Migdal Ohr: The Magic of Caring:

Rabbi Grossman

A sixth generation Jerusalemite, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman was born in 1946. At the age of 21, he decided to move to— and tackle the problems of—Migdal Ha'Emek, then Israel's most depressed development town, inhabited largely by impoverished Jewish immigrants. The town's socio-economic and educational infrastructure could not keep pace with its increasing population, resulting in a scarcity of jobs, schools, teachers, and social services. The devastated town became a hotbed of criminal activity, domestic violence, drug abuse, and poor education.

Rabbi Grossman's timely arrival changed the fate of Migdal Ha'Emek. To uncover the roots of the town's social problems, he became a frequent visitor at pubs, discotheques, and prisons. Before long, he understood that lack of love, nurturing, and education were the culprits—and that the people needed help.

Moved by his sincere desire to improve their lives and relieve them of their pain and suffering, the people of Migdal Ha'Emek developed a deep trust of Rabbi Grossman; just one year after his arrival, he was named the town's Chief Rabbi. By then, he was convinced that to save future generations from deprivation and prison, he had to find a way to protect and educate the town's children. Rabbi Grossman also realized that the problems of Migdal Ha'Emek were not only common across the whole Galil area, they were absolutely urgent. His lifetime work had begun.

In 1972, Rabbi Grossman founded Migdal Ohr. He began by caring for 18 orphaned and impoverished children, but the enterprise grew swiftly, its success surpassing all expectations. Before long, Migdal Ohr's educational and individualized approach to nurturing and motivating children had become a recognized model for turning street kids into scholars, professionals, and happy, productive citizens.

The future of Migdal Ha'Emek and thousands of Israeli children have been placed on a more secure foundation. The priceless returns on private dollar donations, grants, and subsidies from social and educational agencies are now visible to everyone who visits Migdal Ohr. Due to downturns in the Israeli economy, there has been a marked reduction in allocations to the school. Today Migdal Ohr must rely more than ever on charitable contributions from private donors and foundations.to meet the overwhelming needs of the children.

Rabbi Grossman himself has also received numerous accolades and prestigious awards. In 1983, Israel's President Chaim Herzog presented him with the Love of Israel Award. In 1991, Migdal Ohr was acclaimed as the best educational network in Israel, and Rabbi Grossman was honored with the "Best of the Decade" (Nivchar Haesor) Award. That same year, the Knesset presented Rabbi Grossman with the "Tolerance Prize." He has been elected and re-elected as a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, a body comprising a handful of select municipal chief rabbis who serve as an Advisory Cabinet to Israel's Chief Rabbinate. In 2004, Rabbi Grossman was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for his lifetime work and leadership, and for the success and acclaim attained by the Migdal Ohr Educational Institutions.