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Chabad, with its dozens of Chabad houses throughout Israel, and yeshiva programs for Israelis, Russians, French, and Americans, reach out to thousands. Followers of Chabad can be seen attending to tefillin booths at the ] and ] as well as other public places, and distribute ] candles on Fridays. There are also Chabad houses in almost every location that Jews might be located, whether as permanent residents, on business, or tourists. Chabad, with its dozens of Chabad houses throughout Israel, and yeshiva programs for Israelis, Russians, French, and Americans, reach out to thousands. Followers of Chabad can be seen attending to tefillin booths at the ] and ] as well as other public places, and distribute ] candles on Fridays. There are also Chabad houses in almost every location that Jews might be located, whether as permanent residents, on business, or tourists.


==Orthodox outreach organizations==<!-- This section is linked from ] -->
===Chabad outreach===
Rabbi ], 6th leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch branch of ], and then his successor, Rabbi ] were responsible for turning Chabad's strength and activities toward outreach. Each in turn sent out large numbers of rabbinic emissaries, known as "]", and their wives to settle in places across the world solely for the purpose of teaching those who did not receive a Jewish education or to inspire those who did. The vehicle chosen for this was termed a "]."

Chabad Rabbis and their families were sent to teach college students, to build day schools, and to create youth camps. Most of these were geared towards their secular or less religious brethren. Additionally, unmarried rabbinical students spend weeks during the summer in locations that do not yet have a permanent Chabad presence, making housecalls, putting up ], teaching Judaism, and simply reminding people that they are Jewish.

Menachem Mendel Schneersohn also initiated the largest worldwide{{Fact|date=June 2007}} Jewish children's movement, called ] (lit. "The Army of God"), for under ]-age children, to inspire them to increase in study of Torah and observance of ]. Schneersohn also encouraged the use of modern technology in outreach efforts such as ]s, which are mobile homes that travel a city or country. The Chabad website, ], a pioneer of Torah, Judaism, and Jewish information on the web, was started by Rabbi Yosef Y. Kazen and developed by Rabbi D. Zirkind.

In addition, nearly 7000 people a year visit Chabad's ''Ascent'' of ], which is a combination recreation center, Jewish youth hostel, and religious retreat that exposes Jews to Judaism, particularly the mystical aspect of it.

In june of 1994 Rabbi Schneersohn passed away leaving no succesor . since than more than a thousand couples have gone out to do outreach work, bringing the total of "shluchim" to three thousand worlwide.

===Aish HaTorah===
The late 1960s saw the founding of the non-hasidic, ] institutions that eventually became the ] and ] outreach yeshivas.

Aish HaTorah has had notable success. The Aish.com website attracts over two million visits each month, and 160,000 unique email subscribers. The site features articles, movies and audio segments on spirituality, parenting, dating, weekly Torah portion, Holocaust studies, and an "Ask the Rabbi" service. Spin-off sites in Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian are all leading websites in their respective languages. At their Discovery Seminar (in different languages) they teach material by Orthodox scientists specifically prepared in accordance with Aish's educational aims to support the authenticity of Orthodox Judaism and its relevance. More than 100,000 people have attended Discovery, at university campuses, Jewish Community Centers, and Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox synagogues.

===NCSY and Modern Orthodox outreach===
Within ], the ] created the ] (NCSY) to reach Jewish teenagers in public schools. Founded by Rabbi ], himself a noted charismatic speaker and writer, the movement also developed its in-house literature geared to the newly observant mainly written by Rabbi ]. In addition, many Modern Orthodox professors have developed and used a sophisticated modern terminology to present Judaism in a scientific manner. Their books on Jewish sciences are the most readily accessible.

===National Jewish Outreach Program===
In 1987, an organization called ] (NJOP) was founded. Headed by a leading outreach rabbi, ], in the first fifteen years of its existence it had managed to create, co-ordinate and guide thousands of volunteer teachers and tens of thousands of Jewish adults. They participated in programs advertised via the mass media and taught at Reform, Conservative and Orthodox synagogues, as well as Jewish non-religious organizations, such as Jewish Community Centers.

Using mass marketing techniques, NJOP have won the support of major Jewish philanthropists, and an ever widening audience by advertising via the media for the ''Crash Course in Hebrew Reading'', ''Crash Course in Judaism'' and other programs.

Finally, outreach professional have been convening national conventions to bring together the professional outreach workers with leading Orthodox rabbis. The ] (later renamed The ]) (AJOP) was founded in 1988 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.

==Orthodox outreach to Jewish women==
One of the earliest pioneers of outreach to men and women is ] ], the founder of the international ] movement in America. A ] survivor, she has made it her life's mission to bring back Jews to Orthodox Judaism. She has written popular books and made tapes. Another notable pioneer of women's Orthodox outreach education is Rebbetzin ] founder of the ] (JRC) in New York.

], founded in 1970, is an Orthodox school for secular Jewish women seeking a college level introductory program. Neve Yerushalayim College has a campus in ]. Its founder and guiding Dean is Rabbi Dr. ] and Mrs. Tzipporah Heller is an extremely popular teacher who has inspired thousands of women.

Machon Chana of Crown Heights (founded 1972), Bais Chana (formerly of Minnesota) and Machon Alte of Tzfas, are Lubavitch women's yeshivos that have taught thousands of Jewish women who are beginners in their knowledge of Judaism.

==Orthodox day schools==
] (The ]), was founded by Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz. It is an American Orthodox organization which has opened hundreds of day schools and provides resources to many different Orthodox Jewish day schools. It has an outreach effort called whereby volunteer Orthodox men and women learn on the phone for an hour a week with a non-Orthodox study-partner. A similar program is called . Torah Umesorah also sponsors the SEED Program whereby young Yeshiva students spend a few weeks during their summers teaching, this is similar to the ] "peace corps" which are Yeshiva-student pairs that visit remote Jewish communities over the summers to help develop Jewish communities by teaching.

==Publishers of English outreach literature==
English, Russian, French and other translations of classical ] and modern Jewish works are crucial to the growth and popularity of the Ba'al teshuva Movement. Some of the most important publishers include:
* ] Publications, which is the publishing wing of the ] movement, has been publishing basic Jewish texts, and ] works since 1941.
* Mesorah Publications, publishers of the ] series , including the Shottenstein English translation of the Talmud.
* Feldheim, which offers a mixture of classical texts and lighter literature.
* Merkos Publications, books on every subject
* ]'s SHAMIR publishes all kinds of Jewish books in Russian. A team of translators and editors have produced the Pentateuch with commentaries, the Code of Jewish Law, and writings of Maimonides and Yehuda Halevy, Machzorim etc.
* ] (sold to Rowman & Littlefield), which publishes texts from rabbis of all Jewish denominations.
* Verdier in France published classical Jewish texts.
* Targum Press (targum.com)
* Sichos in English http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/
* Ktav http://www.ktav.com/

==Orthodox rabbis in outreach==
:''The following lists are not meant to be definitive, they are just a sampling of prominent personalities mainly in Israel and America.''

===First generation===

* Rabbi ] (] &ndash; ]). ] of the ] and also regarded symbolically by the latter ] as its first chief rabbi as well. He was steeped in ], ], and ]. He was regarded as a guide to the ] ] movement, and an advocate of urgent Jewish emigration ('']''), to then Palestine before ]. He won much trust of the secular Jewish leadership in London, Europe, and Palestine, and argued that a warm and positive outlook to the secular pioneers (''halutzim'') would win loyalty and greater respect for Orthodox Judaism.
* Rabbi ] (] &ndash; ]). The seventh ] of ] ]. He established a vast international educational, outreach, and community-building movement. In over 40 years, he inspired about 5,000 young men and women to become rabbis and ] (a name for a rabbi's wife) as his personal emissaries all over the world, with the goal of exposing and attracting non-religious Jews towards Judaism, as well as opening schools, mikvehs, synagogues, yeshivahs, etc. This campaign has had notable success, as a large portion of Lubavitch hasidim today are ''baalei teshuvah'' or children of ''baal teshuva'' parents. After Schneerson's death in 1994 his hassidim continue his work and hundreds of new emissaries continue to leave for even the remotest places.
* Rabbi ] (] &ndash; ]). The late ] of ] in ]. Moulder of many Orthodox rabbis in America. Author of ''Pachad Yitzchok'' ("Fear Isaac"). Arriving in New York in the 1930s, he attracted many young men and influenced them to study Talmud intensively in his "Chaim Berlin yeshiva". Many of them eventually became scholars and leaders of Orthodoxy active in education ('']'') and outreach (''kiruv''). He developed a unique Jewish philosophy combining mysticism, ethics, Talmud, hasidic thought, and Jewish law. His daughter, ] (b.]-), obtained a Ph.D. from Columbia University and became the dean of Bais Yakov of Jerusalem ("BJJ"), an influential seminary for Orthodox women. In the 1970s he moved to Jerusalem and established a new yeshiva called ''Pachad Yitzchok.''
* Rabbi ]. Congregational rabbi, one of the first writers of books on Jewish philosophy for today's seeker, and former '']'' ("spiritual supervisor") in Rabbi Hutner's Chaim Berlin yeshiva in Brooklyn. Renowned for his over 2,500 taped lectures disseminated amongst, and influencing, many Jews; religious and non-religious alike.
* Rabbi ]. Head of the ] with its graduates, branches and schools all over the United States. Unique in that his yeshiva combines a maximal focus on becoming a deep scholar, together with a strong focus on outreach and reaching non-observant Jews. There are currently fifteen affiliates, including outreach centers and yeshivos, across the US and Canada with two more in Israel.

===Second generation===
* Rabbi Dov Begon. Founder of ] in ], ]. Machon Meir is the only Jewish outreach yeshiva that specializes in teaching the ] philosophy of Rabbi ].
* Rabbi ]. Founder of NJOP, ].
* Rabbi ]. Pioneer educator, orator, author, translator, and builder of Jewish communities in America and Israel. Also Dean of ].
* Rabbi ]. The "Singing Rabbi", composer and performer of many now-popular Jewish religious songs.
* Rabbi ]. Prominent leader of Chabad activities in California. Directed the first ].
* Rabbi ]. Pioneers and builder of the Melbourne Jewish community through outreach activities.
* Rabbi ]. Leading thinker and lecturer. Dean of a Women's Yeshiva.
* Rabbi ]. Founder and Rosh Yeshiva of ] the first serious full-time American yeshiva geared to newly observant Jewish young men.
* Rabbi ]. Translator of Torah literature into modern English and author of booklets and books used for both introductory and in-depth presentations of Judaism.
* Rabbi ]. Roving rabbi and noted speaker. Directs development of the global ] emissary network.
* Rabbi ]. Founder of the outreach Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, Chief Rabbi of ],Israel, and Dean of Ohr Torah Stone Institutions, Israel.
* Rabbi ]. Founder and builder of the Orthodox Union's NCSY youth outreach division.
* Rabbi ]. Himself a ''baal teshuvah'', author of books explaining Judaism in-depth and in modern terminology, and popular lecturer.
* Rabbi ]. Dean and founder of ] and Jerusalem Fellowships.


==See also==
* ]
==External links== ==External links==
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; Online resources
* Internet Yeshiva with live teaching from Rabbi's around the world
* – Live daily webcast with interactive chat straight to the Rabbi's laptop
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* - Weekly Torah Classes and Archives, Introductory and Advanced
* - Management Software and Resources for Jewish Outreach
* - Ask the Rabbi Service and Referral to Local Resources
* - Torah MP3s Including Hundreds of Classes Given in an Outreach Setting
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* – Articles & MP3s From a ''Baal Teshuva'' Perspective
* – ''Baal Teshuva'' Blog
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* - MP3 Audio Lectures
* http://www.sichosinenglish.org/
* http://www.safed-kabbalah.com/
* http://jewishaudio.org/
* http://www.chassidus.com/audio/tayj/
* http://www.beverlyhillschabad.com/
* http://www.meaningfullife.com/
* http://www.geocities.com/kabbalahonline/
* http://www.yiddishkeit.org/Default_YK.asp?ItemCode=24




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Revision as of 14:18, 25 September 2007

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Baal teshuva (Hebrew: בעל תשובה; for a woman: בעלת תשובה, baalat teshuva; plural: בעלי תשובה, baalei teshuva) is a Hebrew term referring to a person who has repented. Baal teshuva can be translated idiomatically as "one who has done repentance." The term has historically referred to a Jew who had transgressed the Halakha ("Jewish law") and completed a process of introspection and "returned" to the straight path. Also, Jews who adopt Orthodoxy later in life are known "baalei teshuva" or "chozer b'teshuva" (חוזר בתשובה, more common in Israel).

Origins as a movement

Appearing in the 1960s, a growing number of young Jews who had previously been raised in non-religious homes in the United States started to develop a strong interest in becoming a part of observant Judaism; many of these people, in contrast to sociological expectations, became attracted to observant Judaism within Orthodoxy.

This trend was partly related to the prevailing anti-establishment atmosphere of the 1960s, and also to a great rise in Jewish pride in the wake of Israel's victory in 1967's Six-Day War. Although the effects of the Holocaust and the sway of the counterculture movement led many to abandon their religious upbringing, others were willing to experiment with alternate 'liberated' life-styles, and it was intriguing to explore Sabbath observance, intensive prayer, and deeper Torah and Talmud study. A great many of these people adopted a fully Orthodox Jewish way of life, and although some eventually dropped out entirely or found their path within Conservative Judaism, others remained.

Roots for this movement can also be seen in some pre-1960's organizations whose goals were not oriented towards attracting the non-observant to observance, but were more concerned with simply stemming the trend away from observance. These included the establishment of Young Israel in 1912, the rise of Chabad-Lubavitch in the 1940s, and youth organizations like the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) and Yeshiva University's Torah Leadership Seminar in the 1950s.

In the former Soviet Union

This baal teshuva movement also appeared in the former Soviet Union, which at that time had almost completely secularized its Jewish population. The rise of Jewish pride came in response to the growth of the State of Israel, in reaction to the USSR's pro-Arab and anti-Zionist policies, and in reaction to the USSR's anti-Semitism. The return-to-Judaism movement was a spontaneous movement from the ground up; it came as a great surprise to the Soviet authorities, and even to the Jewish community outside the USSR. Young leaders included Yosef Mendelevich, Eliyahu Essas, Herman Branover, and Yitzchok Kogan, who all later moved to Israel and are now actively teaching other Russian emigres in Israel, aside from Kogan, who leads a community in Moscow.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, had a core of dedicated Hasidim who maintained underground yeshivos and mikvaos, and provided shechitah and circumcision services. They served as the rabbis who jump-started the teshuvah movement and had these services in place so that the new baalei teshuva had whom to turn to for their religious questions and needs.

The Israeli victory of the Six Day War in 1967 ignited the pride of Jews in the Soviet Union, particularly in Russia. Suddenly there were hundreds of thousands of Jews wanting to go to Israel, although they dared not express their desire too openly. Several thousand applied for exit visas to Israel and were instantly ostracised by government organs including the KGB. Many hundreds became refuseniks (known as otkazniks in Russian), willing to suffer jail time to demonstrate their new-found longing for Zion. In the middle of this there arose a new interest in learning about and practicing Judaism, an urge that the Communist government had long attempted to stamp out.

Many Russian Jews began to study any Jewish texts they could lay their hands on. Foreign rabbis came on visits in order to teach how to learn Torah and how to observe Jewish law. Jewish ritual objects, such as tefillin, mezuzot, siddurim, and even matzah, were also smuggled into Russia. Now there is a rich resource of Russian religious texts that flourishes and caters to Russian Jews living in Russia, America, and Israel.

In Israel

During this time there was a movement among secular Israeli Jews that was essentially a search for spirituality. At the time, most Israeli parents were secular Zionists. While some Jews were hostile to traditional Judaism, a spiritual quest in the 1960s and 1970s caused some Israelis to seek answers in Jewish tradition.

In Israel, schools have flourished for the intensive study of Torah especially designed for the newly religious students who wanted to devote time to intensive study of classical texts with the ancient rabbinic commentaries. These schools opened in the early 1970s, mainly based in Jerusalem. Two significant institutions have been the Aish HaTorah Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Noach Weinberg, and the Ohr Somayach Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Nota Schiller. Both of these rabbis had degrees from American universities and were able to speak to the modern mind-set.

Chabad, with its dozens of Chabad houses throughout Israel, and yeshiva programs for Israelis, Russians, French, and Americans, reach out to thousands. Followers of Chabad can be seen attending to tefillin booths at the Western Wall and Ben Gurion International Airport as well as other public places, and distribute shabbat candles on Fridays. There are also Chabad houses in almost every location that Jews might be located, whether as permanent residents, on business, or tourists.


See also

External links

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