The man. The myth. The legend.
Y’all know Chavie Bruk the blogger, the Instagram influencer, the Tanya teacher and, if you’re in Montana, the Chabad Rebbetzin of Big Sky Country. Yet, you don’t necessarily know Chavie Bruk, the amazing wife and loving mother, who with class, poise, and candor, always makes her husband and children her top priority and gives each of her six “dependents” the TLC we want and need.
I knew she’d be throwing me a 40th birthday bash; surprises don’t work well in our home and almost never remain a surprise. Yet, from the moment she sent out the invite “The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Rabbi Chaim Aged 40 years” I knew this would be something special. For me it was weird, as there hasn’t ever been an event at our Chabad Center in almost 16 years that I wasn’t somehow involved in, so having a massive event with my community and not knowing the details kinda killed me 🙂
On Sunday, December 12, I was prohibited from entering my own Shul, as Chavie and her team, including the one and only Leslie Lukas, were setting up for the bash. I spent the day with the kids and waited impatiently to see what my “crazy wife”, pulled off.
When I entered the center at 7:00 PM it was shock and awe. The place was set up like a five star gala with balloons, candles, a full-on bar with a bar tender (I almost never drink but after a few margaritas I finally figured out why people do), a high-end Sushi dinner, two live local musicians, Chalav Yisroel desserts, a book gift for each participant (the book “what would you do for you weren’t afraid” by Michal Oshman) and a room of over one hundred locals; Jews and gentiles, old and young, retirees and businesspeople, all who came together to celebrate with me at this milestone in my life.
Chavie didn’t just throw a nice party, she invested heart and soul into each detail. Sure, our Governor Greg Gianforte and his First Lady Susan surprised me, yes, our community is truly amazing and so loving, sure my in-laws flying in, as well as my closest childhood friend from Illinois, was really touching, but most of all what meant the most to me was my internal knowledge that I married a woman who doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. She knew how much this would mean to me, celebrating with my community, and she made it happen with class.
Chavie isn’t a pushover; she’s opinionated, sharp, wise beyond her years, deep, and as truthful as they come, but she’s also full of heart, full of love, full of soul and last Sunday she made her husband feel like a million bucks.
When she spoke at the bash, she said that she can’t wait to see how the next forty years pan out for the both of us in our journey of life, I concur. With all the worlds challenges and chaos, I can’t think of a better partner for this insane journey than my Chavie, who embodies the teachings of Chassidus and always throws in a touch of Brené Brown.
