As the Ice Bucket Challenge continues its viral march through social media platforms, members of the Jewish community have joined wholeheartedly in the effort designed to raise money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disorder that currently has no cure.
Participants in the challenge are filmed dousing themselves with ice water while nominating others to either follow suit within the next 24 hours or make a donation to ALS research.
It comes as no surprise that the Jewish community has embraced the opportunity to help those stricken with ALS. Videos of bearded rabbis, women in tichels and entire families joining together to take the challenge have been popping up everywhere, with one video from Israel showing a young man rushing to finish his challenge as air raid sirens start to wail as he prepares to dump water on his own head.
The Wednesday night wedding of Chaya Dinerman and Mendy Kreiman in San Diego was the site of one mass Ice Bucket Challenge, with numerous donations rolling in for the Hurwitz Family Fund, benefiting the family of ALS sufferer, Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz.
“It was spontaneous,” says Rabbi David Smoller of Chabad of S. Diego. “Someone said let’s get ten rabbis to do the ice challenge. Ten of us took buckets of ice cold water and dumped it over our heads and many people in the audience sponsored money at that moment. The caterer, Morris Derry, was the one who brought us the water and the buckets and he did it with us, too.”
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Rabbi Hurwitz, a father of seven and the Chabad Shliach to Temecula, California, was diagnosed with ALS last winter. A group of five Chabad rabbis, including Rabbi Shmuel Fogelman, administer the Hurwitz Family Fund.
“He deteriorated very quickly so we set up a fund to take the responsibility for supporting them,” explained Rabbi Fogelman.
Rabbi Hurwitz, who can no longer speak, communicates only with his right hand, using an iPhone to text friends and family and to continue posting weekly divrei Torah on his blog, yitzihurwitz.blogspot.com.
“His spirit is amazing,” said Rabbi Folgeman. “He is an incredible human in a strangely difficult situation.”
According to Rabbi Fogelman, the Hurwitz family has been enjoying the Ice Bucket Challenges. “It is very uplifting to them and makes them feel good,” he said.
“It means that people know about them are thinking about them. People should know that doing the challenges is meaningful to those who are dealing with this condition.”
MAZAL TOV
Who said I didn’t?(no but seriously I was ready to do it but they didn’t bring out any more buckets but for R Horowitz I for sure would have)may Yosef Yitzhak have complete refuge and mendy y chaya have a Binyan adi ad and only brochos overflowing!!!
Refua shleima for rabbi horowitz!!!
Binia adei ad!
cold not have said it any better.
Mazel Tov to Mendy and Chaya. You had a truly memorable wedding for the S Diego and Palm Springs community. The spontaneous Ice Bucket Challenge to give Chizuk to Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz who we all pray for a complete miraculous recovery please G-d attended the Chassanah and did his part to bring joy to the. Chosson V Kallah. Truly inspirational!
And I know that you do. You created the cure before the illness. You can show the ALS researchers where it is, you can reveal it now and I hope that you will, speedily in our days.
Thank you in advance.
Refuah shalayma Yitzy.You have klal Yisroel coming together for you. And you are letting us laugh and hope and pray. Thanks you
this really shows the unity in am yisroel!! one jew standing up for another! in the zechus of this ice bucket challenge and the pure ahavas yisroel may moshiach come right nwo!!!!
Mendy mazal tov and your guests are awesome !!!
Sorry we missed your special day. Mazal and Brocha 👏👍🎉
That’s such a mendy thing may all your brochs be fulffiled
thanks for invitation
we really miss you sydney not the same without you
hirschowitz family
moishe why didn’t you do the challenge
MAZAL TOV FROM A BUNK YUD GIMMEL CAMPER
WOW!so nice! amazing!
Sorry for my “am ho-ra-tzus”!!!!
can we make a place for all jewish ppl who did the challenge to post it??
I WANT TO CRY
fradkins are the best
yitzy your a special man may hashem bless you to live to see moshiach refua shelima