The passing of Minister Uri Orbach, which shook religious Zionism, led to a fascinating project that was conceived, separately, for years by those who cherished his memory: distributing candy in hundreds of synagogues across the country as a tribute to Orbach's well-known book, "Maybe They'll Throw Candy on Shabbat.".
One of the initiators, Efrat Moskowitz, Orbach's niece who wanted to find a way to preserve the memory of her beloved uncle, posted the following suggestion on Facebook: "Maybe on Shabbat they'll throw candy? They will. In memory of Uri Orbach, a singer, journalist, writer, father, husband and also a beloved uncle. Would you also like to hand out candy at your synagogue with the poem dedicated to Uri's memory? Send me your email address and I'll send you a PDF file to print." Attached to the message was a picture of Uri Orbach's poem "Maybe on Shabbat they'll throw candy.".
Moskowitz spoke to Haredim10 and said: "A young woman, a journalist, contacted me on Facebook with the idea that I proposed to the rabbi of our synagogue. The rabbi said he needed to consult with the rabbi, but in the meantime I decided to initiate the initiative through Facebook and was amazed by the public's great outpouring of love for Uri. I was surprised by the great warmth that came from the public, the words of condolence, the longing for his sense of mission, for his messages and writing, and for everything he represents.".
The initiative quickly gained momentum, and Efrat says that she received dozens of requests, until, due to the heavy workload, she decided to upload the file for direct download. "We believe that Uri rebranded religious Zionism in a way that everyone wanted to belong to, in a desirable way, and especially in the daily feelings of each and every member of religious Zionism," says Efrat. "He greatly valued writing and the legacy it perpetuates, and I believe that more than anything, this legacy of Uri, in his books, his opinions, and his columns, will remain and be preserved.".
A similar initiative is being promoted by Avraham Pollak, who 'grew up' on Auerbach's books. "This is one of the first books I received as a gift. On my 5th birthday. I read this book dozens of times as a child and then again when I was an adult," he told the nrg website.
Pollak's sister, the poet Sivan Har Shefi, also joined her brother's initiative and wrote on her Facebook page: "Maybe on Shabbat we'll throw candy? My younger brother, who grew up on 'Maybe on Shabbat they'll throw candy' (well, not really young), came up with an idea that captured my heart: to throw candy in synagogues this coming Shabbat in the dear and warm memory of (Minister) Uri Auerbach. I'm in favor! Whoever joins, let them share.".
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