Rabbi Yitzi’s Eye-Written Message Moves Thousands

By COLlive reporter

Thousands of people around the world who are taking the current adult education course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) were deeply moved by a message that was written with great efforts.

The lesson on the sanctity of life in the course Judaism’s Gifts to the World was concluded with a narration of a message from Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, a Chabad Shliach in California who is bravely battling Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

Yitzi communicates with his eyes using an Eyegaze Edge and wrote the following message using this technology:

I was talented. I could teach, lecture, sing, dance and play guitar. I was strong and handy.

Within two years, I watched that all slip away. My muscles that played guitar, gave to my congregation, and danced at weddings, lost their functionality.

They call it ALS.

What value is there in a keyboard that can’t type, a car that can’t drive or a pencil that can’t write? Having lost my ability to contribute, I felt useless – like I didn’t matter.

Four years ago, on the day after Rosh Hashana, my breathing rapidly deteriorated. My wife Dina rushed me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with pneumonia

The doctors presented me with the choice: I could undergo a tracheotomy and live or opt-out and bring my suffering to an end. Legally and halachically, it was my choice.

With Dina’s support, I chose to live.

Over the past few weeks, I couldn’t get my eyes to focus on the letters I wanted to write. Writing one word took as long as 5 minutes. I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating it was.

I felt useless as a husband and father. Not being able to write Torah articles, I felt irrelevant. I was in jail. What possible purpose could I have if I couldn’t communicate?

Brave and wise, Dina said: “On Shabbos, when you don’t use the Eyegaze computer, you are still significant and relevant. Even if you can only see and look at people that is meaningful to us. If you are alive, it means that you are relevant to Hashem (G-d) and that you make a difference.”

It is now over 5 years since Hashem gifted me with ALS.

While life is full of difficulties, pain and suffering, there is so much to be grateful for. While I understand the hardships, I choose to focus on the positive parts of my life and that keeps me going.

There is my wife, my children, family, friends and you.

Even within the suffering and difficulties, I can still contribute and help others. Through my blog, I have the opportunity to learn and teach Torah. I forged new friendships with the teens and Yeshiva boys that visit.

Being crushed has brought stronger connections, new abilities, higher purpose and deeper meaning.

I’ve been blessed with a voice that can’t sing with, a body that doesn’t work, so I danced to a new rhythm.

I am Yitzi Hurwitz and I know that I matter.

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Shluchim and Shluchos, who are the instructors of the JLI courses, reported that many of their students were deeply moved – and even wipes a tear or two – by the sincerity, courage and optimism of Rabbi Yitzi.

Additional reactions were shared on social media. Ina Caplan from York, Pennsylvania, wrote: “Wow! Humbling story for all of us. He is obviously an incredible strong man but his family is what gives him not only emotional strength but also physical support to keep going.”