Posts Tagged Fellowship
Yeshivas Nefesh Dovid
Posted by Moishe Alexander
The first Jewish high school of its kind in the world, Yeshivas Nefesh Dovid (YND), founded in 2001, channels the knowledge of Torah into the hearts, minds and lives of deaf and hard-of-hearing young men. YND, with its sterling secular educational program, is a valuable support system for this population throughout the global Jewish community. YND accepts young men in their teens from yeshivos, Jewish Day Schools, and public schools and addresses all the emotional and academic challenges that those with hearing loss typically deal with on a daily basis regardless of mode of communication.
A unique aspect of the program is the presence of role models who are deaf or hard-of-hearing themselves, including Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Kakon, the Dean and Rosh Yeshiva, and co-founder Dr. Hart Bressler, MD. In addition to trained and qualified rebbeim and teachers, sign language interpreting services, speech pathology, audiology services and an array of recreational activities all complement the program. Upon graduation, the students receive an internationally recognized Ontario Secondary Diploma. Since its inception, YND’s current home base at the Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto only serves to further integrate the students with hearing peers and the community at large.
Rabbi Kakon earned his Master’s Degree in Talmudical Law and s’micha (rabbinical ordination) from Ner Israel Rabbinical College of Baltimore, Maryland. He also holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland. As a licensed therapist, Rabbi Kakon provided clinical therapy services for several years.
While in Baltimore, he also founded and directed the only overnight camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing Jewish adolescent boys at Ner Israel Campus for seven summers. The success of the program and the necessity for a year-around education for this population resulted in Rabbi Kakon and his family’s relocation to Toronto to co-found YND.
Rabbi Kakon, a descendant of the Ropshitzer Rebbe and a ninth generation descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, is a charismatic teacher whose unique experiences and achievements inspire people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Rabbi Yechiel
Posted by Moishe Alexander
Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein, founder and chairman of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada, has devoted the past 25 years to building bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews and broad support for the State of Israel. He is recognized as the world’s leading Jewish authority on evangelical Christians.
Rabbi Eckstein received Orthodox Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University in New York. He holds master’s degrees from Yeshiva University and Columbia University, where he also completed studies for his doctorate. Rabbi Eckstein has served on the faculties of Columbia University, Chicago Theological Seminary and Northern Baptist Seminary. He currently serves on the executive committee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and on the boards of directors of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren Hayesod.
Moishe Alexander and the IFCJ
I am delighted to announce The Fellowship’s 2009 Journey Home to Israel Tour!
This special trip will be October 31 to November 9, 2009, and I am pleased to share with you the exciting details. Our previous tours have been very successful–and full–which is why I want to give you this early opportunity to make your plans to join us this fall.
This year our journey through Israel will include: Jerusalem, both the modern-day capital and the Old City; Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee; Mount Carmel and the Golan Heights; the Garden Tomb; Masada and the Dead Sea; and many other exciting biblical sites.
You will also meet with key Israeli leaders, and receive a firsthand introduction to our lifesaving projects (On Wings of Eagles and Guardians of Israel) that you make possible throughout the Holy Land.
And as a special highlight, I look forward to sharing a traditional Sabbath meal with you during our 2009 tour, at which time we will discuss the warm relationship between Jews and Christians who love and support Israel.
Based on the testimonies of the hundreds of Fellowship friends who have participated in our previous tours, I can assure you this year’s tour will be an unforgettable time of blessing, enjoyment, and spiritual growth for you!
I believe you will be deeply touched–and changed–by this journey of a lifetime to the Holy Land.
With prayers for shalom, peace,