Distinguished Boro Park Rabbanim to Share Impressions of Recent Visit to Lev L’Achim Programs in Eretz Yisroel

By Shneur C. Bleemer

Excitement is mounting in advance of this Sunday’s Boro Park Breakfast Reception for P’eylim / Lev L’Achim which will take place in the Renaissance, 5902 14th Avenue, at 10 AM (Program at 11 AM).

Amidst the constant flow of worrisome news emanating from Eretz Yisroel the reports of a religious turnaround that we have been hearing over the past few years have been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise darkening gloom.

Led by the Gedolei Yisroel, a virtual army of Bnai Torah has been reaching out to the general populace with the warmth and truth of Torah. The results are astounding. Once secular towns are now pulsating with religious observance. Thousands of families have rediscovered their Mesorah and the beauty of yiddishkeit.

P’eylim / Lev L’Achim, with its 1100 professionals and thousands of volunteers, has eleven distinct divisions each a veritable organization on its own. No segment of the population is deemed beyond the pale and there are efforts being made to be mekarev young and old alike.

While the English speaking world has read much about this ongoing phenomenon and community gatherings have been held in places such as Lakewood, Flatbush, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami, Monsey, the Five Towns, Kew Gardens Hills, Washington Heights and more, the long-time capitol of Torah v’Chessed of Boro Park has never been properly mobilized. It was therefore decided that the first step would be to have Rabbinic leaders from Boro Park experience the Lev L’Achim miracle in person.

Led by the venerable Brizdovitzer Rebbe; Rav P’sachya Fried, Mara D’Asra of Khal Bnai Yisroel; Rav Shulem Pollack, Dayan in New Square; and Rav Avrum Eisen, chdb’n of the Lizhensker Rav, a delegation from Boro Park spent time this past week traveling throughout Eretz Yisroel where they witnessed firsthand the transformation being wrought under the auspices of Lev L’Achim.

The Brizdovitzer will address the Boro Park Reception this Sunday and Rav P’sachya Fried will join in sharing his impressions of what they saw this past week. Rav Avrum Eisen, himself a ben Eretz Yisroel with a long history of leadership in kol davar shebikedusha, will serve as chairman.

SPECIAL GUEST: RAV URI ZOHAR

The foremost shlucha drachmana who has stood at the forefront of the Teshuva movement in Eretz Yisroel is the legendary Rav Uri Zohar. He was the most famous celebrity in Israel. He made movies; he was on television; he was featured in every newspaper and magazine. When he became a baal teshuva more than 35 years ago, an entire world went in to shock.

That courageous move set an example that has since been emulated by hundreds of thousands! Rav Zohar, who learns yomam v’leila and is today a great talmid chacham, was asked by the Gedolei Yisroel to help Lev L’Achim. He does not take a penny for his work although he gave up his entire fortune when he left the entertainment world and subsists today on next to nothing.

This tzadik yesod olom is a truly historic figure who remains one of the most popular figures in Israeli society. When he speaks -at rallies or on the radio- the people listen. It is a tremendous z’chus to be able to meet this adam chashuv, to hear him and help him and Lev L’Achim continue to bring the families of Eretz Yisroel back to Torah U’Mitzvos.

(YWN Desk – NYC)