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We are not only engaged in education, rather in giving back as well – and this is field that has no limit or end,” said Israel Prize Recipient, Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman, President of the Migdal Ohr Institutions and director of Rabbi Grossman Enterprises.  To mark five decades of charitable work and education, the most prominent of which is his support for youth and children at-risk, we sat down with Rabbi Grossman to speak to him about his groundbreaking social activity with different sectors, and his motivation that has inspired hundreds of employees and thousands of pupils.

“The success is the result of dedicated task oriented activity.  Helping others has become my life’s mission,” said Rabbi Grossman, in an interview on the occasion of the fifth decade of his prolific educational and social activity as part of the Migdal Ohr Network of educational institutions established by Rabbi Grossman and spearheaded by him.  “Migdal Ohr educates children and youth who come from difficult backgrounds, some are orphans, some have been separated from their families for various reasons, and some who just didn’t succeed in other educational frameworks and whose lives have taken a turn for the worse.”

What is the secret of your success at Migdal Ohr?”

“As long as you are consistent and dedicated to the task,  you will be successful.  At Migdal Ohr, we raise the children as if they are our own.  When we see them developing, growing and happy – this is also our success.  Each child who is inducted into the army, makes a contribution to the country, studies, works and raises a family in Israel, brings us satisfaction and a sense that we have succeeded.  We have graduates who are doctors, educators, rabbis, lawyers, etc. – each one excelling in his field.  A person’s greatest satisfaction is seeing his children grow to be amazing individuals.”

According to Rabbi Grossman, the pupils and alumni of his educational frameworks all recognize the importance of giving back to society.  “This is in essence, the success.  Our alumni become useful and productive citizens and fill their roles in Israel’s life circles.  We not only provide them with education but also give these children tools for living respectably and helping others as well.”

“80% of our graduates, return to teach at our educational institutions.  It is hard work – day and night 24/7, including Shabbat and holidays; however, they are a part of our activity to save souls; and this is immensely rewarding.”

“We see the same mission among our pupils.  They receive everything from us, everything a child needs, both physically and emotionally, but we also educate them to give back and not only to receive.”

“Boys who never heard about the terms – first call up, induction and service

One of the examples of giving back is a project established by Migdal Ohr pupils 20 years ago – collecting food products for children who are unable to properly celebrate the Passover holiday.  The project began with the distribution of 500 food packages and became a national project called Chag Saveah (Full Holiday) for Children, in which Migdal Ohr pupils distribute tens of thousands of food packages to needy families for the holidays.

“Another example of giving back originated with the graduates of our Zoharim Youth Village, who were raised in Haredi families and did not find their place in the conventional educational frameworks,” said Rabbi Grossman.  “These teens were thrown out of every framework, the community and their family, some of which were living on the street.  These teens had never heard of the terms ‘first call up’, ‘induction’ and ‘service.’  The date indicates that 91% of them eventually enlist for combat service in the IDF.  This is an amazing fact, considering that these are children who had never seen an older brother or uncle wearing a uniform.  In their social circles, they knew no one who had served in the army and had no role model to follow in his footsteps.  They didn’t want to just enlist, they wanted to serve in the Navy Seals, air force, and elite units – in the best places.”

“I was taught to love a person for who he is”

Rabbi Grossman’s story is familiar to many Israelis, but still is surprising and inspirational. A person who grew up in a 70 sq.m. apartment in Jerusalem’s Meah She’arim neighborhood with 9 brothers and sisters, admits that he learned the values of helping others and accepting others from his parents. “My parents had a big heart and our home was always open to anyone in need or who had a problem.  In my childhood, my father, the late distinguished Rabbi Yisrael Grossman, was a great rabbi, brought home12 children who had no where to sleep.  This meant that I slept with two other children in the same bed. However, I also learned the lesson of dedication and giving back.  I was raised to love a person for who he is and to offer a helping hand to those in need.  From my standpoint, disadvantaged populations need help and it is my life’s mission to give them this help.”

The moment that Rabbi Grossman decided to uproot his family from Jerusalem in the 1970s and move to Migdal HaEmek – a crime ridden city with a difficult socioeconomic situation in those days – seems like it is taken from a Hollywood movie.

“After the Six Day War, there was a feeling of redemption in the country and I personally felt a sense of great awakening,”  said Rabbi Grossman, “I thought that the right way to thank God for the miracle that had taken place was to help the Jewish People and volunteer in a place that needed me, for a year. I spoke with the Lelov Rebbe and shared my thoughts with him, and he told me:  ‘See what you can do in Migdal HaEmek.’  As someone who grew up in the closed off Meah She’arim neighborhood, had never heard about this place, but my Rebbe had said so, so I went.”

“When I arrived in Migdal HaEmek, I was young and naïve.  I asked the residents, ‘Where are the teenagers?’ and they said, ‘in the discotheques.’ I  had never heard the word discotheque in my life.  I thought it was a name of a yeshiva.  I entered one of the city’s discotheques and saw smoke, lights and young people dancing, playing cards and partying.  They saw me and at first they didn’t understand what a Haredi man, dressed in black with a long beard was doing in such a place.  They thought that someone had died and I was looking for someone to join a minyan.”

“I told them that I had come to live with them, be with them, talk with them.  We danced and sang and very quickly, a connection was formed between us and we became friends.  Those young people called me the Discotheque Rabbi.  Very quickly, my home became a ‘discotheque’ and they would come to me.”

What did they find with you?

They found someone to listen to them, to whom they could talk about their problems and I tried to help and strengthen them.  These were young people who were capable of doing terrible things, but the moment they felt that I accepted them as they were and that I treated them with love and respect, this stirred a spark of life within them.”

“In the Bible, in Parahat Nitzavim, it is written: “Even if you are banished to the end of the heavens, the Lord, your God, will gather you from there, and He will take you from there.”  The Vishnitze Rebbe said:  “If you are in an outcast place, at the end of the heavens, there is a ray of light, and God will take you there.  You must look at the good in a person and strengthen that spark of light, and that is what I did with these young people.”

Did you encounter suspicion or difficult situations at the beginning?  Weren’t you afraid to get close to those young people involved in crime or drugs?

“Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk’s prayer opens with the sentence:  ‘Put into our hearts that everyone should see the qualities of their fellows, and not their faults.’ Every person has a pure soul and we must see the good in a person and not look for the bad.  My mission is to strengthen in his dark place.  I imbue the teen with hope and show him the way to change and to repair his life.  I do not judge any person.”

“In the initial years in Migdal HaEmek, I understood how much these young boys lacked love.  They became embroiled in terrible situations, because they did not receive the right education.  In their childhood, they never received warmth or love, there was no one to guide them, and to light up the dark place they were in.  When I sat with them, I saw people with good souls and good hearts, and said to  myself, that with God’s help, I would build an educational institution for children who need a kiss, children who are not fortunate to receive the right education and who do not receive love.  That is how the idea of creating the Migdal Ohr educational institutions was conceived and my plan to live in the city for one year became my life’s work.”

“If I leave and work to better myself, who will look after my thousands of children?”

The project started in 1972, which began with 18 pupils who learned in an old caravan, grew and developed into a network of educational institutions providing an educational framework – from preschools and daycare centers to high schools and colleges.  Rabbi Grossman was awarded the Israel Prize for his contribution to society and the State of Israel in 2004, and the Israel President’s Medal of Honor in 2014.  Over the years, he received many offers and opportunities for appointments to senior public positions, among them, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, and he refused them all.

“I could have been the Chief Rabbi of Israel and it would have been a tremendous honor for me,” he said, “But if I had gone and tended to myself, who would care for my thousands of children?  Everyone has a role in life and mine is to help others, to help any person that needs a helping hand.  If I had accepted those offers, I would not have been able to continue my work on their behalf.”

“My goal is to empower the weaker populations so they can successfully integrate into Israeli society.  Their success and helping to extricate them from the circle of poverty can only strengthen Israeli society and we all will benefit from this.”

You established the Zoharim Youth Village for teenage drop-outs from the Haredi population.  Why did you choose to work in a field which many people had avoided, and what alternatives do you believe are necessary to offer those who do not find their place in yeshiva life?

“The phenomenon of adolescents who drop out is a disturbing and sad problem.  These are teens who have grown up in the Haredi community but did not find their place in the conventional educational programs.  The moment that they leave the Haredi educational framework, they are rejected by the community and the family who no longer want them.  They have no where to turn and the street becomes their  home.  You find them on the streets of Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, wherever there is a Haredi community.

“The problem with these teenagers is that, on the one hand, they are rejected by the Haredi community, and on the other, they do not know how to lead a secular life.  They have no surroundings that understands them except for themselves.  They gather in tents and live in old buildings, at parks and from there,  they rapidly decline.

“A teen who has lived his entire life according to the laws of the Torah and who is now leaving religion, in his eyes, he is also leaving the moral and ethical path set out by the Torah.  Now he can do ‘whatever he feels like.’  This is the real problem; and consequently, their deterioration is much more extreme and worrisome.”

How did the idea arise to approach youth at risk from the Haredi community?

“Haredi officials approached me and said that the Haredi community also has teenagers in need of help.  I traveled to the Kikar HaChatulot area in Jerusalem to see it with my own eyes.  I bought pizzas and beers and sat with them.  They told me about their situation and I decided that I had to do something.  I promised them a place where they could set up a home for themselves.  A group of teenagers came and for eight months they built an impressive wooden house and seating areas, with their own two hands.  I understood that these teens needed to express themselves and to rebuild their lives.

“Zoharim Youth Village is located in the Ela Valley, surrounded by vineyards, fields and groves, overlooking a stunning green landscape.  It is an agricultural youth village and the pupils take an active part in its upkeep.  They work in the vineyards, greenhouses, ride horses at the therapeutic riding ranch, raise goats and continue to build the village.  Each class leaves its stamp and plays a part in the village’s development.  We let them become their own leaders.  And it works.  The results are amazing.

“They complete their studies with a full matriculation diploma.  They are inducted into the IDF and became upstanding citizens.  There is amazing success with these teenagers.  To think that they arrived with no knowledge of  mathematics or civics, and within a short period of time, they learned everything and completed their matriculation.  This is a great thing.  To think that they never thought about serving in the army and today they are completely motivated to join the army and enter into combat positions – this is a miracle that is a result of the hard work by the staff and by the teenagers themselves.”

What about contact with the families of these teens?

“Our important mission at Zoharim is to return these boys to their homes. To return them to their families.  We not only work with the boys but also the entire family.  The real success is to witness the families and the boys reunite, learn to accept one another and spend time together.”

You encourage tolerance and love.  How does Judaism help bring people together from different sectors, and in rehabilitating difficult populations?

“The Torah commands us to Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself and Rabbi Akiva said that this is a great principle of the Torah.  It’s the entire Torah.  The entire foundation of the Torah is based on a love of mankind and people being concerned about one another.  A person must realize that he lives not only with himself, but rather he has a responsibility for us all.

“Judaism does not differentiate between sectors and ideas, there is no Sephardim, Ashkenazim, right or left, everyone has a divine spark and we all are as one –  ‘Bless us our Father, all of us as one.’

“There are many organizations that are not necessarily identified by people as Haredi, which work tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish citizens.  Yad Sarah, Ezer Mitzion, Chag Saveah for Children, Rabbi Firer, Yedidim, United Hatzalah, etc.   A great deal of charitable work is performed for everyone.  The mutual responsibility found in the Jewish People is the expression of a love of mankind found in Judaism.  I know of no other people who come to each other’s aid, like the Jewish people do.”

In 2004, you were awarded the Israel Prize for your contribution to Israeli society and the State of Israel and in  2008 you lit a torch.  How do you view the connection between the secular and Haredi communities and how do you see them working together?

“The truth is that I don’t think there is secular and religious.  I feel that everyone has a pure soul.  I say that until now, I have yet to meet a secular person.  When I see a person that is called ‘secular’, I approach  him and reveal that he isn’t secular at all.  I see his Divine spark.

“During the Second Lebanon War, I invited 700 paratroopers who were stuck in a hangar to stay with us at Migdal Ohr until they went into Lebanon.  One of the soldiers brough a Torah scroll.  I asked who wanted to write a letter in a Torah scroll – not one soldier was willing to give up the opportunity of writing a letter.  They all felt connected.

“There is much incitement and misunderstanding between the two worlds.  The way to connect people is to know how to speak to one another and when you speak, there is no secular or religious.  There are people, and there must be a respectful dialogue between people.  I have no personal or political interest, I only am interested in doing good deeds for others, to work and help, assist and love.  My goal is to love others and help them.  Because this is what motivates me, it is easy for people to connect with me.  Doing good deeds is something that bridges the differences.

“Migdal Ohr has many partners who help us continue our activity and they are very different one from the other, they are secular, religious, left-wing, right-wing, Ashkenazim, Sephardim, all with the common goal.  So that all these definitions cease to exist.”

What personal price have you paid for becoming the adoptive father of thousands of children?

“The personal price was paid by my family, children and my wife, Rebbetzin Esther.  I was always busy handling the problems of others, but they did not look at it this way.  They supported me and let me do my work, even if it was at a high price.  My life’s mission became the mission of the entire family and they also enlisted on behalf of this important mission of saving lives.  ‘Whoever saves one soul in Israel, it is as if he saved an entire world.’  This is the mission that connects us all.

“People perhaps recognize me, but in order to make my vision a reality, I needed the help of the Rebbetzin.  Only together, could I make this come true and establish Migdal Ohr.  I would travel abroad to fundraise for at least three months, leaving the Rebbetzin to handle everything, she attended PTA meetings, managed meetings, purchased the clothing and attended to all the children’s needs. I was the educational director, but it was she who made it all run smoothly.  My children also took part in the Migdal Ohr activity; and today, my grandchildren are involved.  I get tremendous satisfaction watching them devote their time to do good deeds for others.”

What are your plans for the future?

“Each year, the government publishes the National Insurance Report, the Poverty Report, according to which there are more than 800,000 hungry children.  This statistic is inconceivable.  I know that there is much more work to do and the task is not complete.  There are hundreds of thousands of children and youth who are waiting for and in need of a place to grow up in with love.  Our goal is to expand our activity and to establish more and more institutions where they can find a loving home.  We shall continue our building momentum and add more schools, classrooms, residences, gyms, laboratories and facilities to provide the children with the best conditions to grow and develop.

“Recently, we have heard about many acts of violence, teenagers getting involved in terrible things.  This results from boredom and a lack of guidance.  They roam the streets and parks with nothing to do.  They lack a framework.

“We have set up the Ohr Yisraeli Youth Movement, with branches nationwide.  Some 7,000 members of the movement attend activities and courses at our branches, learning values and that ‘courteous behavior precedes the Torah.’  They are not labeled as ‘at risk’, they come from good homes, wonderful kids, who instead of roaming the streets in the afternoon; they come to us, meet friends, receive help with their homework, play and go on trips.  With God’s help, we will continue to witness all of our children happy and developing.”

Posted on the MAKO website

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We were delighted to host the honorable President of Israel, Yitzchak Herzog at the Migdal Ohr Organization’s educational institutions

In the midst of preparations for the Chanuka holiday, we were honored to host the President of Israel, Mr. Yitzchak Herzog at the Migdal Ohr Organization’s educational institutions.  The visit was a ray of sunshine and hope for the Migdal Ohr children, who were excited to meet the honorable President and his wife in person.

The President and his wife came for a heartwarming visit and the President told the pupils:  “Each of you, with God’s help, will one day be capable of sitting in the seat of the mayor, the rabbi or in my seat – of becoming someone great in his field, of making an impact on the world and of doing good work, out of concern for your brothers and sister and for the Jewish people.”