitzvos. There are 74 mitzvos which is 12% of all 613 mitzvos. One mitzvah which grabs my attention is the obligation the Torah places upon...
read moreEYE DAMAGE
This week's Parsha, Shoftim, begins with the Torah’s instructions to our people to place judges and and law enforcement officers at all of our gates. The simple meaning of this mitzvah is to establish a court system for every city. However, since this verse can be...
read moreDON’T BE OLD AND SLEEPY
For the past three weeks we were focused on the loss of our Temple and of our Land. For over two thousand years we have wandered through the desert of nations throughout the globe as homeless beggars. We would spend a century or two sometimes three or four in one land...
read moreINSPIRATIONAL STORIES
PAYING FOR THIRTEEN YEARS
As R‘ Avrahom Dovid Sauer stood at the entrance of Baltimore's Kosher Bite Restaurant, he was overcome with a feeling of relief and joy. Before him stood Rabbi Ervin Preis, the Rabbi of Suburban Orthodox Congregation, appearing healthy and in good spirits. Rabbi Preis...
read moreGRATITUDE TO THE LANDLORD’S GRANDCHILDREN
In the beginning of his married life, Rav Shach and his family rented an apartment in Yerushalayim from Reb Alter Shub. Although Rav Shach paid rent for his living quarters, he nonetheless felt gratitude towards the Shub family for conferring this benefit to him. Rav...
read moreHOLY BABY NAMING
The two oldest children of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv received names from Rav Elyashiv’s side of the family: The oldest son, was named after Rav Elyashiv’s grandfather, the Leshem, and their second child, Batsheva Esther, was named after Rav Elyashiv’s grandmother,...
read moreWONDERS OF HASHEM’S DESIGN
ICHNEUMON WASP
Imagine a tiny creature that looks so delicate that the slightest wind might blow it over. Then this little thing lands on a hard tree trunk, and begins thumping with something that looks as delicate and frail as the leg of a daddy-long-legs. Frail? that antennae of...
read moreTHE PIPEFISH
This little creature is somewhat like a seahorse, but it is shaped like a tiny vertical pipe, 1/4 of an inch wide and 6 inches long. The pipefish can change its colors from brown to green to match the grass it is in. It has special cells which send a signal to the...
read moreTHE COMMON MIME
The common mime is a butterfly that lives on the island of Sri Lanka, off the coast of India. Consider this interesting life history that required a lot of brilliant planning to originate. We find here five mimic stages in its life: The golden egg is laid on the...
read moreVIDEO INSPIRATION
Bilam in Krias Shema
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pwMEn77_js&feature=youtu.be Bilam in Krias Shema Our Sages teach that they should have included the story of Bilam in Shema. How do we understand this? Rabbi Yitzi shares an important insight
read moreReb Nussie’s Update
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Qr-9i3-n8&feature=youtu.be
read moreLike Children Who Leave School
Like Children Who Leave School
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