Kiruv isn't a project, a program or a cause.
Kiruv is Ahavas Yisrael - love of a fellow Jew - in action.
The results speak for themselves

When the Amsalem family arrived in New York 25 years ago, life was a puzzle -- a new country, a new language and not much money to cushion the rough spots. Udi was only three then, but he remembers the moment when the pieces finally started to come together. It was the moment Oorah came into his family's life.

Rabbi Chaim Mintz, Oorah's founder, first tended to their immediate needs, bringing challah, fish and meat to their home each Friday. Then he got to work on their spiritual needs. Udi and his two sisters were enrolled in the Jewish Education Center (JEC) in Elizabeth, NJ. Rabbi Mintz raised the money for tuition, and when the children were ready for the far more expensive high school program, that tuition was there for them, too.

But Rabbi Mintz knew school alone wouldn't be enough to ignite children's spirits. He invited them and many other young people from their neighborhood to his family's sukkah, where they experienced first hand the joy of Yom Tov. He took them on Chol Hamoed trips to Coney Island, arranged Shabbatons and Purim parties. The joy was contagious, says Udi. "Most of those young people are religious today. He had an influence on the entire neighborhood."

Rabbi Mintz was the mesader kedushin five years ago when Udi got married. Now, the couple has three children. The oldest has started elementary school yeshivah at Ohel Torah in Brooklyn, and the dividends for Oorah's investment are mounting each day.

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Keren Kaplan, now a mother of three small children living in Kensington, Brooklyn, recalls how her family linked up with Rabbi Mintz:

"My family came to America for a short trip from our home in Israel to visit some family. My parents enrolled my brother (then 6) and me (then 4) in the local public school, 'just for a year.'"

The years marched on, until one day, in middle school, the principal called in her parents to face accusations that her brother had been smoking marijuana. The family knew the accusations were untrue, but they did serve as an alert to what was going on in public school. Yeshiva seemed the best option, but the children were woefully unprepared. Then, they were directed to Rabbi Mintz. He hired tutors to teach the children to daven, read a chumash and otherwise catch up. Finally, the children were able to enter JEC and its sister-school, Bruriah, at their correct grade level -- "a miracle," Keren exclaims. The family grew together, with Rabbi Mintz guiding them around each corner. His Shabbatons, Sukkah gatherings and Chol Hamoed trips to the New York Aquarium still resonate in Keren's fond memory.

Keren got married several years ago, and she her husband of relocated to the Kensington area of Brooklyn. Rabbi Mintz is still central to her and her husband's life, serving as a guide, role model and inspiration as their new Jewish home takes shape.

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Moshe Katz's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, harbored one dream in her heart. Though her own children weren't religiously observant, she longed to see her grandchildren raised with a knowledge and love of Torah. Fortunately, Rabbi Mintz heard about the family and took up her cause, convincing the parents of Moshe and his twin brother Eliyahu to allow him to enroll the boys in a yeshiva. And, he covered the entire tuition bill -- not just for one year, but for their entire school career.

Meanwhile, Moshe came home from yeshiva every day and took off his yarmulka and tzitzis. They weren't what the kids in his neighborhood wore, and even though he was happy in yeshiva, he had no desire to set himself apart in this way.

And so it went, through grade school and high school as well. Yet Rabbi Mintz persisted. On Chol Hamoed, he made sure Moshe was among the rambunctious group he shepherded to the amusement park. Every Sukkos he provided the family with lulav and esrog. Every Pesach he sent them shmurah matzah. Every Purim they were esteemed guests at his lively celebrations.

When Moshe finished high school, the rabbi had yet one more idea. Why not send the young man off to Israel to learn for a year? With the rabbi willing to pay air fare and tuition, Moshe and his family were willing to give it a try. And that's where Moshe cemented his bond with Hashem and embraced a life of Torah and mitzvos. He and his twin brother Eliyahu are 28 now. They are both fully observant Jews, a fact they credit to Oorah's inexhaustible efforts which started 25 years ago.

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Limor Abady, another "Oorah child," now married with five children of her own, credits Oorah's combination of patience and persistence for its remarkable success. "They don't preach. There's no pushing," she says. In her experience, there was simply warmth, friendship and substantial help.

"My family wasn't shomer Shabbat, but Oorah got my sister and me into Shulamith (a religious girls' school in Brooklyn), and helped us with the tuition," Mrs. Abady recounts.
"They were very easy-going about it. They just stated the facts to my parents and made a good case for sending us." But like all Oorah children, Mrs. Abady fondly recalls the Shabbatons that highlighted her school years, the chol hamoed trips, the Sukkos gatherings and Purim parties, the friends and excitement of the religious life Oorah opened up for her and her sister.

Now Mrs. Abady has a religious home, and a son and four daughters attending Yeshivat Shaarei Torah. But Oorah still stays in touch, sending the Abadys a lulav and esrog each Sukkos, along with an invitation for a meal at the Rabbi Mintz's family Sukkah.

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Oorah's targets its efforts at children, who are usually more open and flexible. But sometimes, an adult is the conduit that brings Torah to the family. That was the case for Philip Jacobowitz, a Staten Island man who decided nine years ago, well into adulthood, that he wanted to learn in a yeshivah. "Someone told me they had lessons at the Yeshivah of Staten Island, so I went there, and that was where I came in contact with Oorah," he recalls.

Mr. Jacobowitz, the son of a Holocaust survivor, was born in Germany and lived in Poland and Israel before coming to the U.S. To his father, the horrors of the war were a source of great ambivalence toward Hashem. But to Mr. Jacobowitz, his father's experiences were all the more reason to embrace his inheritance. "I felt that because of what my father went through, I couldn't let religion escape my life," he says.

Between Mr. Jacobowitz' learning and his contact with the people of Oorah, he began bringing his family into Torah observance. "Whatever Oorah has done for me, there's never been a shred of evidence that anyone expects anything back. It's a rare thing for people to be this way. Sometimes you don't even know they've done something for you. It's just done."

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Mrs. Z and her husband were young parents of two toddlers 20 long years ago. "We knew nothing -- zero," Mrs. Z. readily admits. But somehow, a family friend saw the Z. family as a ripe prospect for Rabbi Mintz and his spiritual rescue mission. When he first arrived at the door, the couple was full of doubts about the idea of sending their daughters to a Bais Yaakov school. Nothing could have seemed more foreign. But Rabbi Mintz kept coming back for another little discussion. His warmth and persistence finally paid off, and the girls were enrolled. That was the first step in a straight upward journey for the family. The girls are fully integrated into the religious community, well educated, well regarded and, in the case of the eldest, ready to begin the process of starting her own family.

Mrs. Z credits Oorah's "never leave you flat" philosophy for her family's consistent growth. "I try not to think about what would have happened had Oorah not found us and 'adopted' us as their own," she says. Her family tries to pass these inestimable benefits along to others by supporting Oorah's work and reaching out to other Jews who don't yet know what they're missing.

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With all the hard work and personal care that Rabbi Mintz and his volunteers put into Oorah, there is still only one real key to success -- the Divine assistance that comes to those who give their all to a mitzvah. Mr. B., a friend of Oorah, recalls his own encounter with Oorah's "good luck."

It was a cold winter night, and Mr. B. was prepared to go knocking on doors with Rabbi Mintz. The men were going to meet in front of a Young Israel, and as Mr. B. sat in his idling car, he noticed dozens of families walking into the synagogue. He found out that there was a neighborhood Chanukah party taking place. "I was thunderstruck by the 'coincidence,'" he recalled. After getting permission from the party's organizers, Rabbi Mintz and Mr. B. had carte blanche to attend the gathering, where they were able to talk to hundreds of parents, without walking even one block in the cold.

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Rabbi G. dedicates his time to full-time learning in a Kollel in New Jersey. His two sons are doing beautifully in a prominent yeshiva elementary school, and he and his wife are grateful for the opportunity to build their Torah-inspired home. But it might not have been that way for Rabbi G. When Oorah came to his parent's home many years ago, Rabbi Mintz urged them to send all their children to yeshiva. Only the youngest, Rabbi G., was willing. The others, now adults, are still floundering, seeking meaning in their lives.

The transition wasn't easy for a boy who, in public school, was at the top of his class with an eye on a career in medicine. Suddenly he was back in first grade, afraid to open his mouth and reveal his ignorance. But Rabbi Mintz soon lined up the tutors and support the boy needed, and within a short time, he was learning avidly with boys his own age. Then, there was summer camp, also paid for by Oorah. "Rabbi Mintz came to visit me at camp and brought me care packages filled with goodies, tapes and games. Oorah made me feel so privileged, so special -- I remember being moved to tears."

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Mrs. L found Rabbi Mintz through her sister-in-law, who was interested in sending her son to yeshiva. In the end, the sister-in-law and her husband opted out, but Mrs. L became interested. Now her two daughters are in Bais Yaakov and she and her husband have embarked on a completely religious way of life. Mrs. L. proudly points out that she has recently begun covering her hair.

She recalls that one of Rabbi Mintz's most convincing arguments was that a thorough religious education was the only real protection against intermarriage. "My 10-year-old daughter recently said to me, 'Mommy, I would only want to marry a Jewish boy.'" Mrs. L. says. "I'm sure she would never have said that if she had remained in public school."

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For Tamar Bachrach and her family, Oorah's knock came at an auspicious time.

"I arrived in America as a teenager, together with my parents. We grew up in Israel - secular, suburban, fun-loving. Religion was out the window. Ima registered us in public school in Staten Island. She wanted us to become American.

"And then we got a visitor. It was Sukkot time, and my aunt had mentioned something about this guy who goes around town bringing people sukkot. The very next day, Rabbi Mintz was knocking on our door. My parents invited him in, and before I knew what hit me, he persuaded them to send us to yeshiva.

"He thought of everything; school supplies, tutors, briefcases… he even asked if we had new school clothes. At first I thought we were the only family he was taking care of because he had so much time for us. By the time we realized how many other families like us were being helped with tuition costs, we were already settled in school and well on our way to becoming dati.

"I graduated from high school, met a fine young man, and got married. During every step of the way, I consulted with Rabbi Mintz, who helped us begin a Jewish home."

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Mrs. Brooks recalls the day Oorah stepped into her family's life: "Rabbi Mintz called first, to ask if my husband was available. I told him Jake would be in after six. At ten after six p.m., there was a knock on the door. In walked a man, kindly and serious all at once. The kids were wary, until they realized his pockets were stocked with candy. Rabbi Mintz introduced himself, and quickly got down to business.

"How did you know our boys were in public school?" I challenged him. Reb Chaim shrugged. Then he smiled, and delivered his pitch. He was ready to enroll them in yeshivas, all at no charge. He understood we couldn't afford it, but we weren't to worry. He would take care of everything.

"What could we say? We couldn't afford anything. Rabbi Mintz is a tzaddik. We told him the boys were doing well in public school, and, frankly, we didn't see the need to change. But he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Within half an hour, he had called the yeshiva from our house and registered our boys. I don't know how he convinced us. I do know that it was a miracle."

Soon the boys were bringing home what they had learned. At their urging their father began taking them to shul on Friday night, and little by little, the family has been happily, proudly reclaiming its heritage.

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Shortly after Mrs. Scholl and her family moved to Staten Island, Rabbi Mintz arrived at the door with a welcome...and an offer. He wanted to have a sukkah delivered to the family's home, and he also offered to take the Scholl children with a large group of children to Coney Island on Chol Hamoed. Mr. and Mrs. Scholl appreciated the "day off" after their move.

But of course, that was not the last welcome gift their visitor offered. All-expense-paid enrollment of the children in a Jewish school was next on Rabbi Mintz's list. "We thought the guy was a millionaire!" Mrs. Scholl recalls. They took him up on his offer, eventually discovering that his vast wealth was in the currency of mitzvos, not cash.

"He is the most caring, warmhearted person I have ever come across," says Mrs. Scholl. When our daughter was hospitalized after surgery, he arranged for schools to say Tehillim for her and called to ask how she was doing, as if it was his own grandchild."

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QUOTES

"Once again, I would like to thank you for the lovely shalach manos package you sent to my family. The boys were so thrilled that you remembered them. You made us very happy!"
Roberta K., Belle Harbor, New York

"I experienced much joy when I received your Passover gift. It brought back memories of the Passover I spent with you, the most moving sedarim of my life."
Rachel R.

"How can I even begin to thank you? Through your efforts and generosity Yehoshua and Bracha are both learning about Judaism and Torah and they are teaching us as well. You have changed our lives forever. Thank you."

"Rabbi Mintz has been our guide since our chazara b'teshuva days. Through every step of the way, from major decisions to petty ones, Rabbi Mintz has been there with words of chizuk to help us carry on."
Mr. Yigal K., Staten Island, N.Y.

"Thank you for the tuition and the plane fare to Israel. I wanted to come to Israel so much and if not for you I probably wouldn't be here now……I think I have grown a lot in this school."
Felicia P.

"I wish to thank you for your sincere generosity. I am grateful to you for the financial assistance you have given to my parents. Their goal in life has always been to provide a Jewish education and foundation for my brother and I." Aaron F.

"Thank you for providing me with a sukkah. It is a source of great pride and is the first sukkah in my development since its inception, over 50 years ago. I have slept in it and kissed it a number of times. My zeide has to be smiling from on high in the next world."
Mark E., Glen Oaks, New York

"We would like to thank you so very much for the tanach you gave to our son Daniel, and for all the efforts and care you put in so that our children can continue learning in the yeshiva."

"What a wonderful, wonderful gift! I have been lighting my menorah each night and thinking of the miracle."

"I've just learned that you've made arrangements for Alex to study with a scholar once a week. That was very kind. (For all your help and assistance a thank you sounds lame, however I cannot thank you enough for all you have done for my family.)"
Roxanne O.

"I am so happy that you helped me achieve my dream: continuing a Jewish education. It really means a lot to me and I'm extremely grateful for all you have done."
Melanie R.

Thank you for helping me kasher my kitchen. Though kashering was quite a chore, we are all very happy we made this decision before the new year."
Rachel G.

"Thank you so much for your generous support in the past two years towards my sister's education."
Baruch A.

"Thank you for remembering us on all the Jewish holidays." Rachel F.

"Thank you very much for the beautiful lulav and esrog. We feel very blessed that G-d has granted us the privilege of having you [Rabbi Mintz] in our life."

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