Experts Offer Advice for Navigating 

the Spiritual Dangers of Today’s Universities 

Victor Cohen 

Growing up in a community like ours made things seem easy. Surrounded by warm and affirming beliefs, we grew up in an enclave of religious observance, steeped in tradition. Attending the community’s yeshivot, praying and being involved in the synagogues, enjoying the rising number of kosher restaurants, and even participating in events at our community centers, we stuck together and we stuck to Judaism. 

However, as many of us came to learn, the rest of the world does not share our values, and upon stepping outside the boundaries of our wonderful enclave of warmth and tradition, it is easy to get swept away by the powerful current of the surrounding culture. Once we leave the spiritual “safety zone” of our community, we run the risk of losing sight of what really matters. Spiritual alienation on college campuses is a real, prevalent phenomenon, and affects many of our youth in some way. 

This phenomenon is not new, but it has been significantly exacerbated by the eruption of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests on campuses around the United States. The environment has become more contentious in recent months, and it is easy to feel lost on campus, remote from our families and our community. 

As a recent graduate of Baruch College, currently enrolled in Cardozo Law School, I can attest to having personally dealt with this challenge. However, I realize that to fully understand the problem, I need to hear other people’s accounts and perspectives.  

Rabbi Alter Goldstein has been serving as head Chabad Rabbi of the University of Michigan for 26 years, and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to speak with him about the sensitive, but crucially important, topic of the risks of spiritual alienation on college campuses. I express my deep gratitude as well to Rabbi Joey Haber, founder and head of the Kesher organization, which works with our community’s post-high school youth, not only for his insights, but also for personally coming to Baruch each week to teach Torah. 

The Game is Rigged 

“You’re coming in knowing that this isn’t an environment conducive to spirituality and religion,” Rabbi Goldstein says. He explains that college students are exposed to many different lures and influences, that come in the form of parties, weekend events like football games (often on Shabbat), and the reality that many schools have classes on Jewish holidays. The hedonistic nature of campus life, and the celebration of wanton indulgence, pose a serious challenge to the religiously-committed Jewish student.  

“It is hard to stay where you are, and even more difficult to grow,” Rabbi Goldstein observes. 

Away from family, synagogues and a communal structure, youngsters are likely to look for something else to latch onto. And with alluring activities at arms-length at all times, it’s only a matter of time until some compromises are made. 

But beyond the spiritual challenges posed by campus life, grave danger lurks inside the classroom, as well, where students are taught by professors with a secular worldview who select texts and devise curricula that promote their personal opinions and perspectives. Many professors come to the classroom with worldviews which are nothing short of appalling, and students are forced to listen to these foreign values presented as incontrovertible, enlightened truth. The young 18 or 19-year-old student has no easy way to oppose the older, academically-trained professor who speaks with authority as he or she tries to impose his beliefs on his or her students.  The student hears only the perspectives the agenda-driven professors provide, and is often lectured to about the validity of these ideas. If the student ignores it or tunes it all out, his or her academic performance will suffer. 

The game is rigged against the religious student. The professors control your final grade, so you have no choice to at least appear to agree with them. The problem is, with everyone appearing to agree, with papers being forced to be written in favor of these outrageous ideas, with the higher grades going to those who “buy in” the most, it becomes very difficult not to begin to see some validity in these completely invalid ideas. 

I experienced this many times during my years at Baruch, and, like others, I played the game. I appeared to agree, because I learned that when I didn’t, it would harm my grade. I wrote papers wholly in agreement with ideas that I despise. It required a great deal of detachment to pull that off. 

Reflecting on these two different challenges – the alluring campus life, and the foreign ideologies taught in the classroom – Rabbi Joey Haber observed that “the parties are a bigger challenge than the ideas,” because “the parties are more attractive than the ideas are.” 

At the same time, however, Rabbi Haber believes that the ideological damage can often prove to be more permanent.  He says that in his experience, it’s easier to pull someone back into the community if the main issue is the parties or the lifestyle. When it comes to the foreign ideas, though, “while they are more difficult to get trapped by, they are much harder to be pulled from.” 

Rabbi Goldstein added that students today seem more apathetic and nonchalant about their connection to Judaism. Resisting the spiritually hostile forces that abound requires strength and fortitude, and, unfortunately, many students simply lack the religious passion and commitment to exert this kind of effort. 

Time Constraints 

Another important factor to consider is the limits on a student’s time. Most youngsters who enroll in college do so in order to prepare for what they hope will be a successful professional career, and so, naturally, they take their studies very seriously and want to get good grades. Pursuing academic excellence of course necessitates the investment of a great deal of time – which makes meeting one’s religious obligations a difficult struggle. 

When I started studying at Baruch, I was living in an apartment in Kips Bay, around a 20-minute walk to the nearest synagogue, which had only one minyan in the morning, at 6:45am. As the weather got colder, this walk became less feasible. My family was all the way back in Deal, and I would see them only on weekends. And so I found myself isolated from my support systems, being forced to fend for myself in an unfamiliar world. 

One day, I had to wake up extra early to get to my 7am writing class. Like I had done the day before, I said I would come back to my apartment after the class ended at 9am so I could pray at a (somewhat) reasonable time. I came back, but I had homework to take care of before my history class at 10:45. I did the homework and then left, walking back in at around 1pm. An essay was due at 11:59 that night. I ate lunch and then sat down to work on my essay. I was tired, as I had a long day up to that point, and long nights that entire week. I closed my eyes at around 2pm and woke up again at 4:45. It was getting a little darker out, and I made myself some coffee to wake up. All the while, I felt like I was forgetting something, but had no clue what it was. 

It took me a few minutes to realize that I hadn’t put on tefillin yet. I immediately scrambled to get it on before the day ended, ashamed of myself, but too much in a rush to think too much about it. The sun hadn’t set by the time I got my tefillin on, so I did not actually “miss the day,” but this was a close call that rattled me and made me realize that I needed to change something about my situation. I moved out of the apartment a few weeks later and moved in with my grandparents in Brooklyn. The daily subway ride was annoying, but I was making minyan. 

For some college kids, keeping kosher is a problem – especially in colleges with limited availability of kosher food. Rabbi Goldstein says that in the case of Michigan, while kosher food is available, it is still a big challenge for people, adding, “I don’t know what they do for their personal life” in terms of kashrut. 

Thankfully, this was never an issue for me, partly because I had easy access to kosher food, but also because twice a week, Kesher brought kosher food for the students who attended their classes. In fact, Rabbi Haber says, this is one of the organization’s objectives. 

Responding to my question of why Kesher comes to colleges, Rabbi Haber explains, “We have a chance to give them kosher food easily, inspire students, bring them together, give them a sense of community, and give them an opportunity to pray.” 

Staying Close to Your Network 

What, then, is the solution? What strategies are available to a young man or woman from the community who goes off to college? 

First and foremost, Rabbi Goldstein strongly recommends learning for a year in Israel before college, even if no college credits are earned during that year. The experience of immersing oneself in our sacred texts in the Holy Land provides a degree of fortification that can help a youngster withstand the spiritual challenges posed by college life. 

And while in college, the student needs to gird himself with strength and confidence. 

“The number one thing I tell them is that they’re a leader, not a follower,” Rabbi Goldstein says. The student must realize that he charts his own course, rather than blindly following the crowd. 

Furthermore, students should try to keep their education close to home.  

While acknowledging that certain colleges offer a better education in some areas than others (Michigan, for example, is renowned for its engineering program), both Rabbi Goldstein and Rabbi Haber say if you want to keep the values you grew up with, stay close to your family and your network, and strongly consider close-to-home options. 

It is not uncommon for a community youngster to face the decision between an out-of-town college which specializes in his or her field of choice, and a less prestigious institution that is located nearby and offers the option of commuting from home. Rabbi Goldstein unhesitatingly and strongly recommends the second option. 

“Especially in today’s day and age, staying closer to home is so important,” he says. “Specifically in the Sephardic world, there’s a very, very strong family-oriented atmosphere.” 

Rabbi Haber concurs, explaining, “When you’re closer to home, your family, your shuls and your friends are surrounding you – and all three of those are a great guide to your life.” 

I can relate to this. After a while, I left Brooklyn and just started commuting directly from Deal every day. I adjusted my schedule to make it reasonably work, and took Metro Park into the city. I felt spiritually connected in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time, and got more involved in my local synagogue, taking part in planning and helping out on Shabbat. This coincided with the rise of the hate-filled anti-Israel protests on campus, so I was glad to come home, away from all the chaos. Staying close to home, to your family, friends, and shul, is the best way to maintain one’s spiritual connection. 

Additionally, Rabbi Haber says, the college that appears to best prepare the youngster for his or her career might not necessarily turn out to be the best choice.  

“It’s very hard to predict how your career is going to go, and even harder to know in advance what will be better for your career.” It’s simply not worth it to risk one’s spiritual connection for the sake of studying at a school which might potentially offer long-term career benefits. 

Fighting Fire with Fire 

Strange as this might sound, it is important also to “fight back” when this is necessary and possible, to find creative solutions to problems created by the college system. 

In my final semester, Baruch threw me a curveball: it required me to find and complete an internship at a communications company in order to graduate. As I was nearing the finish line, about to complete a four-year degree in only two years, and having just been admitted to Cardozo, I had zero interest in getting bogged down by more red tape.  

Earlier, I mentioned that to succeed in college, you have to play their game. But while this is generally true, with enough skill and determination, you can beat the system and come out on top. 

“How are you guys with nonprofits?” I asked. 

“We’re good with non-profits,” They answered. “Just send us an approval letter.” 

And so, instead of working at a company of their choosing, which would likely bring with it some degree of spiritual compromise, I walked into my local synagogue and got a volunteer job as an assistant twice a week. I restructured my schedule to Zoom classes on those days, and suddenly, I was only going into the city two days a week. The other two days? I was working in the synagogue, giving back to my community, all on a school-accredited internship. For all the punches they’ve thrown at me, it felt good to land one of my own. 

Spiritual alienation is a battle. You are in a fight to keep your values, to keep close to your community, even as outside forces seek to rip you away from it. But do not for a moment think that this battle cannot be won. Be proactive. Be creative. Fight fire with fire. Start a minyan on campus. Find a havruta with whom to learn daf yomi. Build something into your daily routine that strengthens your connection to your heritage. 

And what if a student was already alienated, drifting away from religious commitment, and now wishes to return? 

“If it’s a girl, find a religious mentor, and if it’s a boy, find a rabbi to learn with,” Rabbi Haber says. 

Rabbi Goldstein’s message to college students is: “Try to be an inspiration to others.”  

People have tremendous respect for those who adhere to their values, even through hardship. If you win this battle, and remain steadfastly committed even in the face of the pressures on campus, you will be a role model to others, and you will have set yourself on the path to success in all areas of life, having gained invaluable experience in the art of struggle and triumphing over adversity.  

Don’t stop fighting to maintain your fealty to the traditions of our community. You can do this!

Mozelle Forman 

By nature, humans are curious.  Little three-year-olds begin asking: why?  Why is the sky blue?  Why are trees green?  Why can’t I have another cookie?  We need, and therefore demand, answers to our questions even when any answer given will not satisfy us.  Have you ever met a three-year-old who responded, “That makes sense,” when his mother explained why he couldn’t have another cookie?  As adults, we continue asking why as if everything had a reasonable explanation.  Why did I not get that job?  Why am I not married yet?  Why did my loved one die?  No answer will suffice.  No response will assuage our loss, grief, and pain.   

In our Rosh Hashana prayers, we acknowledge that “the secret things belong to Hashem.”  Hashem does not reveal the secret things. He does not offer an explanation or answer our questions as to why.  We are told that Hashem runs the world and we must accept His will. And while we can accept His secrets and His decree, acceptance does not mean we will not feel a sense of loss, grief, emptiness, and pain when we lose a loved one.  Acceptance and pain are not mutually exclusive.  And grieving is not a sign that we lack emunah.   

There Is No One Way to Deal with Loss 

Grief is the normal emotional response to a major loss, such as the death of a loved one.  Grief is highly personal and is experienced differently by everyone.  Men and women grieve differently and teens and children mourn differently than adults.  There is no “right” way to deal with loss.  

Knowing this will allow us to be more compassionate with ourselves and with those around us who are grieving.  Because grief has many facets, one may experience many conflicting emotions, such as feeling scared, relieved, resentful, or guilty – all in the same day.  You may at times feel nothing at all.  You may feel like crying or you may not be able to cry at all.  There may also be times when you feel angry at the person who has died.  I have heard many a widow lament, “Why did he leave me?”  Because a death will always trigger our most vulnerable feelings of abandonment, your anger does not mean you did not love the person you lost. Just the opposite is true. Your anger can be an expression of how connected you were to them.  Moreover, your feelings do not need to make sense to anyone else. These are just feelings and having them is normal. Even though you are hurting, you may want a little respite when you can have fun or laugh for a while. This is not a betrayal of your loved one.   

While grief is the emotional response to a loss, mourning is the expression of deep sorrow. Mourning practices differ among cultures  Our Torah outlines the specific practices one should follow when mourning a close loved one, beginning with the seven-day shiva period. Our sages understood that in the immediate aftermath of a loss, one is inconsolable, as it states in Pirkei Avot 4:23: “Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said, ‘Do not console him [your fellow Jew] while his dead lies before him.”  During this time, one is still overcoming the shock and distress of the loss and finds comfort by being surrounded by friends and family who speak of their loved one who has died.  Stories told during shiva may trigger memories of the person who has died, both happy and sad.  These memories help one stay connected to the person who died. Although the loved one has died the relationship has not. 

Disorientation After a Loss 

In his masterful work, Consolation (Jewish Publication Society, 2005), Rabbi Norman Lamm describes what happens to a mourner before reaching grief’s fifth and final stage: acceptance. “We experience an uncommon confusion – not necessarily delirium or chaos, or even bewilderment, but rather dislocation, a form of discontinuity. We sense that something is out of sync, but we cannot quite decode it. During our loved one’s lifetime, we were safe within a circumference of images and memories – the departed and the family and our friends – and now this world is simply not the same. We are disoriented.” 

Disorientation is a by-product of our grief. We are likely to become bewildered and disconnected from our normal routine, our normal lives. The loved one for whom we grieve was part of a stable picture in a frame that included us, and now that frame is broken. The picture is torn, and we struggle to deal with the new reality – a reality that no longer includes our loved one – in person.  Facing the world after loss feels like the phantom limb phenomenon, where one experiences feeling in a limb that has been severed. The loss is always with you.    

Learning from Our Ancestors 

The Torah relates the very different mourning processes of our sages.  In Parashat Chaye Sarah, the Torah describes that “Avraham withdrew to mourn Sarah and to weep for her.”  When Yaacov learned of the death of his beloved son Yoseph – even though it was a lie – the Book of Bereishit narrates that he was bereft and refused to be comforted (Bereishit 37:35). We learn from this that Hashem does send comfort to mourners – who are morning someone who has actually died.  

When Aharon is told about the death of his sons Nadab and Abihu, the Torah writes he did not respond – “vayidom Aharon.”  He was silent. Parashat Chukat describes the death of Miriam and Aharon. Bnei Yisrael mourned for each of them for thirty days.  And in our last parasha, the death and mourning for Moshe Rabbeinu is described. After thirty days of mourning the Torah states: “then the days of weeping and mourning for Moshe were at an end” (Devarim 34:8).  While the Torah relates a usual timeframe for mourning of thirty days, this relates to the “formal” mourning period. The emotional grief that one experiences may, and usually will, last longer than we imagine.  

Everyone’s Way of Mourning Is Individual 

It is important to recognize that your natural response to loss and grief is the right response for you. It does not matter what you or others expect. It does not matter what conventional wisdom dictates. The way you grieve is the way you need to grieve.  David Kessler, author and grief specialist writes, “We live in a culture that does not know how to grieve.  We live in a society that wants us to get back to normal as soon as possible.  We’re expected to keep moving, to get on with our lives.  We may have those expectations of ourselves. But it doesn’t work that way.” 

Some mental health practitioners go so far as to say that grief counseling is a waste of time and money. Since everyone has their own unique way of grieving, it is impossible for a counselor to pinpoint the specifics of that person’s grief, let alone recommend how to cope with it. This insight is crucial if we are to understand a mourner’s mindset. Everyone grieves differently, no matter what circumstances cause the grief. 

Just as we struggle to get to the acceptance of the loss of a loved one, we must strive to accept our personal and individual style of grief.  We need to give ourselves permission to feel the pain, without worrying that it will overwhelm or overcome us.  Grief often brings the sense of loss of control.  We could not control the outcome of our loved one’s illness.  We could not control the circumstances that brought about a tragic, untimely death.  Yet, even during dark bouts of grief, we still possess the dignity of choice.  We can make choices about what activities we attend, join, and do – and what we cannot – to help reinstate some of that loss of control.  

The Road to Healing  

Humans are wired for connection and a death is the ultimate disconnect from a loved one. Grief intensifies feelings of loneliness, which often leads to isolation. It is difficult, but important, not to remove yourself from others’ lives.  Although we do not want to constantly hear, “How are you doing?” prompting us to lie that we are okay for the sake of the other, do not isolate yourself.  Be honest about your feelings.  If someone took the initiative to ask, then they care enough to hear your sincere response.  And, although this is difficult in the best of circumstances, try to communicate your needs.  Some days you may want company and distraction and some days you may wish to be left alone.  You alone get to decide the amount of interaction that feels comfortable for you. 

Grief is an all-consuming emotion that leaves us feeling vulnerable and weak. We become fearful that we will be overcome with grief and will never recover.  Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, who identified five stages of grief that everyone endures – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She emphasized: “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”     

May Hashem send comfort and solace to all that need. 

Esther Levy-Chehebar 

Back when SBH was in its infancy and the only uniting principle was to visit the sick and elderly in hospitals, Fred Bijou walked into the room of a man he respected very much; there he found Hacham David Shammah in a “snake pit” ward, surrounded by seven other patients. The situation was intolerable to Fred. He realized he needed to do something, ASAP. In addition to mobilizing more volunteers, SBH’s financial committee – as it was then called – began fundraising. It wasn’t easy. Many did not believe that such poverty existed in our community, let alone the very real pandemic of loneliness. Others were ashamed to admit that they knew somebody in need or were resistant to the idea all together. With tenacity and perseverance, SBH was finally able to raise the funds and move Hacham David Shammah home as well as hire a nurse to care for him. And SBH as we know it was born. 

As of 2023, SBH houses over a dozen divisions which address everything from fertility to career choice to medical and senior services. There are over 75 therapists in SBH’s employ and the organization fields, on average, 300 calls a week from community members in need of assistance. At times, it can feel impossible to identify which moments propelled SBH from one stratosphere to the next. But one thing is certain: the SBH of today exists because somebody knocked on a stranger’s door.

“Fred Bijou created something from nothing, and he did it with a lot of pushback.” – Barbara Matalon  

Mickey’s List   

Barbara Matalon and Gloria Bijou are a part of SBH’s DNA. They began visiting patients in the hospital together with their husbands, and were present at those very first meetings in Fred Bijou’s living room. At the time, Barbara Matalon was just twenty-two years old and had three young babies at home. Still, SBH’s mission was a calling she could not walk away from.  

Barbara had been doing hospital visits for a few months when Mickey Kairey’s list changed everything. Mickey and Barbara were in the car on the way home from a hospital visit when he turned to her and said, “You know, there are people at home that you really need to visit. Start with this one.” Mickey had been entrusted with a list of widows and orphans that originated from Ma’oz La’ebyon in Syria. Quietly, and on his own, Mickey had been taking care of scores of people, community members who were privately suffering, hidden from the mainstream. Together with Linda Benun and Gloria Bijou, Barbara Matalon began taking on cases from that original list.  

From Hospitals to Homes: Hidden in Plain View  

Every SBH client was connected to a mainstream community person in some way or another; it just wasn’t spoken about. Not only that, many were skeptical that the need for a social services organization in our community existed at all.  

On their very first home visit, Barbara and Linda trekked up five flights of stairs to visit an elderly woman with no siblings. With no hired help or childcare at home,  Barbara and Linda brought their babies along, as they would continue to do on most visits. The client, a 97-year-old lovely lady who stood no taller than four feet tall, opened the door with great excitement, “You came to visit me? How lucky am I!” Barbara still remembers how the woman cooked an entire shabbat meal in countless tiny pots, all for herself. “Everything was a beracha to her.” Barbara recalled. 

The pair did everything from offer mental and physical support, to washing dishes… 

Barbara recalled one particularly difficult visit: “We rolled up our sleeves and began scrubbing pots as [the client] lay under piles of covers because she had no heat. There were tins of cat food all over the floor and no cat to be found. When we asked her why she simply replied: ‘Because it’s cheaper.’” 

“The captains would catch things. One woman was smart enough to realize her client had a stroke when nobody else had noticed. Indeed, he did have one and was able to get help.” – Barbara Matalon  

Seeing Results in Real Time 

On another hard visit, Barbara and Linda decided to leave their children at home. They knew that this case would be tough, even for them. They knocked on Rosie’s door, but nobody answered. They knocked some more, and could hear shuffling coming from the other side of the door. They continued to wait until finally, Rosie had dragged herself across the floor to open the door. The sight was shocking. The floor was soiled and the apartment was a mess. But Linda and Barbara continued the visit and told Rosie that they would be back again next week. The following week they knocked on the door, expecting the same wait and litter on the other side. Instead, Rosie answered the door immediately, fully dressed, her makeup and hair done. The apartment was completely clean. In just one week they had seen what their visit had done for this client.  

“Every day we would say, ‘we have to get ‘x’ done, we would go one quarter of the way and Hashem would take us the next three quarters.” – Barbara Matalon  

SBH was barely a year old when Passover rolled around, and the harsh reality that many clients would not be able to have a seder, materialized. 

What would it take to make a seder plate for each one? The team wondered. Ideas began firing off at all cylinders.  

We’ll make the berachot!  

Gloria will cook the meals!  

What would it cost?  

$2,000: Money they didn’t have.  

The next day, Fred Bijou opened his mail slot to find a banker’s check for $2,000. They never found out where it came from. But in the years that followed small miracles like this would happen time and time again, helping SBH attain the unattainable.  

The Home Visit Crew Recruits Volunteers  

Barbara, Linda, Gloria, and Sandy Esses all juggled young families while visiting 1-2 times a week. They realized they needed to recruit more volunteers. Barbara soon had seventy women in her living room eager to help. Hacham Baruch’s wife was one of them. Gloria Bijou’s mother-in-law was another.  

The Youth Get Involved  

During the early days of visiting SBH operated out of its original office at 530 Avenue R. Linda and Gloria decided to try and involve the high school students by prompting them to make Purim packages. This led to the students delivering the packages and paying a visit at the same time. It’s difficult to imagine just how revolutionary this was. Today, there are countless community organizations and individuals who make and deliver packages for any and all occasions. However back then, it wasn’t nearly as common, if at all! The kids were inspired to do hesed and learned invaluable life skills in the process; how to be compassionate, respectful and inclusive of those different from you.  

50^th Anniversary Gala 

On Monday, November 18^th, SBH is hosting its 50^th Anniversary Gala honoring the past and current presidents of SBH. To learn more about the dinner and journal sponsorship opportunities, contact Charles@sbhonline.org or visit www.sbh50.com. 

Rabbi David Sutton & Dr. David Katzenstein, LCSW-R 

If we watch an exciting and engaging video for two hours, during that time we’re so engrossed, so detached from reality, that none of the thoughts that usually run through our mind are present. Our brain is, in a way, shut off. It is basically not working. We are no longer aware of reality, and are aware only of the images flitting across the screen. As we watch and listen, we are using two of our senses, hearing and seeing.  

Imagine a more advanced types of movie, which causes us to use more of our senses, where we can smell or perhaps even taste the popcorn the characters are eating, or even feel what’s taking place on the screen. For example, our chair may shake during an earthquake in the movie.  

But we still have our mind. 

Now, imagine if the movie is so advanced that when the characters were scared we would feel fear. The movie would be in full control of our brain. 

That’s Life 

That’s life. We get drawn into it as if into a movie, but actually it is only our perception. In reality, life is merely a video, where nothing is really happening. We can choose to pull out and ignore everything. We can choose to not allow the screen to take command over us, to not become emotionally involved.  

In life, we can pull back.  

Increasing Awareness 

Developing increased awareness of our thoughts and emotions can be a powerful tool for self-improvement and personal growth. One way to start is through the practice of mindfulness. This involves focusing on the present moment, without judgment, and paying attention to our internal experiences.   

Another way to increase awareness is through journaling and self-reflection. Writing down our thoughts and emotions can help us gain insight into patterns and habits, and can help us to  understand the root causes of our feelings 

Most of us have heard stories of great rabbis who remained totally engrossed in their learning or their prayers while the world was collapsing around them. They had total focus on their avodat Hashem, not on what was going on around them.  

Along similar lines, people employ breathing techniques to effect natural pain relief, such as using the Lamaze method in childbirth. By concentrating on her breathing, in and out, in and out, the laboring woman distracts herself from the pain.  

Identifying with Things Outside of Ourselves 

There are multiple ways of identifying ourselves with factors that are not really us.  

Rav Wolbe tells a story that took place decades ago in Israel. The government wanted to incentivize the ultra-Orthodox to join the army – or to punish them for not joining. At a certain point, a young man could not receive his driver’s license unless he served in the army. Obviously, this caused quite an uproar in the yeshivah world. The yeshivah boys wanted to be able to obtain their licenses, and eventually, the law was rescinded. 

While all this was going on, Rav Wolbe was thinking, What’s the big uproar? What’s the great need for licenses? In his view, yeshivah bachurim have no need to drive a car. They could take a bus or ride a bicycle. What is the need for a car? With his philosophical approach, Rav Wolbe posited that when a person drives a car, he identifies with his car. His self becomes larger. When you sit behind the wheel in a small sports car and go from zero to 60 in a few seconds, that surge of energy somehow identifies with you. 

It is a fascinating concept when you think about it, though it is basically false. When people go on vacations and rent luxury cars, sitting behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce or a Bentley, they suddenly feel more important. They identify themselves with that car.  

Pleasure Points vs. True Happiness 

There is a significant error in this type of thinking, as it is based on a vital misconception between two distinct experiences: pleasure points and true happiness. Pleasure points are temporary moments of enjoyment or satisfaction that come from external factors, such as driving a fancy car, eating a delicious meal, buying a new item, or experiencing a thrill. They bring a momentary boost in excitement and pleasure, which can be mistaken for happiness. But they do not create a lasting sense of fulfillment.  

On the other hand, true happiness is a deep-seated and enduring sense of contentment and fulfillment, which comes from within. It is most often related to a sense of purpose, meaningful relationships, and personal growth. True happiness is not dependent on external circumstances, and can be sustained even in the face of challenges and difficulties. 

We can identify ourselves with many things. And just like we can become engrossed in that movie, we can become engrossed in the movie of life, instead of peeling away the layers of the onion, so to say, to get to who we really are. 

Victor Cohen 

On September 29th, Hacham David Yosef, shelit”a, was appointed by a statutory election committee to be the new Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, following in the footsteps of his brother, Hacham Yitzhak Yosef, shelit”a, and, of course, his late father, Maran Hacham Ovadia Yosef, zt”l. He will serve in this position for the next ten years, succeeding his brother, whose ten-year term ended last year. 

Israel’s Chief Rabbi is charged with making decisions on a wide range of important public policy issues, and, by virtue of his stature, has the opportunity to be a strong and influential advocate for the needs of Jews both in Israel and around the world.  One example of the great significance of this position is the effort made by Hacham David’s father, Hacham Ovadia, after the 1973 Yom Kippur War to help wives of soldiers who did not return from battle. Hacham Ovadia worked tirelessly to study the details of each and every case, and analyze the relevant halachic source material, in order to determine that, there were sufficient grounds to presume death, such that the wives were permitted to remarry. The Chief Rabbi bears the responsibility to address critical and consequential matters such as these, and thus only accomplished scholars with vast knowledge, and years of experience in halachic decision-making, are considered to have the broad shoulders necessary for this important role. 

And there is little doubt that the newly-appointed Chief Rabbi has all the credentials needed to competently fulfill these duties. 

A Giant and Son of a Giant 

Hacham David – the ninth of the 11 children of Hacham Ovadia and Margalit Yosef – was born in Jerusalem on August 10th, 1957. As a youngster, he attended Yeshivat Or Yisrael, and then spent a year in the elite Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, before enrolling in the Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.  

Hacham David Yosef not only belongs to an illustrious rabbinic family, but is also an accomplished scholar and leader in his own right. For 30 years, from 1990 until 2020, he served as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem’s tight-knit Har Nof neighborhood, which is home to some members of our community who made aliyah. Additionally, he leads a kollel named Yehaveh Da’at which trains rabbis who go on to serve communities both in Israel and around the world. Hacham David has also been involved in the Shas Party, which his father founded and guided, and which works to advance the causes of observant Sephardic Jews in Israel. 

Halachah Berurah  

Beyond his leadership experience, Hacham David is renowned throughout the Torah world as an outstanding halachic scholar, best known for authoring Halachah Berurah, a monumental work on practical halachah. To date, this series consists of 26 volumes. Hacham David masterfully presents for us the halachot in a clear, concise fashion, providing extensive annotation where he goes through the relevant source material underlying his conclusions. 

My first experience with Halachah Berurah came on the night of Shavuot when I was studying at Moreshet. One of my advisors delivered a memorable class to the kohanim (including me) on the laws of birkat kohanim – the special blessing that kohanim confer upon the congregation each day.  He covered the topic extensively, going through minute details such as how kohanim are to position their hands, feet and shoulders while reciting the blessing. The text he chose for this comprehensive presentation of the topic was Halachah Berurah. 

This work follows the sequence of the Shulhan Aruch, the famous halachic code authored by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16^th century that has since become the authoritative halachic text. The format of Halachah Berurah resembles that of Mishnah Berurah – the classic work by the Hafetz Haim (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933), which presents a running commentary on the first section of the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim), explaining the text and citing opinions of later authorities. Like in the Mishnah Berurah, the primary text of Hacham David’s work elucidates the halachot according to the sequence of the Shulhan Aruch.  A separate text, entitled Berur Halachah, features lengthier, more intricate essays on questions related to the Shulhan Aruch’s ruling, corresponding to the Hafetz Haim’s essays in the Be’ur Halachah section of his work.  And, like the Mishnah Berurah, Hacham David includes a section called Sha’ar Hatziyun briefly referencing the sources of the information he presents in the main body of the book. 

At the end of the book, the rabbi appended a series of in-depth halachic responsa, entitled Otzerot Yosef. 

The clarity of Hacham David’s writing style, and his comprehensive mastery of the material, citing numerous sources from the Geonic period through recent and even contemporary sages, have made Halachah Berurah an instant classic, and a priceless resource for both scholars and laymen alike. He thus brings to his position many years of outstanding scholarship, deep respect for the great rabbis of yesteryear, and a keen understanding of how to accurately apply our ancient, sacred halachic system to our ever-changing world. 

Leadership in a Time of Complexity 

The difficult challenges currently facing the State of Israel, which has been waging a war against several enemies for over a year, and is beset also by numerous internal struggles, require a competent leader who can navigate these complex issues and make the right decisions.  There is little doubt that Hacham David Yosef is well-suited for this role.  

In recent months, he has already expressed his opinion on several important issues of national import. For example, while sternly insisting upon an exemption from military service for yeshiva students, he stated that young men who, for whatever reason, are not learning in yeshiva must enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.  And, shortly after his appointment, Hacham David ruled that IDF soldiers participating in combat are forbidden from fasting on Yom Kippur, as they must ensure to be in peak physical condition in order to carry out their vital mission to protect the Jewish State. The Hacham added that the soldiers must not even eat shiurim – meaning, small amounts in intervals, as ill patients are generally told to do on Yom Kippur – and should instead eat normally to maintain their strength. As for soldiers who are involved in the war effort but not in active combat, Hacham David said that if such a troop fears that fasting could compromise his ability to properly concentrate on his tasks, he should consult with his military rabbi for guidance. 

Baruch Hashem, our generation has been blessed with great Torah leaders who can guide, inspire, and represent the Torah with nobility, thus bringing honor to the Torah and the Torah world. With Hashem’s help, Hacham David Yosef will lead the Jewish People to a period of peace and prosperity, and will help advance the timeless principles of our Torah and continue the chain of our glorious spiritual heritage.

Tuvia Cohen 

Come, we are going to visit a small Jewish village in rural Russia. Hop into the time machine, and back we travel to the last century.  

Warily, you step out of the machine and look around. The short winter day draws to a close, and the early dusk envelops the brown street with its huddled low-built wooden houses. Nighttime falls, and the whole village descends into darkness. Here and there a pool of light from an oil lamp spills into the street, but otherwise, there is not a glimmer.  

Gingerly you walk, not knowing where you are going, your feet slipping and unsure in the grooved path. As night deepens, the blackness intensifies, and you wonder how the inhabitants manage to get about.  

The answer is that they don’t. The blackness of the night imprisons everyone in their homes. Not a gas lamp, not a glimmer or a spark to break the barrier of blackness. Suddenly you feel a great wave of yearning – a longing to be back in a society that is illuminated and bright, where electricity brightens your night and guarantees your freedom of movement. It’s time to come back to today, to the age of brightness.  

What could be more modern than streetlamps? If you can remember the lamplighter who went around with his ladder to “windup” the gas lamps, tell nobody your age! Today, no one winds up, no one sets a time switch, and no one pours in the oil. At dusk and dawn, millions of streetlights turn themselves on and off with no human intervention at all. Do you know how it works? With a pecu!  

What’s a PECU? 

“Pecu” is the acronym for a photo electric control unit, which operates a switch in the electrical supply to the lights. There, up above, on the streetlamp, lies a photocell. The photocell contains a compound which is sensitive to light. As dawn rises, light falling on the photocell causes electrons to flow from one atom to the other, conducting electricity to the switch and turning it off. At the other end of the day, as darkness falls, the electrons in the compound become immobile, the current stops, and the lights are turned on. Brilliant! No matter how early darkness falls, the lights will faithfully switch on, thanks to the advanced technology of our modern times. As far as street lighting is concerned, the “good old days” were not so good. 

Shh! I hear someone laughing. Shh! I hear it again. Who is it? A leaf! Why are you laughing, what are you saying? I don’t believe it! The leaf is saying that its technology is so complex that it makes our most modern streetlamps appear primitive in comparison. Could you explain? 

The Trees’ Bedtime 

The autumn season is often called “fall,” and the reason is obvious. When the days become shorter and the temperature begins to drop, millions of trees shed their leaves. The falling of the leaves of the deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in autumn, forming new ones in spring) gives the season its distinctive name. It is a spectacular process. The leaves of these trees turn a brilliant red and gold, providing a festival of color that has become a major tourist attraction in many parts of America. Beautiful it certainly is.  

But what makes the leaves fall from the tree? How is it that the twigs do not descend with the leaves? And why don’t evergreen trees see the need to drop their leaves like other trees do?  

And then we come to the most enigmatic question of all. How do the trees know when it is time to dispense with their leaves? What is the timing device, the pecu, that triggers the mechanism and starts the process? Prepare to hear some answers that will amaze you. 

Colorful Farwell  

First the “why,” and then the “how.” The enormous surface area of leaves on a deciduous tree converts sunshine into energy. They also draw water from the roots (by a brilliant process called osmosis). A great deal of water evaporates into the atmosphere from the leaves, which is fine as long as the supply of water in the soil is plentiful. In winter, however, the ground freezes, and the roots cannot take up water from the soil.  

A plant whose roots are in frozen soil is as short of water as a plant in a dry desert. The last thing that the tree needs is a drain of water through evaporation via the leaves, with no replenishment through the roots. Dropping the leaves in autumn enables the tree to survive the winter. And thus, as winter sets in, the tree becomes dormant. It simply goes to sleep. Good night, tree! 

The Great Leaf Exodus 

How, though, does the leaf actually fall off? At a given signal, special cells begin to grow across the leafstalk at the point where it is attached to the twig. This creates an area of weakness across the base of the leafstalk from the outside inwards.  

The natural “glue” by which the packing cells are normally stuck together dissolves. The biochemical processes that normally take place within the leaf stop, and the chlorophyll that gives the leaf its distinctive green color breaks down and disappears, leaving the other pigments of yellow and orange that were there all the time. Eventually, only the veins are running through, and the leaf loosens.  

But before it falls off, something incredible happens. The leaf contains many desirable minerals. Before dropping to the ground, the leaf transfers those minerals into the tree, where they are stored for the new generation of leaves, due to arrive in the spring. At the same time, the tree contains many undesirable toxins that it does not require or want. These toxins are shunted to the leaves prior to their downfall, giving the tree the perfect process of elimination! So much wisdom in a “simple” leaf!  

Will the departure of the leaf leave an open abrasion on the twig? Not at all. As the leaf loosens, a layer of cork develops under the area of weakness, effectively sealing the injury. The demonstrations of intelligence stagger the imagination! 

The Primitive Streetlamp 

But how does the tree know when to begin all these many complex processes? Who whispers into its bark that autumn is approaching? Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on trying to answer this question, so far without complete success. It is simply too complex!  

There are, however, certain things that we do know. Every leaf – whether on a plant or on a tree – contains a chemical called phytochrome. This chemical is sensitive to light, and is crucial in activating the numerous processes that occur within the plant. Every species makes a slightly different use of the chemical messages that it receives from its phytochrome.  

The experts suspect that the phytochrome in the leaves of the tree, being the photosensitive cells of the tree, react to the lessening of light as the days shorten, and it is their chemical message that triggers the mechanism that results in the dropping of the leaves. Indeed, it has been discovered that trees that stand next to lampposts retain their leaves for longer periods than trees of the same species that stand away from the extra source of light.  

The Wise Old Tree 

So there you have it. We walk along the street and consider our lampposts the last word in sophisticated technology. There they stand proudly, the result of decades of research and scientific development. They even have photosensitive cells. Well may the humble tree laugh. It has been endowed with these sophisticated skills since its creation, and much more! To quote the words of one expert botanist, “Placed next to a tree, the streetlamp appears primitive, almost naive, by comparison!” 

But there’s more. As autumn approaches, our humble tree produces a special gaseous hormone called ethylene, which, in its complex chemical way, breaks down starches and produces sugars, encourages leaf-drop, and enhances the cork layer which forms at the base of the leaf. And you thought leaves falling in autumn happened by itself – just pretty colors!  

Evergreen Enigma: Why Some Trees Keep Their Leaves 

How do the evergreens manage? They have small, thick-skinned leaves, whose relatively small surface area prevents significant loss of moisture, and which are designed with a waxy upper surface that locks the moisture in. Furthermore, the pressure with which the pine tree draws up its water by the process of osmosis (called the osmotic pressure) is higher than that of an oak tree. This has the effect of lowering the freezing point, so that when the oak tree is already forming ice crystals in its sap (which are obviously harmful, thus necessitating the elimination of the leaves to prevent osmosis), the pine, at the same temperature, because of the increased pressure, does not form any ice crystals. Therefore, pine leaves, you can stay on!  

Who gave the pine all this knowledge – knowledge so advanced and complex that not even the human brain can fathom it all, but knowledge so vital that without it the tree could not have survived until now? Here they are, in their millions, living testimony to the wisdom of their Designer and Creator. 

Rabbi Yehuda Finchas 

Sara gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby boy. She was excited that her brother Yosef, a mohel, arranged to fly in from Israel to New York and had agreed to perform the brit mila for his new little nephew. Yosef arrived the day before the brit mila was to take place.  

He looked at the baby and shook his head. “Sara, Mabrouk! But the baby is yellow and I cannot perform the brit mila unless the color clears up by tomorrow.” Sara responded, “But the baby is healthy!” She called her doctor to confirm that the baby was, indeed, perfectly healthy. Dr. Walter Smith had checked the baby and reiterated that  he was, indeed, perfectly healthy.  

When Yosef told Dr. Smith that it was possible to treat jaundice with doves, the doctor was incredulous. “Using doves to heal jaundice?!” he responded. “Is there scientific evidence to support this?!”  

According to Jewish tradition, the “pigeon treatment” has been employed successfully for generations. 

When a Baby Is “Yarok” 

Physiological jaundice in a newborn is not usually considered a medical risk even if the baby has a yellowish appearance. However, the Gemara (Shabbat 134a) notes that a sick child should not undergo a brit mila until he recovers and this includes if a baby is “yarok,” meaning he has a greenish or yellowish appearance. Such a baby should not have a brit mila until he loses the “yarok” complexion. Even though there may not be any medical reason to delay the brit mila, the Rambam (Mila 1:17) and Shulchan Aruch (YD 263:1) rule that one may not perform a brit mila on a baby who is “yarok.” 

The Dove Treatment  

Hacham Ovadia, zt”l, has a responsa (Yabia Omer YD, 9:32) discussing the halachic implications of the healing power of doves in treating jaundice. He quotes a segula from Taamei Haminhagim, where the treatment for curing jaundice (often seen in hepatitis patients) is to place a male pigeon on the navel of a male, or a female pigeon on the navel of a female. Hacham Ovadia, also notes anecdotal evidence of cases in which the pigeon dies and the patient is healed. The claim is that the pigeon draws the jaundice out from the patient, thus eliminating the jaundice. Dr. Walter saw no medical need or benefit to do this ancient “treatment” and even claimed that it should qualify as animal cruelty. 

Hacham Ovadia acknowledges that the doctors question this form of intervention and understands that it may not cure all patients from jaundice. However, Hacham Ovadia recognizes that many patients have been cured this way. 

Rulings of Hacham Ovadia and the Rambam  

Hacham Ovadia further explains that in this instance there is no concern of animal cruelty – tzaar baalei haim, even though this procedure causes the death of the doves. While there are many sources that argue that tzaar baalei haim is a Biblical prohibition according to most poskim, this prohibition is waived when the action is necessary for human benefit. In other words, tzaar baalei haim does not apply when there is human gain. Hacham Ovadia applies this concept to using doves as a segula for health reasons, even if there is no scientific explanation for the phenomena. 

In a different responsa, Hacham Ovadia (Yabia Omer OC, 8:37) discusses using a segula as a treatment for an illness that involves hilul Shabbat. When quoting different opinions among the poskim whether this is permitted, he elaborates on the Rambam’s position. In his Pirush Hamishna (Yuma 8:6), the Rambam explains that you may not use a segula that involves a prohibition unless it is has a proven medical efficacy. In Moreh Nevuchim (3:37) the Rambam explains that the we do find Hazal using segulot that cannot be explained scientifically, but as long as experience demonstrates their efficacy, they may still be used. Therefore, even though using doves to treat jaundice qualifies as segula without scientific basis, Hacham Ovadia writes that it works and it is permissible to use this treatment.  

Hacham Ovadia is confident that regardless of the Rambam’s position vis-à-vis segulot, the Rambam would still permit using doves to cure jaundice as he (the Rambam) rules that tzaar baalei haim is only a rabbinic prohibition and should be permissibly violated for human benefit. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, a brit mila may not be performed on a baby who is “yarok.” But since there is no medical illness, the brit mila may be performed as soon as the baby loses his “yarok” complexion. The Rishon Lezion, Hacham Yitzhak Yosef, explains (Sova Semahot 2:16:3) that even though we must usually wait a full seven days for a baby to recover from an illness, since physiological jaundice is not considered a classic medical illness, one does not need to wait seven days in this instance. He also rules that it is permissible to use doves to try to cure the jaundice. 

Rabbi Yehuda Finchas is a worldwide expert, lecturer, and author on Medical Halacha. He heads the Torat Habayit Medical Halacha Institute. His latest book is “Brain Death in Halacha and the Tower of Babel Syndrome.” To contact Rabbi Finchas, email rabbi@torathabayit.com. 

Honoring Rabbi Hanania Abisror, Recipient of the Mirrer Yeshiva’s  

Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz Award 

Victor Cohen 

The Mirrer Yeshiva is one of the oldest and most distinguished institutions in our community. First and foremost, of course, the yeshiva is renowned for its outstanding standards of Torah learning. It is famous as well for producing towering religious leaders, such as Rabbi Dovid Choueka and Rabbi Abraham Shabot of Mexico, Rabbi Shumel Choueka of Ohel Simha (Park Avenue Synagogue), Rabbi Asher Hachuel of Ateret Torah, Rabbi Hillel Haber of Shaarei Torah, Rabbi David Ozeri and Rabbi David Sutton of Yad Yosef, Rabbi Jackie Kassin (son of Rabbi Shaul Kassin, zt”l), Rabbi Yaakov Ben Haim of Shaarei Zion, and Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Haim (both sons of Hacham Baruch Ben Haim). In addition, the Mirrer Yeshiva is known for championing, embodying and disseminating the timeless values of kindness, caring for others, and humility.  

This December, the Mirrer Yeshiva will be presenting the prestigious Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz Award to Rabbi Hanania Abisror, in recognition of his immense contributions to the Jewish world. 

Rabbi Abisror is a staff-member of the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Aventura, Florida, a synagogue which serves those who seasonally visit Florida from our community. The congregation’s website describes how Rabbi Abisror “has been essential in helping the community maintain its Torah values and traditions for many years.” He also runs the synagogue’s highly successful netz (sunrise) minyan. 

To learn more about the history of the Mirrer Yeshiva, I spoke with Rabbi Pinchos Hecht, the yeshiva’s Executive Director. I was privileged also to speak with Rabbi Abisror in order to learn more about his story and how the Mirrer Yeshiva impacted his life. 

The Rescue of Sephardic Jews From Arab Lands 

The Mirrer Yeshiva has a storied history – from its glorious years in Europe, through its dramatic escape during the Holocaust to Japan and Shanghai, until finally landing and reconstituting as two branches – one in Jerusalem, and another in Brooklyn, finding a place in our community in our early days.  

The yeshiva here in Brooklyn took in students from all over the world during the 1950s and 60’s, when many Jewish communities around the world faced persecution, particularly in Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, Egypt and Morocco. Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz, zt”l (1887-1964), Rosh Yeshiva and Dean of the Mirrer Yeshiva, partnered with Mr. Isaac Shalom to heroically rescue as many Jews from these lands as possible. He lobbied and petitioned the U.S. government to afford these Jews refugee status, and succeeded in bringing as many as 4,000 families out of places like Egypt and Morocco. The Rosh Yeshiva corresponded with members of the Senate Judiciary committee, doing everything he could to help rescue more families. In one letter, Senator Kenneth B. Keating wrote to the rabbi:  

“Thank you for your recent letter… with regard to the persecution of eight Jews trying to escape from the United Arab Republic. 

“I fully sympathize with your position in this manner. I have been in touch with the White House and the Department of State and have been advised that the United States is following the situation very closely. I understand that you will be hearing directly from the Department of State very shortly.” 

Among the photos appearing alongside this article are letters which Rabbi Kalmanowitz and his son, Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz – who taught in the yeshiva and later succeeded his father as Rosh Yeshiva – wrote or received from members of the government. Their advocacy efforts had a profound impact, saving countless lives from persecution or death.  

One of those lives saved by the Rosh Yeshiva was that of a young man named Hanania Abisror, who was brought to the Mirrer Yeshiva from Morocco in 1966 by Rabbi David Bitton, an alumnus of the yeshiva who became principal of Magen David. Rabbi Abisror recalls how, as a newcomer, he feared that his learning skills fell far short of those of the yeshiva’s Ashkenazic students. Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz encouraged him by assuring, “The best students in my yeshiva are three Moroccan boys: Shalom Revach, Baruch Harrar, and Haim Kessous!” 

Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, and by extension, the Mirrer Yeshiva, functioned as an anchor for many families who came to the United States to escape oppression in Arab countries. Many of the students it brought from these lands went on to assume important positions in education and religious leadership. It is thus no exaggeration to say that Rabbi Kalmanowitz had a transformative impact upon our community, producing some of the most influential figures that built the community’s spiritual foundations. 

Appropriately, Rabbi Shraga Moshe was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Osher Kalmanowitz, who continues the treasured legacy of his father and grandfather, educating students to follow the path of Torah, of loving kindness, and of selfless concern for, and boundless generosity toward, other people. 

The Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz Award recognizes those whose lives embody these ideals of fervent devotion to Torah and to the Jewish Nation, who exemplify through their life’s work the values and achievements of Rabbi Kalmanowitz. 

“You See the Holiness” 

Rabbi Abisror – this year’s worthy recipient of the award – was born in 1951 in Marrakech, Morocco. His name, Abisror, according to his father and grandparents, alludes to his family’s descending from Mordechai, the Jewish leader at the time of the Purim story. 

At the age of ten, Hanania, together with his brother, enrolled in Yeshivat Or Yosef in France, where he studied under the tutelage of Rav Gershon Liebman, who had himself studied under the famed Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Avraham Jofen (1887-1970).  

Rabbi Abisror’s memories of his yeshiva years are remarkably clear and detailed. One story he shared was about the time Rabbi Jofen came to Or Yosef to give a blessing to the students.  

“I thought he was an angel,” Rabbi Abisror recalled.  

Rabbi Jofen was a disciple and son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yozel Horowitz, the legendary “Alter of Novardok (1847-1919), author of the classic mussar work, Madregat Ha’adam. Rabbi Horowtiz was one of the most famous students of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (1809-1883), founder of the mussar movement. 

Rabbi Abisror returned to Morocco for his bar-mitzvah, and spent a year learning in Yeshivat Etz Chaim in the Moroccan town of Tangiers. Reflecting on his time in Etz Chaim, Rabbi Abisror expressed his gratitude to the Reichmann family who nurtured and supported this yeshiva.  In September of 1966, Rabbi David Bitton was sent to bring Moroccan boys to the Mirrer Yeshiva. He selected 20 boys, one of whom was Hanania Abisror. How meaningful it is that the award commemorating Rabbi Kalmanowitz is now being granted to someone whom he helped bring into our community. 

The Mirrer Yeshiva was very kind to young Hanania, making a deep impression upon him. He related that he once broke his arm, and instead of being left to fend for himself, or forced to ask his friends to help, he was personally assisted by the Rosh Yeshiva, who washed his hands for netilat yadayim, and put his tefillin on for him.  

“He could’ve had someone else do it,” Rabbi Abisror noted, “but you see the holiness… the kedushah… They were so humble.” 

A Life of Giving 

This personal example helped mold Rabbi Abisror’s character. Rabbi Hecht observed that “the personal touch is lacking in today’s world,” but “Rabbi Abisror has that warmth and caring, like he was from a previous generation.” 

Rabbi Abisror spent eight years in the Mirrer Yeshiva, from 1966-1974.  

“Yeshiva life meant a lot to me,” he said. “The education kept us going.” 

He spoke fondly and appreciatively of the many rabbis under whom he studied in the yeshiva: Rabbi Dovid Kviat, Rabbi Elya Jurkansky, Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum, and Rabbi Shmuel Brudny.  

 “I envision them all the time,” he said. “They handled themselves in just a humble way.” 

Understandably, Rabbi Abisror spoke with overflowing joy and pride about his grandson and great-nephew who currently study in the Mirrer Yeshiva, following his footsteps. He continues to maintain a close relationship with the current Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Osher Kalmanowitz, as well as with Rabbi Eli Brudny and Rabbi Asher Berenbaum, two other luminaries who teach in the yeshiva.  

Rabbi Abisror pointed to humility as the key value which the Mirrer Yeshiva strove to inculcate within its students. Additionally, the education that he received placed great emphasis on the importance of feeling genuine love and concern for other people. He described how the Mirrer Yeshiva loved and cared for him, and danced with him at his wedding. In fact, he added, the Rosh Yeshiva’s own children were the ones who, in his words, “made it such a special event.” 

The values that Rabbi Abisror imbibed from the Mirrer Yeshiva became part of the very fabric of his being, and have remained so throughout his life.  

“Rabbi Abisror serves as a role model to others on how to lead a life of giving,” Rabbi Hecht explained. He said that in his many classes, Rabbi Abisror inspires his students to strive towards those same ideals he was taught many years ago, both during his time in the yeshiva, and through his experiences earlier in life. 

Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz spent his life giving, enriching people’s lives with Torah, and providing them with light when the world around them was dark. Rabbi Hanania Abisror is but one of the countless beneficiaries of this light, and he has, in turn, devoted his life to doing the same for others. 

Alongside his deep feelings of gratitude to Hashem and to the Mirrer Yeshiva for all he has received, Rabbi Abisror also expressed his hope that our community will generously assist the yeshiva to continue its vital work.  Today, the Mirrer Yeshiva continues to host Sephardic students from France, who represent the future of our community’s religious leadership.  With Hashem’s help, and with the help of our community’s donors, the yeshiva will continue to flourish and succeed in its mission in strengthen the foundations of Torah both here in Brooklyn and throughout the Jewish world.