Avroham Curland grew up in a secular, somewhat traditional home, but he’s been a baal teshuvah for 40 years. For four years he had the merit of living in the Bostoner Rebbe’s home in Boston and working as his aide. Avroham and his family then moved to Monsey, where Avroham became close to the Skverer Rebbe of New Square. However, Avroham had never become fully comfortable learning in Hebrew and Aramaic. So when Avroham found a copy of Chayenu, he decided to subscribe. “I used it mostly for Chumash and Rashi while I was commuting to work.”     

When Avroham was close to retirement, he and his wife decided to move to Ormond Beach, Florida, and they joined the Chabad shul there. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful place. I’ve never felt as settled as I’ve felt here in Ormond Beach. We have a beautiful community.” Since he was part of a Chabad community, Avroham decided he wanted to learn Chitas and Rambam. “I cannot be without my Chayenu. It’s been a springboard for really good things in my life.”

Learning Chassidus has changed a lot of things in Avroham’s life—his attitude, his relationship with his family, and his friendships. “I’ve been through some financial issues in the past that have made me frustrated, impatient, and angry. Through learning Chassidus, I’ve become much more settled. I have bitachon and emunah in Hashem knowing that it’s good, so I don’t get upset anymore. 

“We had an issue here with the hurricane, and we had to use our emergency fund to fix something in our house. In the past, I would’ve just broken down, I would have been frustrated, I would be angry in shul, I would snap at wife, I’d snap at my kids. Now I say, ‘It’s a blessing that we discovered it now, it could’ve been much worse. We’re going to get through and we’re going to be fine.’ Chayenu has been the springboard for me to get into this new way of looking at things.  

“It’s been a lifeline to me. After 40 years of not being able to handle situations, it’s changed everything for me. Thank you.”

 

Avroham Curland, Ormond Beach, Florida