By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, who is visiting New York this week despite his battle with ALS disease, spent Monday morning visiting cherished locations in his native Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn.
The 47-year-old Rabbi who lost his mobility due to the disease was brought to Lubavitch Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway to join the davening at the Rebbe’s room for the first time in years.
It was a particularly moving moment when his youngest son Sholom Hurwitz was called up to receive an aliya to the Torah in honor of his Bar Mitzvah.
Rabbi Yitzi emotionally looked on as his eldest son Moishy Hurwitz received an Aliya as well.
Rabbi Yitzi was born and raised in Crown Heights and founded Chabad in Temecula, CA, with his wife Dina Hurwitz 23 years ago.
In recent years he has been battling ALS, and moved with his family to Los Angeles to receive medical care.
Since becoming bed-ridden, this was the first time he was able to visit New York, with the help of Hatzolah Air and a team of friends and the Vaad of Shluchim who coordinate his medical care.
Following his son’s Bar Mitzvah celebration on Motzei Shabbos and visiting the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens on Sunday, Rabbi Yitzi was taken around some of the familiar Crown Heights spots from his childhood, with his long-time friend Naftali Berkowitz.
In addition to the Rebbe’s room, they visited the WLCC Broadcasting room, the Rebbe’s Library, and the main Shul of 770 Eastern Parkway. Rabbi Yitzi also got the chance to stroll down Kingston Avenue accompanied by his wife and children.
The two friends visited their old bus stop on Kingston Avenue and reminisced how they would stand together at the corner of Montgomery Street and Kingston Avenue each morning at 6:45 am to wait for the bus to take them to Lubavitch Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway.
The two posed for a photo in front of Berkowitz’s childhood home, where he still lives with his family today.
“We got a chance to spend a moment in the place we spent so many hours, for so many years, hanging out together,” Berkowitz said. “This was a very special gift,” he added.
To donate to Rabbi Yitzi’s medical costs, visit hurwitzfamilyfund.com
Wow wow wow amazing unreal may he only know of simchas health and nachas may he bar a complete recovery what amazing family and friends he has
Such strength!!
You could see on his face a smile! Hopefully its the begining of the miracle of complete refuah shleima!!!
!כתיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה!
May it be sweet in revealed good only! Amen
Watching Yitzi and Naphtali together on Montgomery street again really took us back 25+ years . All the memories of baseball, machanayim ,running to 770 together etc and Bracha’s amazing warm home with all yitzis friends farbrenging all night ! What incredible childhood friends they were and BH still are
May Hashem give Yitzi & dina and the entire family lots of nachas and a complete Refuah now !! Yitzi & dina , Chazak veametz the geula is imminent!
Happy to see Yitzi’s face aglow together with his friend! It’s so beautiful!
Wishing the Horowitz family loads of nachas from your beautiful family!
MOSHIACH NOW!!!
So happy to see that you are not alone in this battle, Refua Shleima,such inspiration for all of us. Real Elul with Melach B’Sade
It was such a zechus to participate in your simcha! Rabbi Farkas spoke with warmth and gave over interesting thoughts. Dina spoke from the heart, as usual, and their older son Moshe read Yitzy’s letter to the bar mitzvah & his wife. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. And the dancing was SO leibidike. Such a splendid night!
so emotional!
Thank you for sharing! May R’ Yitzy and his family be blessed with shefa bracha!
(I think the pictures of the seforim are upside down)
wow that is so cool to see the holy family on Kingston Av