Yoram was quite disappointed with his Bar Mitzvah party. Although a festive and eye-catching ceremony was held for him at the synagogue, and he was the star of the evening, when he saw no sign of the tefillin waiting to be put on, he felt a sense of loss.
When he asked his parents about it, they both raised an eyebrow and were shocked by the very question: Wearing tefillin? In their community? - completely unacceptable.
Until recently, Yoram knew nothing about Judaism. He grew up in one of the well-kept suburban towns in New York State. The sparse Jewish community in his area was far from observing Torah and mitzvot. Yoram's father, a renowned professor, and his mother, a lawyer, did not refer to their Jewish origin and usually did not visit the synagogue. They would rarely come to pray at the Reform Temple, a 20-minute drive from their home.
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The first time Yoram encountered authentic Orthodox Judaism was when he enrolled in Bar Mitzvah preparation classes with the rabbi. In the classes, Yoram learned about the essence of the big day, a little taste of the Jewish religion, and the commandment of tefillin, and he eagerly awaited the opportunity to put them on. Even in the run-up to the Bar Mitzvah, his parents did not buy him the long-awaited tefillin. Of course, they enrolled him in the rabbi's classes so that he could learn a little "theory" about the meaning of the Bar Mitzvah day, while they did not expect him to begin practicing any of what he learned in practice.
Yoram didn't say desperate, and asked that they buy him tefillin as a gift in honor of... Christian Christmas.
Asked - and received!
Yoram guarded the tefillin with all his might and waited for the opportunity to learn more about them. Last summer, Yoram insisted on going to Ora's summer camp. At the camp, he learned in depth about the importance of tefillin in Jewish life. Yoram finally knew what to do with his gift. And so, surrounded by his friends and excited instructors, Yoram put on tefillin for the first time in his life.
on""Her skin" We encounter stories of this kind almost every day, and they are the fuel that drives the organization that was established with great effort, as part of a war against assimilation into the reality of Western life. If in the past it was a slow trickle to the other side, today the numbers show a constant stream. In fact, according to popular statistics, the people of Israel lose about 100 men and women every day through mixed marriages.
The one who anxiously followed the frightening reality 30 years earlier was Rabbi Chaim Mintz Shlita of Staten Island, New York. Rabbi Mintz understood that one should not sit idly by. According to the data, the day will not be far off and there will be no one to bring...
In light of the situation, Rabbi Mintz founded the ""Her skin"".
"Her skin" It began as a one-man organization that knocked on the doors of Jews in Staten Island and convinced parents to send their children to Jewish schools, while they were still young and could be influenced.
Later, as the response increased, Rabbi Mintz obtained funding for tuition and opened a Torah kindergarten for children. Over the years, "Ura" expanded its scope of activity beyond the borders of Staten Island and became a household name throughout the United States, Canada, and Israel.
In Israel, the "Ora Kitza" association was opened, focusing on the age range of 18-24, and which encourages both young men and women to attend yeshivas and seminars in Israel. Ora finances tuition, gives them monthly support, Sabbaths, and a weekly study program every Saturday. In this way, their connection with Judaism is maintained. Many of their sons have established faithful and important homes in the spirit of their grandfather's Yisrael.
The uniqueness of the organization is that it accompanies the child throughout the entire journey, from a young age to the wedding.
The main activity of the organization is to enroll children in Torah schools, fund tuition, and organize summer camps for Jewish children and youth from secular families. A month's stay in a Torah-based atmosphere and a Shabbat-observing environment works wonders in the child's soul. After the camp, the instructors maintain contact with the camper throughout the year, and once a week they study together, so that the child can continue his studies in a Torah-based place and also bring his parents closer.
To finance all this extensive activity, the organization publishes the "The Chinese sale of her skin".
Most people don't believe that a small investment of 20 NIS per ticket can give them a prize worth thousands of dollars. In addition, they enter the "Million Dollar" lottery. In this lottery, you can win an amount 1000 times the amount of the donation, up to a million dollars.
Every ticket sold will help us save another Jew – in their words they remind us that "we must remember that they are our brothers and we are committed to them.".
