Sunday, February 8, 2009

Baruch Dayan HaEmes...

The Jewish world has lost yet another important personality. Reb Noach Weinberg, founder and dean of Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem passed away last week after battling a severe illness.
Known for his pleasant demeanor and strong belief that every Jew has a responsibility to reach out to one another - be they unaffiliated, assimilated, or just going through a rough patch - Rabbi Weinberg served as an inspiration to us all, spearheading the global Kiruv (outreach) movement with his own inimitable way of teaching.

I had the honor of working for one of his sons when I was volunteering at the Zone, back in the Holy Land, and I was able to see first hand the lessons he instilled in his children and students. I met him briefly - too brief to really engage him in any hashkafic discourse, but even in that fleeting moment, I felt the warmth he genuinely exuded.

May his memory indeed be blessed, may the many Ba'alei Teshuva (returnees to Judaism) that he caused to return - be they direct or through students and institutions set up by him - serve as a merit for him, and may he continue to help us up therre, near the Holy Throne...