Kiruv Conference
This week I was privileged to address admirable groups of young men and women who made a commitment to spend the day learning skills that could help them reach out and save their fellow brothers and sisters from assimilation, intermarriage, and an overall ignorance and detachment from Yiddishkeit. In case you are unfamiliar, I am referring to the NCSY & Aish HaTorah sponsored Kiruv Conference that took place this past Monday and Tuesday.
The conference provided chizuk, guidance, and specific tools and instruction on how to do kiruv. As inspired as these young, college aged Jews were at the conference, they probably were unaware what an inspiration their devotion and commitment is to me. By now, everyone in the frum community is sadly aware of the devastating intermarriage and assimilation rates in this country, yet so few people are willing to address the situation by trying to change it one live at a time.
During the conference, I was particularly struck by Reb Noach Weinberg’s words. He keenly described contemporary Jewry’s response to our self induced annihilation. Reb Noach explained that if one of us saw a Jew physically drowning in a pool of water we would instinctively dive right in to save that Jew. One’s immediate instinct would be to save that person’s life and one would not hesitate and ponder over such insignificant details as drenched clothing.
At the same time, we are continually surrounded by scores of Jews who are drowning in a sea of materialism, G-dlessness, and secularism, yet few observant Jews turn to dive in and help their fellow Jews. Klal Yisrael is losing far too many motivated, intelligent, spiritually hungry Jews to assimilation and it all of our responsibility to jump in and save them.
Next entry: Mi KeAmcha Yisroel
Previous entry: Nothing Like NCSY