Leadership Where It Counts: Rav Kook’s Visit, June 15–18

Who today is on the spot to strengthen the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva students following the murder of their friends?... Who is still there to comfort and guide the beleaguered S’derot residents or the Gush Katif evacuees, long forgotten by the media?... Who today is capable of building bridges in the factious Israeli society?

Rabbi Simcha HaKohen Kook, beloved by religious and secular alike, is, as always, ready to meet the ever-growing needs of the Jews he loves. Like his great uncle, the revered Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, he manages to stand up for his principles without antagonizing others.

Arriving in Lawrence this weekend, Rabbi Kook, who serves as Chief Rabbi of Rehovot and av beit din, has a phone that never stops ringing and a door that is always open. He gives shiurim to the secular municipality, invites the police force for regular get-togethers, and gives inspirational talks at army bases around the country. It isn’t surprising that his myriad involvements have earned him the name of an influential leader with a gentle modest manner that can win over youth and adults alike.

In Rehovot, Rabbi Kook once actually entered a local disco one Friday night and had the manager quite flustered when he sat down at a table and started talking to a group of teens there. It wasn’t long before the same kids followed him out the door to his house, where they had in-depth discussions on Judaism—an experience that these kids had never had. The youths left in the wee hours of the morning, but instead of returning to the disco the next week, they went to learn more from the rabbi. Soon the disco closed down, and eventually many boys from that group became religious and joined respected communities.

Rabbi Kook’s involvement is great in initiatives such as Shuvu education for Russian immigrants, Ayelet Hashachar kiruv programs, rebuilding the Churva synagogue, and the Nefesh B’Nefesh aliyah project. Many other activities are done far from the limelight of the media, typical of the rabbi’s self-effacing manner.

“Every Jew has the spark of our forefather Avraham—no matter what political party they belong to whether it’s Meretz or Agudah,” says Rav Kook. Anyone seeing the relaxed secular and religious crowd sitting in Rabbi Kook’s incredibly big sukkah on Sukkot can see living proof of this.

Rabbi Kook is scheduled to be in town from Sunday, June 15, through Wednesday, June 18, and will be hosted by David and Barbara Martin.