Deep Pockets
No, not that kind.
The kind that neatly fits a Toras Avigdor booklet.
When Chana Yemets found that her skirt not only had pockets (and let’s face it, most women’s clothing is pocket-deficient), but unusually deep ones, her first thought was to try slipping in a Toras Avigdor booklet. It was a perfect fit, and rather symbolic.
Because for Chana, who has made Seattle her home for the past six years, Toras Avigdor isn’t just something you read. It’s something you carry around with you.
A Toras Avigdor Library
“We have a kollel here in Seattle that has tons of Toras Avigdor booklets,” Chana begins. I read those booklets on Friday night, after I light the Shabbos candles. It’s always good mussar for the week!”
She also has a weekly chavrusa with a friend, and Toras Avigdor is high on their list of learning priorities.
This is no fleeting friendship. You should see her Toras Avigdor library.
“I save all of them, so I have a really big pile. I even read the kids’ ones. I love the Toras Avigdor Junior! And my favorite ones? I put them on a separate shelf so I can revisit them whenever I’m ready.”
Out of Town but Not Out of Touch
In case you think Seattle is somewhat off the radar, Chana would assure you that it’s not. Jewish life is spread out, with thriving communities in Seward Park, the North End, and Mercer Island. Apart from the kollel, there’s a great Orthodox community, with Ashenazi, Sefardi, and Chabad shuls, Jewish schools, kosher shopping, and even a couple of kosher eateries.
Not bad for OOT.
Everyday Life
If there’s one message that has shaped Chana’s thinking, it’s this: “Wherever you are, you’re always thinking of Hashem. You’re always walking with Hashem. That’s the main message of it all. And when I think throughout the day, I make a conscious effort to think of Hashem.”
This mindset has reshaped her sense of pride in her Jewishness.
“I’ve always been a proud Jew, but I’ve become even stronger in my Yiddishkeit and more confident. I don’t feel the need to apologize to anybody for my views. Rabbi Miller was so unabashedly and unapologetically proud of being Jewish and so politically incorrect!”
A Constant Companion
Chana has no intention of slowing down her learning. She recently bought the Simchapod, and plans to get headphones so she can hear Rabbi Miller while she’s on the go.
But that’s not all. Chana has an important message for us.
“Keep the booklets with you. Bring them to work. Set them on your desk, even if you’re not going to read them yet, so you can have that glimpse, that symbolism, that connection to Yiddishkeit. And if you read nothing else but the short excerpt at the very end—the message to take home—have it there just as a powerful reminder.”
Because sometimes, a small action—like keeping a booklet in your pocket—can keep you grounded.
From Slabodka to Seattle
For Chana, the Toras Avigdor booklets aren’t just a weekly read. They’re a tangible connection to a Gadol she never met but feels extraordinarily close to. Perhaps because she visited Vilna as a child, a city not far from Slabodka (where Rabbi Miller learned in yeshivah), or perhaps because Rabbi Miller’s words ring true to her neshamah, she is guided daily by his teachings.
And in a city better known for rain than for religion, that connection helps Chana live with spirituality and purpose.
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