By Akiva Kahn
Photos: Shalom Burkis – 1 (707) 706-3060
How do I recap such a beautiful night?
I was fortunate enough to attend the grand birthday farbrengen, in celebration of the 50th birthday and work of the renowned communicator of Torah, Rabbi YY Jacobson.
It was incredible to see every “type” of Jew there, from a Reform rabbi to Satmar Chassidim, Vishnitz, Belz and Chabad, together with Litvish Jews, Modern Orthodox professionals, and Jews of all stripes and colors who all felt so at home and in sync with each other.
For about a week or so leading up to the event, Rabbi Jacobson had been running a fundraiser, with the intent on expanding his reach, to bring the light and depth of Chassidus and of the Rebbe to every Jew, in his own words, “To inspire and uplift Klal Yisroel, one soul at a time.”
The fundraiser was a viral sensation, with over 1500 unique donors from all over the globe.
Rabbi Jacobson, and his team of 14 staff, voiced their commitment to increase their reach, in an effort to impact our youths and our teens, our young and old, and inspire every single Jew with life-changing and relevant content, as well as counsel and care for the hurting and struggling of our generation.
In a beautiful display, the evening opened with a siyum of Yevamos concluded in the Daf Yomi cycle by David Lichtenstein, the esteemed Talmid Chacham and host of the Headlines podcast on halacha.
Jewish music stars Avraham Fried, Mordechai Ben David, Benny Friedman, Lipa Schmeltzer, and Eli Schwebel led us in song. As Fried sang a duet of the powerful Poltava Nigun with Rabbi YY, the audience was simply mesmerized in emotion.
Inspiring words were shared by Avi Fishoff of TWiSTED Parenting, Dr. Michael Mitchell, Reform Rabbi Meir Feldman, Rabbi Yossi Lowenbein, Chassidic therapist Dr. Issac Shapiro, and Sholom Friedfertig who represented the voice of the teenagers of our generation, all so deeply touched by Rabbi YY’s message of infinite empathy, love, and deep understanding of their souls.
One could truly feel the love and appreciation everyone in that room had for the tireless work of Rabbi YY to bring the light of the Rebbe and Chassidus to every demographic of the Jewish world in unprecedented ways.
In a “fireside chat” with Rabbi Jacobson, the renowned lecturer Charlie Harari, who hosted the event as MC, posed many in-depth questions, diving deep into what drives Rabbi YY to learn, teach, inspire and share with so many.
Jews from all walks of life spoke of their connection to Rabbi YY, and how, in their own personal life, they were transformed by the teachings and vast outreach conducted by Rabbi Jacobson.
The event concluded with a speech from Rabbi Jacobson himself. Far removed was the speech, however, from the fiery and animated nature of his usual talks.
This was clearly personal. He spoke of what drives him, his inner doubt, and his firm belief that our generation is brimming with potential.
He relayed how he was once asked, “Rabbi Jacobson, is there not any sect of Judaism that you would not actually embrace?”
To which Rabbi Jacobson replied, with great fervor: “If they are Jewish enough for Hitler to send to the gas chambers, they are Jewish enough for me!”
He expressed special thanks go to the 1500+ donors who gave to his cause, led by the following generous and forward-thinking individuals, who gave very generously to help bring the light of Torah and Chassidus into the lives of every Jew, including many anonymous donors:
Vivian Shternbuch $200,000
David and Eda Schottenstein $100,000
Shaya and Sarah Bomelgreen $100,000
The Teichman Family $100,000
Abe and Rachel Spitz and team $62,000+
Eli Steinmetz and Moshe Halperin $54,000
Chesky and Ruchie Kauftheil $50,000
Sony Douer and family $50,000
Shloimy and Mirele Greenwald $36,000
Sholom Potash and family $30,000
Yerachmiel and Rivkah Leah Jacobson $25,000
Yaakov and Chumi Elbogen $20,000
Keren Meromim $18,000
Rabbi Yossi and Esther Lowenbein $18,000
Dr. Simcha Herrmann and family $18,000
Rafael and Dinah Newhouse $18,000
Faivish And Tamar Pewzner $10,000
Yigal and Chaya Niasoff $10,000
Moshe and Esther Deutch $10,000
Rabbi YiItzchak Michaan $10,000
In an impassioned plea to conclude the evening, Rabbi Jacobson turned to each of us in attendance and the thousands streaming live, and implored us to use our voices for good, to use the massive advancements in technology our generation is experiencing, to uplift, to inspire, to share the joy of Torah and Judaism with the masses!
Rabbi Jacobson is truly “The People’s Rabbi.” I wish him much success as he continues to uplift us all, for the next 50 years!
VIDEO: Full Replay
Great job SHOLOM FRIEDFFERIG
I am very proud of you (: