Emes Ve-Emunah: Isaac Hersh Freed!

Friday, March 28, 2008

Isaac Hersh Freed!

I do not usually report the news here but rather comment on it. But I am making an exception in this case because the news is very good.

Vos Iz Neias has reported that 16 year old Issac Hersh has been rescued from his ‘imprisonment’ and torture at Tranquility Bay. He arrived in New York this morning at 7:00 AM EDT. Thank God his ordeal is over. Rabbis Shmuel Kaminetsky and Dovid Feinstein deserve tremendous thanks for their efforts in securing his release. For more details - see VIN.

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.