Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack - Editor-in-Chief
Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He had the pleasure of studying at the Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, and received semicha (Rabbinical ordination) in Issur V'Heter from HaRav Channen of Pirchei Shoshanim Yeshiva and in Shabbos from HaRav Yerslavsky. He has tremendously enjoyed working in a variety of Jewish outreach programs in Israel, Ukraine, England, Australia, Canada, and the United States. He has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a concentration in Creative Writing from the University of Albany in New York and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from the University of Victoria in Canada. Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack lives in Greater Vancouver, Canada with his wife Ettie, two and half year old daughter Bayla, and 3 month old son Shmuel Abba. He currently works as a Regional Coordinator with a social service agency dedicated to supporting adults with a developmental disability and youth at risk, and is studying in the University of British Columbia's Master of Social Work (MSW) program. He enjoys playing with his daughter and son, learning Torah, teaching a Tanya class, and doing handyman projects around home.
Ettie Shurack - Senior Writer/Senior Editor/Designer
Ettie Shurack was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and moved to Canada with her family after the fall of the iron curtain. She thrives in her main role as wife and mother and in her spare time enjoys painting, photography, and the outdoors. Her studies include a Bachelors of Social Work (BSW) degree from the University of Victoria and a variety of counselling courses from the Refuah Institute in Israel. She spent two years studying Judaic studies in Israel, in Machon Alte in Tzfat and Malchus in Jerusalem. She currently works part-time in a social services agency with amazing children who have special needs and/or mental health challenges. Ettie has completed the coursework and internship components of her Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree at the University of British Columbia, and is working on her thesis, with hopes to graduate in the next few months. Her long term goal is to establish a holistic family centre offering family, children's, and marriage therapy.
Bayla Shurack
Bayla may be young (4 years old), but she is one of the greatest sources of inspiration for the articles found in A Shtikel Vort. She divides her time between helping her mother around the house, playing with her friends, creating new works of art for her parents' refrigerator, building magnificent lego structures, teaching her younger brother the ropes, and giving her family an abundance of nachas (always).
Shmuel Abba Shurack
Shmuel Abba is the youngest member of the team, yet he brings a raison d'etre for the publication. Although he is only 3 months old, he is a mover and a shaker; he is wise beyond his years, and has motivated and encouraged more people to do mitzvos and good deeds than seemingly possible. On a typical day, he can be found playing with his big sister, davening with his mother, singing with his father, being cuddled by his doting grandparents, or deep in thought pondering the world surrounding him.
In the Beginning...
The first issue of the newsletter came out on Rosh Hashanah 5770 (September 2009) and we are thrilled to be in our fifth volume. The website was released as a surprise during Chanukah 5772 (December 2011). A blog was added in February 2013 with weekly articles, thoughts, ideas, stories, and updates to the website. Rabbi Nuta Yisrael is the Editor-in-Chief and Senior Writer and Ettie Shurack is the Formatter, Website Designer, and Senior Editor. All articles found on this website are written by Nuta Yisrael, with the exception of the Growing Up column which is written by Ettie.
We are very excited to have the newsletter's website up and running and are constantly updating it with past articles. Volumes 2, 3, and 4 of A Shtikel Vort have been fully uploaded, and we are working on getting Volume 1 online. The columns on the website include From the Editor, Growing Up, Torah Thoughts, From the Kitchen, What If...?, and a section devoted to jokes called Humourous Side. While the columns and articles are varied in the newsletter, each issue of A Shtikel Vort contains a From the Editor message, a witty joke, and an inspirational quote.
Subscribing to the e-newsletter gives you access to a variety of extra features. In addition to articles by Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack and Ettie Shurack, the newsletter includes feature articles by renowned international guest writers. Having the newsletter delivered to your email box ensures that you receive it in time for Shabbos and holidays. As well, it gives you the option of printing out the week's issue in full in either colour or black and white to share at the Shabbos table or enjoy during a quiet moment in the afternoon. Readers from Canada, USA, Israel, South America, Europe, Russia, Australia, England, and South Africa are enjoying A Shtikel Vort. So don't wait, subscribe today!
To subscribe, please email [email protected].
We are very excited to have the newsletter's website up and running and are constantly updating it with past articles. Volumes 2, 3, and 4 of A Shtikel Vort have been fully uploaded, and we are working on getting Volume 1 online. The columns on the website include From the Editor, Growing Up, Torah Thoughts, From the Kitchen, What If...?, and a section devoted to jokes called Humourous Side. While the columns and articles are varied in the newsletter, each issue of A Shtikel Vort contains a From the Editor message, a witty joke, and an inspirational quote.
Subscribing to the e-newsletter gives you access to a variety of extra features. In addition to articles by Rabbi Nuta Yisrael Shurack and Ettie Shurack, the newsletter includes feature articles by renowned international guest writers. Having the newsletter delivered to your email box ensures that you receive it in time for Shabbos and holidays. As well, it gives you the option of printing out the week's issue in full in either colour or black and white to share at the Shabbos table or enjoy during a quiet moment in the afternoon. Readers from Canada, USA, Israel, South America, Europe, Russia, Australia, England, and South Africa are enjoying A Shtikel Vort. So don't wait, subscribe today!
To subscribe, please email [email protected].
