What began more than two decades ago with a teenager determined to continue a weekly parsha newsletter has grown into a Torah organization reaching thousands of Jewish families and a sefer now in its third printing, with more than 30,000 copies sold.
Family, friends, rabbanim, and community members packed Beth Gavriel in Forest Hills for the official launch of Rabbi Yaniv Meirov’s Ohr Chazaq on the Parsha: Powerful Torah Lessons for Life. The evening of Torah, music, singing, and dancing celebrated a project closely tied to Chazaq’s beginnings and its growth within the Queens Jewish community.
Rabbi Meirov, founder and CEO of Chazaq and Mara D’atra of Congregation Charm Circle, has spent more than two decades developing Torah, educational, and community programs serving Jewish families throughout Queens and beyond. His newly published book brings that work back to its earliest form: sharing a meaningful Torah thought each week.
The program began with Tehillim led by Rav Doniel Lander, Rosh HaYeshivah of Yeshiva Ohr HaChaim and Rabbi Meirov’s rebbe since his high school years at Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun. It was during those years that Rabbi Meirov began producing weekly parsha newsletters, an undertaking that would eventually help give rise to Chazaq. More than two decades later, Rav Lander joined his longtime talmid in celebrating the publication of a full volume of weekly Torah lessons.
Rabbi Meirov’s older brother, Rav Ilan Meirov, recalled how the newsletters began. While learning at Yeshiva Ohr HaChaim, Rav Ilan and a friend produced a Hebrew weekly parsha sheet featuring Torah, a story, and other material. When the two became engaged and planned to discontinue it, Yaniv, then a young teenager, did not want the project to end. He took it upon himself to produce an English version.
The newsletter developed into Torah lectures and community programming. Chazaq eventually grew into an organization offering Torah education, youth programs, public-school outreach, family services, and community events in Queens and beyond.
Ohr Chazaq on the Parsha grew from approximately six years of weekly shiurim delivered at Congregation Charm Circle. Drawing from Chazal, the Rishonim, the Acharonim, stories, and parables, each section presents a concise lesson from the weekly parsha with a practical message for everyday life.
Rabbi Meirov designed the book with a familiar situation in mind: Someone is sitting at a Shabbat table, sheva brachot, wedding, or another simchah and is unexpectedly asked to share a d’var Torah. The lessons can be learned quickly and shared with others. Each parsha also includes a QR code linking to a two-to-three-minute video of Rabbi Meirov delivering the corresponding Torah thought.
This approach reflects the book’s theme, “From Inspiration to Implementation,” and what Rabbi Meirov calls the three I’s: information, inspiration, and implementation. Information introduces an idea, inspiration gives it meaning, and implementation brings the lesson into everyday life. Parents and children can learn from the book together, students can prepare a d’var Torah, and even someone with limited time can find something worthwhile to share at the Shabbat table.
Throughout the launch, Rabbi Meirov signed copies of the book. His sons and nephews performed together, while the Atid Boys Choir contributed to the musical celebration. Founded by Maestro Izchak Haimov, Atid has introduced young singers to Jewish and Bukharian musical traditions. Haimov has also worked with renowned Bukharian musician Ezro Malakov, a People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, to nurture young talent and preserve the community’s musical heritage. Later, singer Binyamin Rubin of Kew Gardens Hills energized the crowd with spirited singing and dancing.
The evening also recognized those who helped bring the project to publication. Rabbi Meirov expressed appreciation to his parents, wife, family, friends, colleagues, and sponsors. Special recognition went to Shloime and Batsheva Boehm, principal sponsors of the publication, which bears the designation The Boehm Edition. Nissim Akilov and his family were also honored for their partnership and support of Chazaq’s work.
Shloime shared a story about parents who had converted to Judaism and understood that their young son would eventually decide for himself whether to embrace Jewish life. They therefore surrounded him with warmth, kindness, and positive Jewish experiences, hoping he would develop a genuine desire to remain connected to Judaism. He related that approach to Rabbi Yaniv and Rav Ilan Meirov’s work through Chazaq, which seeks to build lasting connections to Torah through meaningful and welcoming experiences.
The launch also provided an opportunity to distribute the book more widely. Nissim encouraged guests to sponsor copies for Jewish families, including those with children attending public schools. Supporters responded with pledges for hundreds and, in several instances, thousands of additional copies.
Special guest Rav Shulem Landau, Rosh HaYeshivah and Rosh Kollel of Mosdot Rivnitz in Williamsburg, spoke about the value of making Torah accessible. Rabbi Meirov noted the popularity of Rav Landau’s short Torah videos, prompting Rav Landau to joke that Rabbi Meirov was becoming a competitor with the new book’s QR-linked videos.
Rav Landau then drew upon the account of Shlomo HaMelech celebrating after receiving wisdom. Why, he asked, celebrate before that wisdom had been put to use? Because the occasion marked not a completed accomplishment, but the beginning of what could now be achieved.
“It’s not a party of finishing,” Rav Landau told the gathering. “It’s a party of starting.”
Rav Landau gave Rabbi Meirov a brachah that the book and accompanying story clips should reach Jews around the world and encourage greater Torah learning and observance. It was a fitting message for an undertaking that began when a teenager refused to let a weekly source of Torah disappear.
Printed in Eretz Yisrael and distributed by Feldheim, Ohr Chazaq on the Parsha has carried Rabbi Meirov’s weekly Torah teachings well beyond the community where they began. What started as a modest newsletter has become a sefer enhanced by brief videos, reaching new readers while remaining faithful to its original purpose: making Torah accessible, meaningful, and part of everyday Jewish life
By Shabsie Saphirstein
From A Teenage Parsha Newsletter To Ohr Chazaq On The Parsha
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