Meet Rabbi David Lagunov, our guest speaker for Shalosh Seudos

He was born and grew up in secular family in Moscow. Of course, I identified myself as a jew, but it meant almost nothing to me. Once in a year we ate matza, but with bread, and that’s all. Until 6th grade I went to regular school in Moscow. Then new neighbors who moved to our building advised me to go to jewish summer camp, and after camp I decided to go to the jewish school, that was at 1995.

 Influenced by rabbi Goldschmidt and his wife, during 2 years of learning in school, I’ve got closer to Judaism. I continued my learning in jewish Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark. After 2 years of learning there I went to USA to learn in yeshiva and finished high school there. Then I stayed to learn in Rabbi Jacob Joseph School in New Jersey.

 Then for 1 year I learnt in yeshiva in Israel and when I got back to US I continued my education in the biggest religious study center of US - Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood New Jersey for 5 years.

 6 years ago I met my wife Esther, who was born in New York in family of Russian emigrants from Moscow. Her parents were not observant, but in US they made tshuva, more than 30 years ago, so Esty was privileged to grow up in religious traditions. We have 4 wonderful kids.

 2 years ago we moved to Moscow to teach Tora and jewish tradition in few learning centers: Etz Haim school, where my jewish identification has started, in TSERO “Tora MiTzion” and in yeshiva “Ohaley Yakov”. My wife also teaches girls on “STARS-intensive” in TSERO “Tora MiTzion”.

This Shabbos is national Shmiras haLoshon Awareness Shabbos

learn more here

The Shabbos Table Machsom L’fi (muzzle to your mouth) takes the concept of a Machsom L’fi and uses it to enhance and uplift every Shabbos meal.

A Machsom L’fi is a program in which people commit themselves to focusing for a set period of time each day on the proper use of their power of speech as defined in the Torah. During that time, they concentrate on avoiding speaking and hearing loshon hora, gossip, slander, ona’as devarim (hurtful words), or any other form of angry or negative expression. Often, a Machsom L’fi is undertaken as a zechus for someone who is in need of refuah, a shidduch, children, parnassah or a personal yeshuah.