What I Learned in Waterbury

What if we could learn Torah as a conversation unfolding in the present? Rabbi Daniel Kalish, rosh yeshiva of the Waterbury Mesivta in Connecticut, famed ohev Yisrael, and rav of Kehillas Shaarei Tefillah in Waterbury, is known for making every shiur dynamic, personal, and alive.
His talmid Moshe Muller shares that legacy as he takes us on a journey through the parshiyos of Sefer Bereishis, based on his rebbi’s teachings. Blending Chassidus, mussar, and the mesorah of our great yeshivos, this collection shows how the parshiyos speak to our everyday life—offering wisdom, inspiration, and practical guidance for the week ahead.

“The words in this sefer serve as bookmarks that remind us and inspire us to keep returning to the pulsating living message that Rabbi Kalish continues to teach us.”
Rabbi Yosef Sonnenschein, B’nai Shalom

“What I Learned in Waterbury will draw you into the circle of this exceptional mechanech and motivate you to become an authentic oved Hashem.”
Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, Congregation Aish Kodesh of Woodmere

About the author:
Mo Muller learned at the Mesivta of Waterbury (currently located in Durham, Connecticut) — and in many ways, he never stopped. His years there profoundly shaped his growth in Torah, led to lasting relationships with his rebbeim, and instilled in him a deep love for limud haTorah and an abiding appreciation for the mesorah he was privileged to receive.
This sefer is his effort to preserve and transmit the Torah insights and teachings of his rebbi, Rabbi Daniel Kalish, making his chiddushim and unique approaches accessible to a broader audience of learners. Compiled through careful attention to Rabbi Kalish’s shiurim and writings, the work stands as both a tribute to his rebbi and an expression of profound hakaras hatov — a heartfelt desire to ensure that his rebbi’s Torah continues to inspire and guide future generations. Currently, Mo is active in the business world while maintaining a daily learning seder. He returns to the yeshiva regularly to spend Shabbos with his rebbeim. Though he resides in Wesley Hills, New York, his heart remains in Durham.