New Name for Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz

By COLlive reporter

An additional name was given to a Chabad Shliach who is battling Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in hopes of a recovery.

Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, the beloved Director of the Chabad Jewish Center in Temecula, California, was given the second name of Yosef to his first name of Yitzchok.

The name changing, a Jewish custom to draw additional blessing for the ill, was done at the instruction of Rabbi Shimon Raichik, Rav of Congregation Levi Yitzchok in Los Angeles.

Hurwitz’s mother, Mrs. Brocha Hurwitz, reported that change to COLlive and asked that the public continue to pray for Yosef Yitzchok ben Brocha. “His Perek Tehilim since 2 Adar II is Perek Mem Gimel (43),” she said.

Mrs. Dina Hurwitz said that her husband Yitzi has done “a little bit of digging on who he is named after. We know it is his father’s father’s father, but we never knew anything about him.”

She wrote on Facebook that the person her husband was named after has passed away “quite young,” sometime between the age of 37 and 45.

“So we have decided to add a name,” she said. “Yosef means to add and Yitzchok (Yitzi) means laughter. We will be adding in our joy and laughter and may Hashem bless him with a long and blessed life.”

To donate to the family’s medical costs, visit hurwitzfamilyfund.com