In honor of Rosh Chodesh, the middle school students at Tenafly Chabad Academy were privileged to hear from guest speaker Micah Kaufman, whose story of resilience, faith and commitment to chesed left a profound impact on everyone present. Mr. Kaufman shared his remarkable journey of recovery and inspiration following a life-altering accident that occurred just three days before Hanukkah five years ago. Despite the severity of his injuries—including a three-month coma and a challenging rehabilitation process—Micah’s unwavering spirit and dedication to helping others shone brightly.

Micah described how his path to healing was interwoven with acts of kindness and communal prayer. He recounted how the collective recitation of Tehillim corresponded with significant milestones in his recovery. Even before regaining full cognitive function, Micah’s neshama led him to perform mitzvot, such as putting on tefillin, which demonstrated his deep spiritual connection. He encouraged the students to cherish their ability to pray and to approach tefillah with gratitude and intention.

Micah shared his passion for chesed, which began before his accident and continues today. He inspired the students with his story of donating a kidney to an 85-year-old grandmother, explaining that giving her extra time with her family was a privilege.

Micah urged the students that whenever they feel that someone wrongs them, they should try to let go of anger, take a deep breath and move forward positively. Micah also reminded the students that they don’t need to excel in academics or public speaking to make a difference. He encouraged them to replace “I can’t” with “I will someday” and to find what they love and pursue it wholeheartedly.

Additionally, Micah spoke about the importance of simple acts of kindness, like pushing a shopping cart, shoveling snow or calling grandparents before Shabbos. He asked the students to become his “chesed agents,” spreading kindness in ways he is now physically unable to do.

Micah Kaufman’s inspirational words left the students with a profound understanding of resilience, the power of kindness and the ability to turn even the smallest actions into meaningful contributions.