He wears a traditional chassidish levush, his first language is Yiddish, and his social milieu is the Satmar kehilla of Williamsburg. All in all, Yoel Rubin does not seem to fit a stereotype of a successful outreach worker. Yet the reality is quite different – just ask Morris Brill of Pottsville, PA.
Like 90% of American Jews, Morris was disconnected from his heritage for most of his life. Unlike five million of our fellow Yidden, he was able to find his way back to his Mesorah – thanks to a Satmar yungerman from Williamsburg.
“I lived as a good person, but I did not know all the rules and visions and aspirations of the Orthodox Judaism,” Morris says. Yoel’s commitment to make a difference led him to Morris, and let Morris to a totally new reality. “I now feel really Jewish for the first time in my life,” Morris says of the transformation he underwent.
Yoel Rubin dared to defy the common misconception that only a select few can be involved in outreach. He was surprised to discover that successful kiruv does not require much time or all-encompassing knowledge – all it takes is just a little heart. He also learned how much power a Jewish heart has.
This Tisha B’Av, Yoel Rubin is one of four who will share their amazing stories with the viewers of the Project Inspire presentation, “The Road Home”. Slated to be shown in more than 300 locations across the country and available on the www.kiruv.com website on the day of Tisha B’Av, this new Project Inspire film will once again demonstrate the power each one of us holds to change a Jewish life.
You too can become a part of history and join thousands worldwide who will watch this year’s Project Inspire presentation. Please visit www.kiruv.com to find a presentation near you. You can also watch it in your own home by going to www.kiruv.com on Tisha B’Av. For more information, please call 646.291.6191 or visit www.kiruv.com
(Bella Tsibushkin for YWN)
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