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 -...
Read StoryI 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...
Read Storyרבי עקיבא ז"ל היה המגיד שיעור ונטע בנו כשלמדנו בשבת תחכמוני בבית המדרש אהלי תורה - אהבת התורה עם קאך בלימוד - ריתחא דאורייתא, הסוגיות דמסכת...
Read StoryAbout 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...
Read StoryRabbi 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”. ...
Read StoryI 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...
Read StoryWhen 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....
Read StoryThis was over 20 years ago, when part of the dorm was in the basement of the Wagner's. ...
Read StoryThis 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...
Read StoryI 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...
Read StoryOne 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....
Read StoryThe 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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