Rabbi Avi Weiss:  my hero

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Afew weeks  ago, I attended a momentous event honoring Rabbi Avi Weiss and his family. It marked the first time the spiritual leader of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale had ever allowed himself to be honored. For that and other reasons, it was a blessed event.  

People talk about “Rabbi Avi Weiss” the icon and firebrand, when in reality the person portrayed in the media is a small piece of who this holy man truly is. His wife, Toby, said it succinctly in a touching video at the dinner: “There are so many aspects of him which people don’t know.”

He epitomizes everything a rabbi should be.  A man who connects with people, a genuine, honorable leader whose deeds come from the heart for the right reasons. He deeply  loves his family, his congregants, his religion, Israel and the Jewish people. (And of course, Riverdale). 

Tens of thousands of Jews all over the world feel a special bond with Reb Avi as he sparks and connects with us in a unique way. Undeniably, he is one of the greatest Jews of this generation.

I have been blessed to have him as a part of my life, for nearly my entire life, and I wanted to share a few personal thoughts. My mother, Penny Waga, of blessed memory, moved us to Kappock Street  in 1979 when I was five years old.  We joined the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale then — when it was in the Whitehall — because Rabbi Weiss was, as my mother said, a “right-wing Rabbi.”  

I have pictures of him from 32 years ago, at Purim, wearing a clown costume in Seton Park.  He knew it would help him connect to many Jews who had never before met a Rabbi with whom they could bond.  Even then, people of all walks of life attended his events and his synagogue (which is affectionately called The Bayit, or The Home).  

When I was nine years old, I got hit in the face with a baseball in a little league game and was briefly knocked out. Within a short while of my being taken home, he was there reassuring me, and more importantly, my single mother.  He has always been there for so many of us, no matter where he was or what issue he was in the middle of championing on behalf of our people.

Avi Weiss, Ronn Torossian
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