The Fifth Annual Shabbos of Emunah and Bitachon once again drew a full crowd, continuing a tradition that has become a meaningful stop for people looking for serious Torah engagement around faith, clarity, and inner strength. Reservations filled quickly, a sign of how much these Shabbosim have resonated year after year.

Held in a comfortable and well-run setting, the Shabbos combined a strong program with an atmosphere that made it easy to settle in and focus. Guests enjoyed beautifully prepared seudos, uplifting tefillos led by an outstanding baal tefillah, top-tier musical performances, and a thoughtfully organized children’s program. The schedule was full but well paced, leaving room for learning, reflection, and conversation without feeling rushed.

At the center of the Shabbos was a single guiding theme: Focus on Foundations.

That idea was introduced visually through an exhibit near the hotel lobby, which visually presented the three categories of home improvement: decorative, structural, and foundational. Applied to our inner lives, this corresponds with inspiration, instruction, and our core perceptions.

That framing carried through the Shabbos. Inspiration matters, and structure matters too — learning halacha and aligning our behavior with Hashem’s will. But this Shabbos focused attention on something deeper: the clarity that Torah is not just guidance for life, but the framework that explains how reality itself works.

Erev Shabbos opened with a lively To’ameha as guests arrived to music and warm conversation. After licht bentchen, everyone gathered in the Shul, where Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin welcomed the attendees and spoke about the personal nature of the gathering. Opening remarks by R’ Yitzchak Hisiger helped set a focused, thoughtful tone for the Shabbos ahead. Throughout the weekend, Rabbi Shloime Taussig and his mezamrim led tefillos and zemiros that were heartfelt and uplifting.

After the Friday night seuda, Rabbi Rubashkin delivered the keynote address. Using clear and relatable meshalim, he spoke about what it means to build a life on Torah clarity. Bitachon, he emphasized, is not just an emotional response, but the natural result of seeing Torah as the true lens through which the world is understood. Later that evening, a Bitachon Forum brought together Rabbi Rubashkin, Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, Rabbi Aron Weinberg, and Rabbi Getzel Rubashkin to address real-life questions with practical Torah answers.

Shabbos day continued with a full program of learning and tefillah. Rabbi Rubashkin gave a pre-davening shiur in Shaar HaBitachon, followed by spirited tefillos and a well-attended Kiddush. The main daytime address was delivered by Rabbi Lipschutz, with additional afternoon sessions led by Rabbi Getzel Rubashkin and Rabbi Elchonon Jacobowitz. Each speaker approached the theme from a different angle, connecting foundational ideas to everyday challenges.

Some of the most powerful moments happened outside the formal sessions. Conversations in the dining room, hallways, and lobbies reflected the ideas being discussed from the podium. People spoke openly about their own struggles and growth in Emunah and Bitachon. As one attendee put it, “It wasn’t only the speakers — hearing how other people are living Bitachon in their lives was an incredible chizuk.”

Many participants also took advantage of scheduled time for private conversations with Rabbi Rubashkin or Mrs. Rubashkin, using the opportunity to discuss personal questions and challenges.

Families were well supported throughout the Shabbos. Babysitters cared for younger children, while older kids enjoyed structured programs led by dedicated counselors, with Rabbi Motty Zeiger’s entertaining and inspiring storytelling. This allowed parents to fully take part in the main program. Women also had their own dedicated sessions, including a Friday night Oneg with Mrs. Rubashkin focused on Bitachon in the context of home and family, and a Shalosh Seudos program that included music and an address by Rabbi Rubashkin.

Motzei Shabbos culminated in the grand Melava Malka. Rabbi Rubashkin opened with a story from Tzadikim from earlier generations, followed by a deeply personal talk by R’ Yaakov Felder, who spoke candidly about living with a degenerative muscular disease and the inner strength he draws from Bitachon. Jewish music superstar Avraham Fried then led a kumzitz that brought the room together in song.

Additional programming included a multimedia presentation about a young child’s miraculous recovery after a serious accident, especially highlighting the calm and Bitachon shown by his parents, regular attendees at Rabbi Rubashkin’s shiurim. Rabbi Joey Haber followed with a powerful talk about the confusion and whiplashes that foreign ideas introduce to a Jew’s life and the clarity that comes from returning to Hashem Echad.

Children attended their own Melava Malka featuring a bird and reptile show that taught lessons of Bitachon through familiar Torah stories. Later, they joined the adults for dancing that continued late into the night.

The Shabbos concluded with a Sunday morning breakfast, where Rabbi Rubashkin spoke about taking the clarity of Bitachon home and applying it in everyday life. As attendees departed, many described feeling stronger a more grounded in their Bitachon. It was a Shabbos with everything five star and spiritually uplifting.