• May 24
Rabbi Wagner: A Tribute
I wanted to write this after Rabbi Wagner passed away, but the task was too much. ...
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Rabbi Wagner
Stories & Memories of Rabbi Wagner
• May 19
Song: A Small Cup Of Wine He Holds In His Hand...
According to my recollection (and I recently confirmed this with an older staff member from that year), it was our dear giant Rabbi Akiva Wagner Z”L who actually composed this famous camp song; inspiring generations to come. Camp Gan Yisroel -...
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• May 18
Chassidesher Kook
I never learnt in Toronto but I remember one time when Rabbi Wagner came to LA and farbrenged on shabbos. There was a story going around then of a polisher chossid who couldn't have kids and R' Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin convinced him to go to the...
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• May 12
אהלי תורה שנת התשנ"ה
רבי עקיבא ז"ל היה המגיד שיעור ונטע בנו כשלמדנו בשבת תחכמוני בבית המדרש אהלי תורה - אהבת התורה עם קאך בלימוד - ריתחא דאורייתא, הסוגיות דמסכת...
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• May 11
Above all, my Father was an Oived
About a year and a half ago, I found myself sitting on my father’s bed, chatting with him, my mother and my sister. As the conversation drew on, he mentioned that he was tired and needed to rest. He invited us to stay and continue talking while he...
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• May 11
My Recollections of Rabbi Wagner A"H
Rabbi Nochum Greenwald, who was in the older class my first year in yeshiva, put it simply, “Rabbi Akiva lost 24,000 Talmidim. Today 24,000 Talmidim lost Rabbi Akiva”. ...
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• May 11
Limitless Ahavas Yisroel
I know someone who couldn't afford to send their child to yeshiva last year, and the yeshiva informed the parents that they could not reduce the tuition any further. Desperate for help, the parent called Rabbi Wagner to ask for assistance. It was...
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• May 11
Chinuch
When I was in yeshiva, there wasn't a shliach in downtown Toronto. As Chanukah approached, I got permission to place a huge menorah in the Eaton Center. Rabbi Wagner granted us permission to spend two hours a day at the menorah, running mivtzoim....
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• May 11
Ahavas Yisroel
This was over 20 years ago, when part of the dorm was in the basement of the Wagner's. ...
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• May 10
Cheesecake
This story took place before Shavuos during one of the (3) years that I had the Zechus of learning in Toronto. I approached Rabbi Wagner and asked him if I could get permission to go home (across the border to Buffalo) for Shavous, as it was my...
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• May 9
Father son shabbos
I want to first say that I felt so appreciated and understood by Rabbi Wagner. I was talking to my father today about the father and son shabbos we had in Toronto and how impressed he was how sharp and down to earth R wagner seemed to him. I...
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• May 9
Foundation
One Shabbos afternoon I was walking with Rabbi Wagner. He pointed to a house under construction and said: “You see this house. The first step in building it is building the foundation. Any building that is missing a foundation will surely crumble....
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• May 9
Lessons in Responsibility: The Transformative Impact of Rabbi Wagner
The sun had long risen as I slowly made my way to the Yeshiva. I knew I was late, yet again. Rabbi Wagner, our Rosh Yeshiva, had given me numerous warnings about my tardiness, but I just couldn't seem to get out of bed on time. Despite my...
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