This Pesach, my wife Atara and I had the great z’chus to spend Yom Tov in Eretz Yisrael with our children and grandchildren in Beitar. What made the trip even more meaningful was the bris milah of our newest grandson, Mordechai Chaitovsky – born to our children Dovi and Chana Chaitovsky – held at the home of Mashgiach HaGaon Rav Don Segal. The celebration was a moment of deep simchah and profound hakaras ha’tov to Hashem for the gift of family and the brachah of continuity.
One of the most moving experiences of our visit was attending Birkas Kohanim from the rooftop of Aish HaTorah, overlooking the Kosel. I am deeply grateful to the yeshivah, and especially to Rabbi Steven Burg, Danit Kanal, Moshe Kinderlehrer (my esteemed colleague at the Jewish Link), Tamar Rabinowitz, and Rabbi Yehudah Weinberg, for enabling this unforgettable moment. From our vantage point above, we witnessed thousands of Yidden united in t’filah, receiving the brachos of hundreds of kohanim in a single, thunderous voice. The scene was majestic – infused with k’dushah, unity, emotion, and unshakable emunah.
As Atara and I made our way through the ancient alleyways of the Old City, surrounded by fellow Jews celebrating Chol HaMoed, the joy was palpable. Smiles lit up the faces around us, and you could feel the neshamos uplifted by the spirit of the moment. Despite the heartache and pain – the ongoing war, the unimaginable plight of the hostages, the ever-present threat of rockets – am Yisrael continues to walk with dignity and unwavering faith.
Our resilience is nothing short of miraculous. We are a people who cry and bleed, yet also sing, create, and believe. Through it all, we feel the chibah y’seirah – the special love – of Hashem, who shields His nation with infinite rachamim.
Mi k’amcha Yisrael! May we continue to witness y’shuos and n’chamos, and may we always recognize the miracles that surround us – in Eretz Yisrael, in Queens, and worldwide.
By Yaakov Serle, Co-Publisher
