“No matter how far away a Jew who lives in the Holy Land is, his isolation is not complete,” said the Belzer Rebbe to the directors of the famous Hidabrut outreach organization. At a meeting in his home this week to give them guidance, he said, “But in America, there are millions of Jews to whom the fact that they are Jews means nothing to them.”
Several years after the map of Judaism in Israel was completely changed by Hidabrut, Hidabrut is now launching a new revolution, this time in a magnitude never before seen in the world of outreach. Over a year ago, Hidabroot — which was almost the only one who distributed its videos and articles to the furthest reaches of the globe and dominates almost the entire Jewish world, including some Arab states where Jews still live — began preparations to cross the borders of Israel and establish a Hidabrut channel in the United States with an infrastructure completely separate from the Israeli channel. At the end of a round of meetings with American media professionals, Rabbi Isaac Fried, the chairman of Hidabroot’s Executive, returned to Israel astonished. “I’m not sure we understand the importance of what is happening before our eyes,” he said. “The Jewish people are returning to their Father in heaven all over the world.”
Efforts to get the channel ready are revving up. Videos were translated in Hidabrut’s studios in the U.S., and lectures, programs and articles were translated from Hidabrut’s Hebrew channel in America into English. Dozens of English-speaking rabbis and lecturers came to Hidabrut’s studios to deliver lectures and classes that fit the style of the Jewish population in the U.S. Hidabrut’s channel has picked up momentum and the decision was made to already take concrete measures to establish a communication channel with American.
As was always done during Hidabrut’s existence, the organization's leaders gathered to receive guidance from the Belzer Rebbe who is accompanying and directing the administration at every step. Hidabrut Chairman Rabbi Zamir Cohen, Executive Chairman Rabbi Isaac Fried, spiritual director Rabbi Yeshaya Wind and CEO Rabbi David Tufik laid out before the Rebbe a summary of all actions taken until the present to set up the channel, including hundreds of videos of lectures in Israel and around the world which are immediately ready to be screened as soon as the new channel is set up in the United States.
The Rebbe instructed the heads of the organization to mobilize all their energy to set up Hidabrut America. Its tremendous success in Israel shows it is capable of making a life-transforming change among American Jews, many of whom are in danger of assimilation, or have already assimilated.
“Should we be cautious when talking about assimilation in a channel that will be screened in America?” Rabbi Zamir Cohen asked, explaining his concern that sensitive things might reach non-Jewish viewers and cause damage. The Rebbe, who has gone into the nitty-gritty details in anything doing with Hidabrut replied that the channel should advocate that every member of a religion, no matter which, should remain affiliated with his own religion, since mixing different religions is not good for anyone and could harm all religions. This is why Jews should only marry Jews.
Those present took encouragement from the Rebbe’s guidance and warm blessings, and immediately completed preparations for a Hidabrut delegation to the United States to formulate practical measures until the channel goes on air. The delegation to the U.S., which includes Rabbi Zamir Cohen, Rabbi Isaac Fried, Rabbi David Tufik, will meet with public figures in the American Jewish community, and various officials in Jewish organizations like Agudath Israel, who are interested in harnessing themselves and taking part in the revolution.
Alongside the consultations and preparations for the breakthrough American channel, the delegation will also devote themselves to Jewish revival meetings in North America ahead of the new year, as well as a round of conferences in many cities and states, including among others, in New York, New Jersey, Miami, Chicago and Atlanta. Two seminars will be held for American Jews to counteract the plague of rampant assimilation there.
The heads of Hidabrut in Israel say, “We pray that just as we attained accomplishments that nobody dreamed possible, and we’ve completely changed everyone’s perceptions in terms of outreach, this time also we can make an historic change in the Jewish history world around the globe.”