Mazel Tov! Rabbi Chaim and his wife Mushkie’s New Baby Girl
On Sunday, July 19, I had the pleasure of meeting with Chabad of Montecito Executive Director, Rabbi Chaim Loschak and his wife Mushkie on the birth of their child Bracha Leah. Leah joins her brother Yosef, and sisters, Nechama, Chana, and Shaina. It also provided an opportunity to talk with Rabbi Chaim on the recent gift of a Torah for Chabad of Montecito by the Ruimy Family. A celebration of the new Torah is planned for August 9. Indeed, very mamish!
With his email announcement of their latest family member, Rabbi Chaim shared on the birth of Leah, “I think I may hold the record for the number of times a husband came in and out of a hospital in 50 hours.” Yet, let it be lauded that during our interview, he was most respectful of his wife, as both the mother of their children and her decision to have children in the first place. His views appear quite modern on the importance of the woman’s part in a marriage. However, they are in accordance with the Torah, specifically in traditional halachah (Jewish law) that establishes the roles of men and women in a marriage, protecting women, and more. Perhaps we can all use a class on that in these modern times.
When we sapoke on the back patio, it was definitively a noted time, filled with tachles and sincerity. To say Rabbi Chaim and Mushkie are nachas about their family, is a fact found in their smiles when they look at their children and just the vibe around them.
Here is our interview:
Q. In your email baby announcement you wrote, “Where did she come from? A soul, up there, completely pure, basking in G-d’s presence. There, it had no worries, no traffic, and no parking situations. Just closeness to G-d in the most perfect way. And then G-d sends it down here. Why? Why would a soul leave that? Why would G-d take something so pure and send it into this complicated, messy world?” Rabbi Chaim and Mushkie, share your thoughts on the birth of Leah and the importance of family.
A. Bringing a child into the world is one of the greatest privileges we have. We get to take a soul that’s completely pure and give it the chance to be a light in a world that badly needs more light. Of course, that requires a lot of effort and hard work. Everything meaningful in life does. But that’s exactly why it matters so much. The things worth doing are the ones that ask the most of us and give the most back. And it’s usually those selfless things that end up bringing the most light, to us and to the universe.”
Can we expect your family to grow more?
I feel that is a question you have to ask my wife, she is the one having the child not me.
[Mushkie]: Children are one of life’s greatest blessings. There’s really nothing that compares to bringing a new life into the world and watching a child grow into the unique person they’re meant to become. We hope to be blessed with more children when the time is right. Chaim and I talk a lot about how raising children is one of life’s greatest responsibilities, and how our children need the love, attention, and care they need, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And if you ask our kids? They’re already asking for more.
Tell us about the gift of a Torah to Chabad of Montecito? You had been borrowing a Torah and now have one of your own.
Yes, thank you for asking. The Torah is the blueprint of the Jewish people and Jewish life. It’s G-d’s wisdom in bite-size pieces that we can access. It’s so connected to our identity that it’s also the reason us Jews are still here. It wasn’t our own strength that kept us alive all these centuries, it was our devotion to that book. So it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s the most important thing to the Jewish people. It has been our guide to living a good and fulfilling life at all times.
And that scroll is no small thing to produce. A Torah scroll is handwritten by a scribe on parchment, and it can take about a year to write. Every letter has to be written with intention, in a very specific script. One mistake invalidates the entire thing!
I don’t know if, in the history of our community, Montecito has ever had a Torah of its own. Now we’ve been gifted one by a very generous local family, the Ruimys. It’s a huge milestone for us. We’re still a budding Jewish community here in Montecito, and having our own Torah, one we get to truly call our own, is a big piece of that puzzle.
When a community receives a Torah, you welcome it with a procession. There’s a chuppah (a wedding canopy), we dance with the Torah, and afterward we have food and celebration. We’re doing that on Sunday, August 9th, starting at 2 pm, and everyone is invited. You don’t have to be a member of Chabad of Montecito to join us.
The procession starts on the street outside and goes down the driveway to the house. Leading the way is someone playing music on a keyboard on the back of a truck(!). In the middle is the chuppah, with someone holding the Torah, and then the rest of us following behind.
The Torah is like the emotional center of our community. When people see it, there’s a real sense of pride, something that makes you feel alive. There’s a Jewish word for that feeling, mechaieh, it means a deep sense of pleasure and feeling enlivened. That’s exactly what having our own Torah gives us. It’s the heart of who we are as a people.
Can the community look forward to the Torah being at the public celebrations of the Jewish holidays in Montecito?
That’s a great question. Think of things in our own lives that we consider holy and sacred, do we always display them to the public? No. The Torah, as a sacred item, has its own designated times when it’s used. It’s read in the synagogue during services, like during morning prayers and on the High Holidays. So we’re not planning to read from it at the celebration itself or other celebrations that are not part of a prayer service. It’s a certain form of respect and proper usage.
Mazel tov to our whole community!
For more information and to RSVP for the upcoming Torah celebration visit:
You might also be interested in...
