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OTS Newsletter - Summer 2004
"A Mission to Remember"
From May 14-20, 2004, a group of OTS friends and
supporters from all over the world came together on an unforgettable 20th
Anniversary Mission to Israel. Nourished by a spiritually-uplifting Shabbat,
mission participants spent the week enthusiastically zigzagging the country,
experiencing off-the-beaten-track Israel, gaining a deeper understanding of
OTS institutions and meeting some of OTS’s extraordinary students.
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Welcome to Israel!
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Marcel Lindenbaum: I experienced a deep sense of
pride in witnessing how OTS is spearheading the Modern Orthodox cause
in Israeli society. |
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Maurice Spanbock: Modern Orthodoxy presents many
challenges, and it is gratifying to see progress and movement in this
area through OTS, which represents a Judaism that is accepting, relevant
and devoted to tikkun olam while strictly adhering to halacha. |
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Rella Feldman: It was extremely satisfying to me
to visit Midreshet Lindenbaum, to see women excelling in their learning
and to know that there is an institution addressing the specific needs
of Jewish women. |
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Dr. Marvin Belsky (foreground, left) and other mission participants
take in “Creativity and Spirituality,” a gallery presentation by
students of the Ann Belsky Moranis School of Arts at Neveh Channah
Girls’ High School |
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Peering into the bunker at Kfar Etzion after the
gripping audiovisual presentation on the rise, fall and reclaiming of
the Etzion Bloc. |
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Fred Ehrman: Religious-secular conflict
continually threatens to divide Israel. But as we saw firsthand through
programs like Hadas and Yachad, OTS is one of the few shining lights in
this issue, really making an impact on Israeli society. |
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All Aboard: Ed and Cecile Gromis (left),
Judy Weiss (right) and Rella Feldman (right,center)
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Members of Lincoln Square Synagogue pose with
Rabbi Riskin next to the bulletproof bus they donated to OTS
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Cecile Gromis: We were privileged to witness the
work that Ohr Torah Stone is doing toward solving many of the problems
in this country: it is nothing short of remarkable, and Rabbi Riskin is
nothing short of a visionary. |
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Mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupoliansky greets
mission participants in City Hall chambers.
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Atop the tank, left to right: Ed Gromis, Marcel
Lindenbaum, Warren Weiss, Fred Ehrman, Cecile Gromis.
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Morry Weiss: As familiar as I am with the myriad
OTS programs, seeing them firsthand and meeting the people involved
makes it clear that OTS is a movement making a real difference in
Jewish society. |
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Judy Weiss: I feel great appreciation and
gratitude to my father, Irving Stone z”l, for making the connection with
Rabbi Riskin and Ohr Torah. Seeing the institutions firsthand gives me a
great sense of fulfillment and pride. |
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A firsthand view of the new, headline-making
security fence with Brigadier General Shalom Harari
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Dr. Marvin Belsky: When you support a project, you
never know the impact that you are having. But on the mission, we saw
firsthand how OTS is exploring new frontiers for Orthodox women, the
learning disabled, rabbinic outreach to secular Jews and a brilliant art
program. |
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A visit to the President: Moshe Katsav
greets OTS Chairman of the North American Board, Fred Ehrman
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Dr. Michael Oren, author of “The Six Days of War,”
addressing mission participants on “Jews, Statehood and
Power.” |
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Phyllis Getzler: The mission was perfect! At every
point I would say to Stanley, ‘This is the high point,’ then 20 minutes
later I would again say to him: ‘No, this is the high point.” The
fact is, everything was ‘the high point!’ |
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Exploring the Burma Road in jeeps on
historic Yom Yerushalayim, tracing the steps taken by the
fighters for Jerusalem’s liberation in 1967
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IDF Colonel and OTS Board Member Bentzi Gruber hosts mission
participants at the Tze’elim training base, the jump-off point
for much of the military action taking place in Gaza. |
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Dr. Max Glassman: I feel fortunate to be a part of
this cooperative, caring and loving OTS family, and for having had the
opportunity to be exposed through the mission to the amazing work being
done in the OTS institutions. |
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