Historic Meeting At CHAZAQ Headquarters In KGH

• Prev
• 1 of 3
• Next

On Thursday, January 10th, Harav Shmuel Kaminesky, known as one of the most prominent Rabbinical figures in the Torah world, visited the Chazaq Headquarters in KGH to get a close and personal glimpse into Chazaq’s life changing operations.

The private meeting included Rav Yitzchak Yisraeli (the Chief Rabbi of the Bukharian community), Rav Noach Isaac Oelboum (Khal Nachlas Yitzchok), Rav Doniel Lander (Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Hachaim), Rav Mordechai Finkelman (Mashgiach Ruchni of Ohr Chaim), Rav Aharon Walkin (Rosh Yeshiva of Chazaq’s Beth Midrash), and several staff and board members from Chazaq. 

The meeting focused on the challenges facing the Bukharian community with the foremost concern being that approximately 10,000 traditional Bukharian children attend public school in the Queens community. While the parents are not anti-religious and keep many Jewish customs, they fail to realize the threat that the American public school system poses to their child’s Judaism.

Besides the violence and substance abuse that many students unfortunately become accustomed to, it has also led to widespread intermarriage and hundreds have lost their Jewish identity over the years. 

Rabbi Ilan Meirov, Director of Chazaq, described the many programs that Chazaq offers to strengthen the community at large. They include Sunday and after schools programs, teen sessions for boys and girls, a complete Bais Medrash program, a Kollel to bring the spirit of Torah to the community, a women’s division, various publications, the renowned lectures for adults numerous times a week, and the PSTY (Public School to Yeshiva) division. The PSTY is their most crucial program and the main topic of the meeting.

  R’ Ephraim Rubinov, who was originally a successful computer technician and dropped his career to dedicate himself to the community, showed the Rabbonim all the work that has been done, and can be done with the proper resources. He is currently running a task force of several recruiters that contact parents, discuss the physical and spiritual dangers of public school, help identify the appropriate religious school, and help them transition into them. He has designed a computer program that stores the data base of thousands of children, the status of each active case, every interaction of his team and the prospective yeshiva student, and the follow up of all children that has already made the transition. Ephraim himself is responsible for gathering all the documents needed to verify the lineage of each child. This can include birth certificates, marriage licenses, and kesubos. With Hashem’s help CHAZAQ has already transferred over 550 children to yeshivos in just over two years. A truly remarkable accomplishment. 

Rav Kamenetzky was truly inspired by the work of Chazaq and repeatedly stated he didn’t know one organization can touch so many thousands of Jews in so many different ways. He encouraged everyone to become a partner in Chazaq’s work as they have “accomplished so much and are truly saving lives”. The Rabbi concluded his visit by blessing CHAZAQ’s work and he then stopped by Yeshiva Ohr Chaim in KGH to deliver a short yet powerful shmuz to hundreds of students. The Yeshiva together with its high school affiliate, Yesodei Yeshurun, holds a special part in CHAZAQ’s success as both Rabbi Ilan Meirov and his brother Yaniv are graduates of the Yeshiva, with the latter starting the organization when he was a 15 year old boy in tenth grade.

For more information about Chazaq please visit Chazaq.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For sponsorships please visit givechazaq.com.