kiruv.com

Originally made for internal use, the film is now available for all to see. In August 2006 a group of sixty Aish HaTorah rabbis from around the world visited the death camps in Poland with their Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Noah Weinberg.

This is the story of their journey and its relevance to Rabbi Weinberg's fifty year battle against assimilation.

Watch the Full version online below:

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Background to the Film

The footage for this feature length production (63 minutes running time) was primarily taken on location in Poland as the camera crew accompanied the Rabbis through the blood soaked sites of Warsaw, Auschwitz, Treblinka and Mejdanik. This was an historic trip for Aish HaTorah as the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Weinberg, has spoken for many years about the link between the devastation that pounded European Jewry during the Second World War, and his unrelenting fight to educate and inspire the masses of post War Jews who are ignorant of the richness of their own Jewish heritage.

The trip was especially poignant as there were many children of survivors amongst the group who had not previously visited the camps. Many of the participants of the group number amongst Aish HaTorah's first graduating semicha classes and now hold rabbinic and Jewish leadership positions in cities across the English speaking world. Whilst many have seen their own interest in Judaism reignited and subsequently enriched under the tutelage of Rabbi Weinberg, they interface daily with families ravaged by assimilation.

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita, Rosh Kollel of the Jerusalem Kollel introduces the film talking about a deep understanding of Hashgacha and the current historic predicament of the Jewish people.

What Can I do?

Sign up to Partners in Torah

Share your knowledge of Judaism one hour a week www.partnersintorah.org

Daven

Say an extra chapter of tehillim daily or weekly for the sake of the Jewish people

Invite a secular friend for Shabbos

The warmth and hospitality shown at a Shabbos table is a wonderful introduction to Jewish values - open your door to a secular friend this weekend.

Further Halacha and Hashkafa sources

To read an English translation of the Chofetz Chaim's Chomas Hadas talking about the Achriyus click here

To read an English translation of the Chasam Sofer's Introduction to Teshuvos, Yoreh Deah click here

For a PDF with Hebrew mekoros compiled by R' Berkovits concerning the obligation of kiruv please click here

The State of American Jewry

Intermarriage rates have risen from roughly 6% in 1950 to approximately 40%-50% in the year 2000 and are rising.

Of the approximately 6 million Jews in the United States, about 2 out of 3, either do not identify themselves Jewishly or maintain an affiliation with a synagogue

1 million, or 54% of all American Jewish children under the age of 18 are being raised as non-Jews or with no religion.

Only 36% of Jewish households light Shabbat Candles.

Of the population that consists of people who were born Jewish and are Jewish by choice, only 11% attend synagogue weekly.

Statistics taken from Council of Jewish Federations' 1990 National Jewish Population Survey.