Rabbi Grossman, Chief Rabbi of Migdal Emek and founder and driving force behind a major organization in which he works to care for abused, abandoned and forgotten children, among other things, was recently involved in the Malka Leifer case in which he went to court to vouch for her, in some capacity, and offered to house her in his home with the conditions of house arrest while she would await trial.

There was a large outcry online calling him out for his support of Leifer, even if unintentional, thus increasing the pain of her victims in the process.

Initially Rabbi Grossman made statements expressing his lack of understanding as to the problem, as he says he was just trying to have compassion and help her but she would have jail terms in his house. He did not see how his helping her was hurting others.

Rabbi Grossman has now seen the light, and I don't care if it was because of pressure even if he still does not understand or if now he understands. Rabbi Grossman released a statement to the press last night in which he says that he revokes his support for Leifer and withdraws his involvement in the case.

The full statement, from Kol V'Oz:

​Statement from Rabbi Yitzhak Dovid Grossman: Last night, I notified the courts that I am completely withdrawing my involvement in the case of Malka Leifer, and my recommendation that she be placed under house arrest with my supervision. For more than fifty years I have devoted myself to helping thousands of children who have been abandoned, orphaned or abused as well as those living in the forgotten margins of Israeli society. In addition, I have gone into the prisons to help those who need to be reached out to. My focus and the focus of Migdal Ohr will always be to help and heal Israeli society. At times, I have been called upon by the courts and the Government to act as impartial mediator when no other alternative exists. This was the case with this last request. In these difficult and highly charged situations, I have had to find a balance between my life's goals for Migdal Ohr and the needs of Israeli society. I am very sensitive to the pain and plight of children and adults who are abused, as I see it every day in my work at Migdal Ohr.  It is regretful that the current turmoil has in any way called into question that mission and dedication.

I called him out for his supporting Leifer, the monster, and now I commend him for doing the right thing, for seeing how harmful that would have been, both to her victims and to his life work of protecting and helping children who are victims themselves and for doing the right thing and not putting himself in a position where she can use him and show him as supporting her.

Rabbi Grossman just vouched for Malka Leiffer to keep her out of jail while she waits for a decision on the extradition request to Australia.

Australia wants Leifer back to stand trial on 74 charges of child sexual abuse, including rape. Leifer ran from Australia to avoid the charges, and has succeeded in thwarting extradition requests until now by claiming mental illness, though recently she was rearrested with proof that she had been faking the mental illness.

To be brief, Rabbi Grossman went and offered to take her home with him to Migdal HaEmek and keep her in his home under custody, not allowing her to leave the house at all. As well, bond was posted at 100,000nis to ensure she does not run and disappear. Rabbi Grossman argued it would be a humiliation for her to sit in jail, and bad for her mental state, while she waits for a decision regarding the extradition request. The court accepted this suggestion and released her into Rabbi Grossman's custody.
sources: ABC Australia and BHOL

I don't know what Rabbi Grossman's game is here and why he is protecting this monster, but I have lost respect for him. It is a shame because he has done great work with the youth he deals with. I don't know why he has to taint himself sticking up for monsters like Berland (who he also vouched for and visited in custody) and Leifer. Rabbi Grossman is a compassionate man, but picking the side of rapists and molesters causes tremendous damage in general and increases the pain of their victims. She should be rotting in jail.

While Leifer is residing in his home, all I can say is that I hope she does not come into contact with any of the kids Rabbi Grossman has in his school and complex that he cares for.

President Shimon Peres today awarded 8 recipients with the "President's Award".

From the website of the President:

The President’s Award is an award conferred by the President of the State of Israel on individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the State of Israel or to humanity, through their talents, services, or in any other form.
The object of the award is to enable the President of Israel to express his appreciation and esteem to deserving individuals, and at the same time, use this award as a means to motivate others to contribute their talents and efforts for the well-being of the State of Israel and to improve the world.
The President’s Award will be presented to a candidate who meets at least one of the following criteria:
A. A candidate who has made a unique contribution to the State of Israel, or to improving the world, or has made a mark on society in an area relating to his/her activities or achievements.
B. A candidate who has enhanced the prestige of the State of Israel and significantly contributed to its image in the world.
C. A candidate who serves as a model and example in entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity and vision.
The contribution can be in the form of a single deed or ongoing activity. Working alongside the President will be an advisory committee that will present the President with appropriate nominees for the President’s Award.

This years recipients are:
 * Avigdor Kahalani for his courage and leadership in the Yom Kippur War, as well as his contributions to Israel's security and his work on behalf of the soldiers of the IDF
 * Avner Shelo, the Director of Yad VaShem, for working tirelessly to imbue Jewish-Zionist and universal values into Israeli society and the world, specifically in relation to the memory of the Holocaust.
 * Lea Van-Lear, for her work on behalf of the advancement of the Israeli theater.
 * Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, for his work in Israeli society on behalf of youth and children in distress, and advancement of the periphery.
 * Rav Elimelech Firer, director of Ezra UMarpeh, for his work on behalf of assisting sick people.
 * Dr. Tzvi Tavor, for his work  int he fields of science and his quest for finding alternative sources of energy, concentrating on the use of solar energy.
 * Avi Naor, founder of Ohr Yarok, for his work regarding road safety, towards saving lives in traffic accidents.
 * Jack Mahper, for his philanthropic work

At least 1/4 of the recipients of the President's Award, this year, are religious and even Haredi. Does this point to any anti-haredi or anti-religious bias in the upper echelons of government?

Rabbi Grossman with the Paratroopers, as they enter Lebanon in The Second Lebanon War

Rav Grossman, Stef Wertheimer and Min. Fuad Ben Eliezer are working on opening a new vocational school to train Haredim with skills for getting into the workforce. We really can't get enough of these vocational schools designed for the Haredi community. And, the fact that the number of such schools is continuously growing, shows there is a serious demand for it.

The schools, or the people behind the schools, are not trying to get the guys out of kollel, but are trying to help the guys who want to leave kollel, or feel the need to leave kollel, but have no skills or knowledge, get those skills and knowledge and find respectable work.

Kol HaKavod to Rav Grossman, Stef Wertheimer and Minister Fuad Ben Eleiezer for getting involved. Ben Eliezer said that the coming year will see heavy concentration on training Haredim for work and getting them into the workforce.

Here is the official highlight reel from last nights exhibition game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the New York Knicks. At about 1:18 you see something that doesn't happen often - because the proceeds of the game were going to the Migdal Ohr Orphanage, Rabbi Grossman was present - so when TA Coach Pini Gershon got himself ejected (from an exhibition game!) and refused to leave (!), Rabbi Grossman stepped in and tried to calm the waters...



you can see it here as well..


And here is a dizzying video of Rabbi Grossman hosting the halftime show with a rendition of Od Avinu Chai in Madison Square Garden...

Yesterday, we had an interesting, and touching, ceremony in the office.

One of our peers spends a lot of time in India. He practically lives in the hotel there, and was there during the terrorist attack. He survived, thank God, and this week he returned to Israel. He was interviewed on Israel TV from India, and came back and shared his story with us in the office.

The owners of the company decided to make a "Seudas Hodaya" - thanksgiving meal - in his honor, for his survival and safe return.

He was in the hotel when he heard explosions and shooting. He hid out for some hours in a smoky stairwell with others, while they made their way down 19 flights of stairs barefoot to escape from the terrorists, who shot on sight anybody they came across.

Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, the rav of Migdal Ha'Emek and uncle of Mrs. Rivka Holzberg hy"d, came to participate. After lunch, there were some speeches.

One of the owners spoke about how we are all together in this and we all thank Hashem for his safe return. Eli shared some thoughts with us after having survived (he already had told the story dozens of times, and did not repeat it at this occasion) about how appreciative he is of everyone's good wishes, and how he realizes he has so many people who love him and were concerned for him.
Rav Grossman spoke about the appreciation we need to have, and the thanks we must say to Hashem for his survival. Rav Grossman said that he is known as "The Disco Rabbi", so he has to sing. He composed a song in thanks to Hashem for the survival of little Moishie Holzberg and the other survivors, and then he sang it for us.


If you want to hear Rav Grossman's whole speech, just a few minutes, here it is:


Survivor Eli Averbouch's thoughts and HaGomel can be seen:


After the ceremony, we all went to shake hands and try to get brachos from Rav grossman. Rav Grossman was chatting with some people and he pulled out the following note from his pocket and explained it to us.

The note is the text of something the Klausenberger Rebbe said 27 years ago. In the middle of a speech, he suddenly said something that was supposedly unrelated to what he had been talking about. he said, "Publicizing Gods presence in the world, is not just for Jews, but also for gentiles, that they should see that Jews pray and serve Hashem. There will be one Jew who will go to India, and in this place where there are millions of gentiles who worship idols, he will reveal Gods presence, and he will be killed, the whole nation will talk about him, and he will have sanctified Hashem's name as via him Hashem's presence will have been revealed to millions of gentiles."

That is enough to send chills down your spine...

I just received (from Naomi Ragen's email list)the following article of a story that happened during the Lebanon War last year. It is a fascinating story and well worth your reading it.

A Light in the Darkness of War
Original article written by Shula Weissfer

A year has passed but First Lieutenant M. has not forgotten about the activities of Migdal Ohr which had been discreetly accomplished. With minor changes, we publish here for the first time in English, Lieutenant M's written recording of his experience.

"I remember the two weeks of near face-to-face combat, the confused orders and insufficient combat gear, the intense hunger, physical and emotional exhaustion and toughest of all, the self-imposed silence and disassociation with our surroundings."Now is not the right time to complain, but when it is over," we thought to ourselves, "when the air raid sirens stop and we are out of these fatigues, we can talk and the truth will be known."

When the news came that we were receiving a day off, our hearts soared. We suffered so much stress and hardship. Where would we go? How should we take full advantage of this gift? Rumors begin to circulate that we were going to some school in Migdal Ha'Emek. "This must be a joke! Who ordered ten buses tobring us to some yeshiva with some Rabbi who is just going to try and brainwash us?"

Then, a few of the guys remembered. "Rabbi Grossman, that's the Disco Rabbi right? The guys all give him great respect." But what do they know? He is still some rabbi. Tired and emotionally drained, we got off the buses and stood face to face with an old-world looking Jew, complete with a white beard, side locks and long jacket.

"So here it comes," I thought, "the push to put on tefillin or to say prayers together. Some day off." "Boys," the rabbi's words thundered, "I suggest that first thingyou do is take a dip in the pool and freshen up. In the meantime, we will make you something to eat."

In amazing simplicity, Rabbi Grossman heard in passing that the brigade was looking for a home for a day, and he immediately volunteered his campus. "What's the problem? 600 soldiers? They should all come, of course we have room!"

With the echoes of war from the battlefield still in our ears, it seemed like a mirage or hallucination. Soft music came from everywhere and flowing water and greenery surrounded us. Within minutes, the tables were set with cold refreshing watermelon, cakes, and beverages, followed by cheeses, fresh vegetables, and soft rolls.

Then we heard, "Out of the pool, get dressed and eat something."We saw piles of new undergarments. 600 new undershirts and underwear appeared as if out of nowhere, laid out on tables for our choosing.

Rabbi Grossman sat with us and laughed, "Have a good time boys! Have a great time! This evening, I will put on the most spectacular performance you have ever seen."

I am not a religious person by any means, but I can't help but envision the first Jew, Avraham, standing and personally serving his guests perfectly naturally and without the slightest hint of condescension. He respected each individual and cared for all their needs. Like Avraham, Rabbi Grossman saw in this an obvious act of kindness, a mission of a Mitzvah that had fallen into his hands.

As the evening continued, we learned quickly that this was the essence of who Rabbi Grossman is and what he is all about. He loves everyone and accepts everyone as they are with all his heart and soul. "Tell me friends," Rabbi Grossman said, "I heard you are lacking different pieces of equipment. Do me a favor. Here is a pencil and paper, just write down everything you are missing and leave the paper on the table."

That night, we enjoyed the entertainment and afterwards, slept in soft beds and air-conditioned rooms. Like in a fairytale, we awoke in the morning and could not believe our eyes. Mounds of gear which we so desperately needed had arrived at Migdal Ohr. Attached, was a small note from Rabbi Grossman, "To my dear solders, from all my heart!"

Rabbi Grossman personally and immediately raised over $60,000 worth of equipment from friends literally overnight! The essential equipment included ceramic bulletproof vests, helmets, canteens, knee pads, backpack water canteens, night vision goggles, toothbrushes, socks and more.

Interestingly, a few months before the war broke out, a special friend of Rabbi Grossman from France was interested in donating a new Torah scroll to the main Migdal Ohr Beit Midrash (studyhall).

For some reason, Rabbi Grossman requested to postpone the event until an unspecified later date."Now is the right time!" Rabbi Grossman realized. He immediately made arrangements and in an early evening ceremony, we participated in the completion of writing the Torah.

While the scroll was carefully laid on the table next to a special pen and ink, Rabbi Grossman addressed the soldiers. "My holy ones! I am going to bestow upon you the merit of a holy mitzvah, which can be considered a once in a life time opportunity. Each one of you will complete a letter in the Torah scroll. While you are executing this holy task, each one of you should pray the prayer of his heart and request from G-d that the merit of the letter he has completed will protect him in battle. Holy sparks will emanate from these sacred letters and disperse around you, creating a protective shield which will keep you safe and bring you home safely.

"Those moments were the most exciting and emotional ones in my life. Shaking from the intensity of the immeasurable experience,still not believing, we held the edges of the Torah scroll while our hearts beat rapidly. There was complete silence all around. One after the other, we dipped the quill in the ink and completed a letter in the Torah scroll.

A bystander would have seen a breathtaking scene of incredible elation and spiritual exuberance. The world seemed as if shrouded in silence. The strings of our heart felt strummed and the tears flowed freely down our cheeks.

"Mother!" cried one of the soldiers into his cell phone, "you wont believe what I have done! I have written a letter in a Torah scroll! Mother, are you there? Can you hear?! Me, a Shmutznik (a member of a non- religious Kibbutz), who can't differentiate between Shabbat and the rest of the week, who has not seen tzizit(ritual garment) in my life. Me, I wrote a letter in a Torah scroll! I can't believe it. I can't believe it. "

After the completion of the Torah, the ceremony continued. Leading the procession was a decorated car with multi-colored lights strung all over it and with a crown of lights spinning around on its roof. Following the car, bearers of a decorated canopy marched while people danced around it. Under the canopy, others held the Torah scroll, which was clothed in white and crimson with a silver crown at its top. 600 soldiers and thousands of the town residents marched and danced in the procession, a loud speaker accompanying them, playing traditional Jewish music.

As the ceremony came to a close, Rabbi Grossman approached every soldier and kissed him while placing a half-shekel coin in his hand and said "shliach mitzvah aino nezok," messengers of a mitzvah are not harmed. Rabbi Grossman concluded, "When you return, G-d willing, healthy and unharmed, you will fulfill this mission I am placing upon you, and you will donate this money to charity.

"The night came. Twelve buses made their way atop the Galilee Mountains. Heavy darkness engulfed us, yet behind, in the growing distance, a bright flame pierced the night sky. In the midst of war and violence, we found love and unending human compassion at Migdal Ohr, the educational center established in Migdal Ha'Emek by Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman. Rabbi Grossman speaks "This was an immense "Kiddush Hashem."

For a long period of time, I cried and was very emotional." Thus Rabbi Grossman recalled the moment when he first read the words above written by First Lieutenant M.Rabbi Grossman has what to add to the end of this exciting memoir. "A moment before they returned to Lebanon, I told the soldiers, 'in the merit that you said "shema" and put on tefillin, wrote a letter in the torah, and are messengers of a mitzvah, I promise you, that you will all return safe and sound. None of you will be wounded or killed.'"

"Wasn't the Rabbi scared to commit to 600 soldiers that they would return home safe and sound?" asked Shula Weissfer, a journalist. "That is what came out of my mouth word for word," he replied. "This was a moment of exuberance."

"I continued and told them," Rabbi Grossman relates, "if this does actually happen that you come back safely, the first place you must come back to - before you go home - is Migdal Ohr. We will thank G-d together and from there we will say goodbye." I told them, "think of this as an emergency call-up. Do you accept?" The commanding officer replied in the affirmative.

Two weeks later, around midnight, Rabbi Grossman received a phone call. "Rabbi, your blessing has come true!" exclaimed the commander over the phone. "Everyone is safe and we are on our way to you. We will be there by two 'O clock in the morning"

Rabbi Grossman immediately contacted the kitchen staff and asked them to prepare a meal while he worked to organize a band. People asked him 'You need a band at 2 a.m.? Is Moshiach here?'

"At 2:30 a.m. the soldiers disembarked from the buses, each one carrying 60 kilo of equipment on his back. The band started playing music and the soldiers approached Rabbi Grossman, each one lovingly received with a hug and a kiss. This continued for two hours.

"I felt as I had never felt before," recalls Rabbi Grossman. "Each one told me his personal miracle. "One soldier, a kibbutznik and a lawyer in civilian life, relayed an incredible miracle. A group of soldiers were gathered in an empty house in a Lebanese village when one of them forgetfully lit a cigarette. Hezbollah terrorists immediately noticed the light and fired an anti-tank missile at the house. Coincidentally, two horses from the village ran in front of the house and were hit and killed. The missile, deflected by the horses, veered away from the house, landing elsewhere. Incredibly, the horses miraculously saved the soldiers inside the house.

After the warm reception, the soldiers recited "birkat hagomel,"and together with Rabbi Grossman, sang and danced until daybreak.

"To this day," says Rabbi Grossman, "we maintain contact with each soldier and have thus become one family."

Rabbi Grossman is a recipient of the "Award of Recognition for his Actions on Behalf of Soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forcesand the Second Lebanon War"

Original article written by Shula Weissfer