By Daniel Vinikor, Shuvu Petach Tikva-Rishon L’tzion
Each morning, as I delicately tie my Tefillin, my ties to Shuvu are recalled as well. Shuvu gifted me with these precious Tfillin when they made my Bar Mitzvah. They taught me nearly everything I know I about Torah. They ingrained Mitzvot so deeply into me that it’s second nature to me. With the help of Hashem, they shaped me into who I am today!
Shuvu Petach Tikva is where it all began. I started there in second grade and continued onto Shuvu Rishon L’tzion for high school. Every aspect of Emunah and Bitachon was addressed. Mitzvot were taught and demonstrated. The care our teachers exuded for each and every student created an environment in which there was fervent desire to take on the challenge of becoming a better Jew. We were eager to please and loved to surprise our teachers by defying the odds stacked against us and our goal of keeping Mitzvot.
Though my parents still harbor hopes of my becoming a doctor, my grandmother says she will be just as happy if I become a Rav. Between me and you, my leanings are definitely more aligned with my grandmother, but being in my twenties, I obviously still have a long way to go. Most often, I don’t feel like a Baal Teshuva because of how young I started learning about and keeping Mitzvot. I feel like it is part of my DNA.
I now live in Kiryat Sefer with my wife, Rinat, and I am learning in Kollel. Once I got married, two years ago, I felt empowered to make the Pesach Seder. I remember the Sedarim that Shuvu made for us growing up and I was excited to replicate them in my own home. Because my parents are not religious at all, it was impossible to put things like the Pesach Seder into practice until now. I am thrilled to finally have the opportunity to have a home which is fully dedicated to keeping Torah U’Mitzvot!
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
