UNBELIEVABLE: Yesterday, I led an incredible, double Bat Mitzvah tour. The highlight was visiting one of the many campuses of Migdol Ohr, an organization led by the legendary Rabbi Dovid Grossman, shlita, which takes in kids from broken homes and rescues children off the street (kids who would otherwise end up in prison), providing them with a top level education, a loving, family-like structure and more. He also helps in the rehabilitating of prisoners (while about 80% of released prisoners will end up back in prison, 90% from his program never return). Since the 1970s, tens of thousands from those considered to be among the Israeli "underclass" have been transformed into some of the great leaders of Israeli society, thanks to Rabbi Grossman. Among all sectors of Israeli society, he is considered a national icon (he was awarded the Israel prize in 2004) and tens of thousands of Israelis consider him and the Rebbetzin like their parents. In fact, 80% of their dedicated staff are composed of people whom he rescued as kids.
For our event, the entire class of one of his girl schools got together to celebrate with the Bat Mitzvah girls from my tour (all were the same age as the Bat Mitzvah girls). There was not a dry eye at the ceremony (including mine).
You must watch this short video of part of the speech Rabbi Grossman gave (in both English and Hebrew):
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