Taking One Step Closer With Rabbi YY Jacobson

No matter your Jewish affiliation, Yom Kippur is certain to be a life changing experience. CHAZAQ and Emet were privileged to welcome R’ YY Jacobson to the magnificent main sanctuary of Congregation Ner Mordechai and the future of home of Mesivta Tiferet Torah in Kew Gardens, NY for an annual Aseres Yemei Teshuva lecture.

It was a true delight to witness the strength of Torah every so bright as an enthralled audience of men and women, Ashkenazim and Sephardim united in the former home of the Mashhadi Jewish contingent formerly known as Congregation Shaare Tova. Master of Ceremonies, R’ Yaniv Meirov, CEO of CHAZAQ welcomed the crowd.  

While CHAZAQ has become known for their life changing work with hundreds of public school students, they continue to organize shiurim throughout the community to inspire the community at large. Meirov introduced Rabbi Nerya Aminov, Rav of the shul, who opened the program with encouraging words for a sweet new year. Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Co-Director of Emet outreach spoke of the importance of the impending chag and praised R’ Jacobson for agreeing to grace the attendees.

R’ Jacobson began with a powerful analogy equating every precious soul to a spark. The concept of Kiruv HaMaor el Hanitzotz depicts when this spark moves ever so slightly closer to its energy source, the fire illuminates. During the Aseres Yemei Teshuva our intimacy with Hashem is tenfold.

Throughout the High Holiday season, the age old query of how to transcend our deepest values often persists. It is simply put, the heart of Judaism is big enough to embrace each of us in our totality. Our burdens and struggles are not reason for us to be ashamed of who we are or feel alienated. We must remain steadfast in our connection to our Creator and believe in its indestructibility. Like a mother to her child, our connection to the Almighty cannot be severed. We are all transgressors, but Hashem’s heart is big enough to accept our faults.

Sir Ludwig Guttmann was a leading brain surgeon in Berlin during the beginning of the Nazi regime. In 1939, the Orthodox German Jewish doctor fled his homeland for London. Four short years later, he inaugurated their first spinal injury center where paraplegics were no longer hopelessly lost medical cases. Through taking personal interest by learning his patients’ stories and lowering their dosages, Guttmann was able to incorporate competitive physical movement into their routines withstanding backlash from his staff and peers for causing seemingly undue pain to those in his care. Today, there are 4200 participants from 16 countries in The Paralympic Games epitomizing Guttmann’s philosophy of being the best of men. Perhaps the doctor’s Jewish Torah observant family facilitated this secret to yiddishkeit and the overall secret of Yom Kippur. We are not hopeless; or left to die physically,  emotionally, psychologically or spiritually. We have the power to transformation ourselves during this time of renewal as we grow according to our own standards and capabilities. Ki imcha haslicha lemaan tivare–You are the best of men and you are the best of women with an enormous and infinite potential. We must not stand in fear of the transgressions we committed because Hashem is empathetic enough to embrace us in our totality. It rests within us to take one step to advance ourselves in our truest purpose.

R’ Avishai Meir, the Kew Gardens Liaison for the Alliance of Bukharian Americans closed the event with thanks to the guests and donors. A special appreciation is due to the Richard and Lena Harris Foundation, Renewal and Caring Professionals for their generous sponsorship in bringing this event to fruition.

For more information on Chazaq programming please call 718.285.9132 or visit CHAZAQ.org.