#Alon Ohel

[girlactionfigure]

[lesfruitsdores]

Who are the hostages still held by Hamas?

On October 7, 2023, 253 Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas and gazan civilians. Since then, 105 were released in a prisioner exchange deal, 4 were released by Hamas and 3 were rescued.

However, 60 remain in captivity [as of 02/09/24] (4 of those were kidnapped prior to 2023). A recent investigation has concluded that more than a fifth of the hostages are dead and the fate of some other hostages remains unknown. This video explains how doctors determine which hostages are dead, based on the nature of their injury and by analyising footage and the victims' last phone calls. Additionally, during the operation in Gaza, the IDF has recovered the bodies of a few victims and returned to their families for burial.

Since I couldn't find this all in one place, I've compiled a list of: 1) hostages who are presumed alive; 2) hostaged whose death has been reported/confirmed; 3) hostages who were released or rescued. In the group of hostages presumed to be alive who haven't been released, the youngest is 1-year-old Kfir Bibas and the oldest hostage is Iraqi-born 85-year old Shlomo Mansour.

As we learn more information, I'll continue to update this post.

They need to come back home. I'm hoping for more successful rescue operations soon. Keep them in your thoughts.

Hostages still held by Hamas (presumed alive or fate unknown):

(1) (2) (3)

Abraham Eitan Mor (23)

Agam Berger (19)

Alexander (Sasha) Trupanob (28)

Alon Ohel (22)

Arbel Yehoud (28)

Ariel Bibas (4)

Ariel Cunio (26)

Avera Mengistu (37) – Has been held hostage since 2014

Avinathan Or (30)

Bar Kupershtein (22)

Bipin Joshi (23)

Daniel Gilboa (19)

David Cunio (33)

Doron Steinbrecher (30)

Edan Alexander (20)

Eitan Horn (37)

Eli Sharabi (51)

Eliya Cohen (26)

Elkana Bohbot (34)

Evytar David (23)

Gadi Moses (79)

Gali Berman (26)

Guy Gilboa-Dalal (22)

Hamzah Al-Zayadni (22)

Hisham al-Sayed (35) - Has been held hostage since 2015

Yair Horn (45)

Idan Shivi (28)

Itzhk Elgarat (68)

Karina Ariev (19)

Kfir Bibas (1)

Liri Albag (18)

Matan Angrest (21)

Matan Zangauker (24)

Maxim Herkin (35)

Naama Levy (19)

Nimrod Cohen (19)

Oded Lifshitz (83)

Ofer Kalderon (53)

Ohad Ben Ami (55)

Ohad Yahalomi (49)

Omer Neutra (22)

Omer Shem Tov (21)

Omer Wenkert (22)

Omri Miran (46)

Or Levy (33)

Rom Braslavski (19)

Romi Gonen (23)

Sagui Dekel-Chen (35)

Samuel Keith Siegel (64)

Segev Kalfon (25)

Shiri Bibas (32)

Shlomo Mansour (85)

Tal Shoham (38)

Tamir Nimrod (19)

Tsachi Idan (51)

Yagev Kirsht (34)

Yarden Bibas (34)

Yosef Al-Zayadni (53)

Yosef Ohana (23)

Ziv Berman (26)

Hostages confirmed/reported dead:

(Note: I couldn't find a report with the full list, but if you google each individual name you can find sources.)

Abraham Munder (79) - Body recovered on 20/08/24.

Alex Danzig (75) - Body recovered on 20/08/24.

Alexander Lobanov (32)

Almog Sarusi (26)

Alon Shamriz (26) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Amit Buskila (28) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.

Amiram Cooper (84) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Arye Zalmanovich (85) - Death reported by Hamas. He was forced to appear in a propaganda video.

Asaf Hamami (41)

Aviv Atzili (49)

Carmel Gat (39) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Chaim Peri (79) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Daniel Oz (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 25/02/24

Daniel Perez (22) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 17/03/24

Dolev Yehoud (35) - Killed on Oct. 7. He was presumed to be a hostage, but his remains were found in Israel after months. Status updated on 03/06/24.

Dror Kaplun (68)

Dror Or (48) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 02/05/24.

Eden Yerushalmi (24) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Eden Zecharya (28)

Eitan Levy (53)

Elad Katzir (47) - Murdered by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His body was recovered in Khan Yunis. Status updated on 06/04/24.

Eliyahu Margalit (75)

Elyakim Libman (23) - Killed on Oct. 7. It was presumed he was a hostage because his body wasn't found, but it was later discovered his remains were accidentally buried with another victim. Status updated on 03/05/24.

Gad Haggai (73)

Guy Iluz (26)

Hadar Goldin (32) - Body held hostage since 2014

Hanan Yablonka (42) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Ilan Weiss (56)

Inbar Haiman (27)

Itay Chen (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 12/03/24.

Itay Svirsky (35) – Killed by Hamas in captivity. His body was shown in a propaganda video

Itzik Gelenter (58) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.

Joshua Loitu Mollel (21) – A released video shows how he was brutally murdered by a group of men on October 7

Judy Weinstein (70)

Kiril Brodski (19)

Lior Rudaeff (61) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza. Status updated on 07/05/24.

Maya Goren (56)

Mordechai Yonathan Samerano (21) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza.

Nadav Popplewell (51) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Nik Beizer (19)

Noa Marciano (19) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital

Michel Nisenbaum (59) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Muhammed Alatrash (40) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 24/06/24.

Ofir Tzarfati (27)

Ofra Keider (70)

Oren Goldin (34)

Ori Danino (24) - Body recovered on 31/08/24.

Orión Hernandez (30) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.

Oron Shaul (30) – Body held hostage since 2014

Ran Gvlli (24)

Ravid Katz (41)

Ron Benjamin (53) - Killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Body recovered on 18/05/24.

Ron Scherman (19)

Ronen Engel (54)

Sahar Baruch (24) – Killed by Hamas during a failed hostage rescue operation

Samer Talalka (22) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Shay Levinson (19)

Shani Louk (22) - Body taken to Gaza. Her body was recovered on 17/05/24.

Sonthaya Oakkharasr - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.

Sudthisak Rinthalak - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.

Tal Chaim (42)

Tamir Adar (38)

Tomer Ahimas (20)

Uriel Baruch (35) - Status updated on 26/03/24

Yagev Buchshtab (34)

Yair Yaakov (59) – Killed on Oct. 7. Sons and girlfriend were released. Status updated on 15/02/24.

Yehudit Weiss (65) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital

Yossi Sharabi (53) – His dead body was shown in a propaganda video

Yoram Metzer (80) - Status updated on 03/06/24.

Yotam Haim – Mistakenly killed by the IDF

Ziv Dado (36)

Released/rescued hostages:

(1) (2)

Abigail Edan, 4, American citizen

Ada Sagi, 75

Adi Shoham, 38

Adina Moshe, 72

Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17

Aisha Ziyadne, 17

Alma Avraham, 84

Alma Or, 13

Almog Meir Jan (21) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Amit Shani, 15

Amit Soussana, 40

Andrey Zozlov (27) - Rescued by The IDF on 08/06/24.

Anucha Angkaew

Aviv Asher, 2, German citizen

Aviva Adrienne Siegel, 62

Bancha Kongmanee, Thai national

Bilal Ziyadne, 18

Boonthom Phankhong, Thai national

Buddee Saengboon, Thai national

Chalermchai Sangkaew

Channa Peri, 79

Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48

Clara Marman, 63, Argentine citizen

Daniel Aloni, 44

Dafna Elyakim, 15

Doron Katz Asher, 34, German citizen

Ditza Heiman, 84

Emilia Aloni, 5

Emily Toni Kornberg Hand, 8

Emma Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen

Erez Calderon, 12, French citizen

Eitan Yahalomi, 12, French citizen

Ela Elyakim, 8

Fernando Marman – Rescued by the IDF

Gabriela Leimberg, 59, Argentine citizen

Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11

Gal Tarshansky, 13

Gelienor (Jimmy) Pacheco, 37, Filipino national

Hagar Brodetz, 40

Hanna Katzir, 77

Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12

Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30

Irena Tati, 73, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.

Itay Regev Jerbi, 18

Juckapan Sikena

Judith Raanan, 59 [Released 22/10/23]

Kaid Farhan Alkadi (52) - Rescued by the IDF on 27/08/24.

Karina Engel-Bart, 51, Argentine citizen

Keren Munder, 54

Komkrit Chombua

Kong Saelao

Liam Or, 18

Liat Beinin Atzili, 49, American citizen

Luis Har – Rescued by the IDF

Manee Jirachart

Margalit Mozes, 78, German citizen

Maya Regev Jirbi, 21

Meirav Tal, 53

Mia Leimberg, 17, Argentine citizen

Mia Shem, 21, French citizen

Mika Engel, 18, Argentine citizen

Mongkhol Phajuabboon, Thai national

Moran Stela Yanai, 40

Natalie Raanan, 17 [Released 22/10/23]

Nattaporn Onkaew

Natthawaree Moonkan, Thai national

Naveh Shoham, 8

Nili Margalit, 41

Noa Argamani (26) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Noam Avigdori, 12

Noga Weiss, 18

Noam Or, 17

Noralin Babadilla, 60, born in the Philippines

Nurit Cooper [Released 24/10/23]

Ofri Brodetz, 10

Ohad Munder, 9

Or Yaakov, 16, German citizen

Ori Megidish – Rescued by the IDF

Oriya Brodetz, 4

Owat Suriyasri, 40, father of two

Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77, born in Argentina

Ofir Engel, 17, Dutch citizen

Paiboon Rattanin

Pattanayut Tonsakree

Phonsawan Pinakalo

Ra’aya Rotem, 54

Raz Ben-Ami, 56, German citizen

Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, 36

Raz Asher, 4, German citizen

Ron Krivoi, 25, an Israeli-Russian citizen, was included on the list, although he was released separately from the exchange deal.

Ruth Munder, 78

Sahar Calderon, 16, French citizen

Santi Boonphrom, Thai national

Sapir Cohen, 29

Shani Goren, 29

Sharon Aloni-Cunio, 34, Argentine citizen

Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52

Shlomi Ziv (40) - Rescued by the IDF on 08/06/24.

Shiri Weiss, 53

Shoshan Haran, 67

Surin Kesungnoen

Tal Goldstein-Almog, 8

Tamar Metzger, 78

Uthai Sangnuan, Thai national

Uthai Thunsri, Thai national

Wichai Kalapat, 28, Thai national

Wichian Temthon

Withoon Phumee, 33, Thai national

Yaffa Adar, 85

Yagil Yaakov, 12, German citizen

Yahel Shoham, 3

Yarden Roman-Gat, 35, German citizen

Yelena Trupanov, 50, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.

Yocheved Lifshitz [Released 24/10/23]

Yuli Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen

Yuval Brodetz, 8

Yuval Engel, 12, Argentine citizen

[planesky]

“Ceasefire!”

Ok. Bring back the hostages.

Abraham Munder, 78.

Samer Fuad El-Talalka, 22.

Bilal Alziadna, 21.

Hamza Alziadna, 22.

Yosef Hamid Alziadna, 53.

Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21.

Sujith Nissanka, 48.

Chaim Peri, 79.

Yarden Roman Gat, 36.

Elad Katzir, 47.

Hannah Katzir, 77.

Oded Lifshitz, 83.

Amiram Cooper, 84.

Ronen Engle, 54.

Yuval Engle, 11.

Mika Engle, 18.

Carina Engle-Bert, 51.

Abigail Idan, 3.

Tamar Gutman, 27.

Channa Peri, 79.

Nadav Popplewell, 51.

Emilia Aloni, 5.

Daniel Aloni, 44.

Yuly Konio, 3.

Ema Konio, 3.

Sharon Aloni Konio, 34.

David Konio, 33.

Shlomi Ziv, 40.

Yahel Gani Shoham, 3.

Nave Shoham, 8.

Tal Shoham, 38.

Adi Shoham, 38.

Noam Avigdori, 12.

Sharon Avigdori, 52.

Shoshan Haran, 67.

Itzhk Elgarat, 68.

Alexander Dancyg, 75.

Inbar Haiman, 27.

Omer Shem Tov, 21.

Raz Ben Ami, 57.

Ilana Gritzewsky, 30.

Tsachi Idan, 51.

Elma Avraham, 84.

Or Levy, 33.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 22.

Gadi Moshe Mosez, 79.

Adina Moshe, 72.

Tamar Metzger, 78.

Yoram Metzger, 80.

Noa Marciano, 19.

Roni Krivoi, 25.

Tal Goldstein, 9.

Gal Goldstein, 11.

Agam Goldstein, 17.

Chen Almog-Goldstein, 48.

Daniel Gilboa, 19.

Eitan Yahalomi, 12.

Ovad Yahalomi, 49.

Ella Elyakim, 8.

Dafna Elyakim, 14.

Evyatar David, 26.

Raz Katz Asher, 4.

Avis Katz Asher, 2.

Doron Katz Asher, 34.

Efrat Katz, 68.

Alon Lulu Shamirz, 26.

Maya Regev, 21.

Itay Regev, 18.

Shani Louk, 22.

Omri Miran, 46.

Alon Ohel, 22.

Hersh Golden-Polin, 23.

Maya Leimberg, 17.

Gabriella Leimberg, 59.

Fernando Marman, 60.

Clara Marman, 63.

Bar Kuperstein, 21.

Noa Sharabi, 16.

Eli Sharabi, 55.

Four Angel, 18.

Yossi Sharabi, 53.

Moran Yanai, 40.

Adrienne ‘Aviva’ Siegel, 62.

Ron Sherman, 19.

Ditza Haiman, 84.

Elia Cohen, 26.

Elkana Bohbot, 24.

Agam Berger, 19.

Ohad Ben-Ami, 55.

Nick Beiser, 19.

Yuval Brodetz, 8.

Oriya Brodetz, 4.

Ofri Brodetz, 10.

Hagar Brodetz, 40.

Naama Levy, 19.

Almog Meir Jan, 21.

Liraz Assulin, 38.

Karina Ariev, 19.

Noa Argamani, 19.

Or Avinathan, 30.

Liri Elbag, 18.

Mia Schem, 21.

Yaffa Adar, 85.

Omer Wenkert, 22.

Carmel Gat, 39.

Kfir Bibas, 9 Months.

Ariel Bibas, 4.

Shiri Bibas, 32.

Sahar Kalderon, 16.

Ofer Kalderon, 53.

Louis Har, 70.

Want peace? Want us to ceasefire?

Bring them back!

[uraandri]

"serbian hostage alon ohel" sure man whatever you say

[mariacallous]

During a visit to Belgrade by his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, on Wednesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the two countries are planning to establish a free trade agreement soon.

“It is extremely important for us to conclude a free trade agreement with the state of Israel as soon as possible. We believe that it will be to our mutual benefit and I am confident that we can get the job done much faster than normal procedures would dictate,” Vucic told a press conference.

“It should be the main priority, to achieve a free trade agreement, for the benefit of both peoples and to achieve success together,” Herzog told a discussion event after the press conference

Vucic said they had also talked about improving relations on technology and artificial intelligence, AI. There is “huge space for cooperation” in areas such as scientific and technological cooperation, in further attracting Israeli investments but also in the field of cyber security, “which we have discussed many times with Israeli officials”, he added.

Both domestic and international organisations monitoring surveillance say Serbia has a track record of using various types of software produced by Israeli companies for surveillance of anti-government activists among others.

In 2020 Serbia’s Security Information Agency was listed among users of the software of the Israeli company Circles, which enables the user to locate every phone in the country in seconds.

Both Herzog and Vucic urged the release of Alon Ohel, who has dual Israeli and Serbian citizenship and has been held hostage by Hamas since its attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

Herzog thanked Vucic for his condemnation of the Hamas attack in October 2023. Serbia has mostly been silent about the war in Gaza that followed, and about the mass atrocities reported by international organisations.

A BIRN investigation showed that Serbia’s main state-owned arms trader, Yugoimport-SDPR, exported arms and/or ammunition worth just over 7.3 million euros to Israel in July, bringing the total value of Serbian arms and ammunition exports to the country in 2024 to 23.1 million euros.

The exports come amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 90,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israel is also involved an ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which further fuels its need for arms.

[bringthemback]

Alon Ohel, 22 years old, was kidnapped from a music festival by Hamas.

Bring them home alive.

[roosterjournal]

Philly Concert Highlights Family's Push to Free Israeli Hostage Alon Ohel through a Unique 'Yellow Piano' Event

On February 23, a touching concert titled the “Yellow Piano” event will be held near Philadelphia to advocate for the release of Alon Ohel, a young Israeli pianist kidnapped by Hamas during their brutal attack on October 7, 2023. The concert, led by Alon’s family, aims to shine a spotlight not just on his plight but also on the urgency of bringing all hostages home. Idit Ohel, Alon’s mother,…

[louisatreyborac]

שובי אלי - אבישי כהן יחד עם משפחתו וחבריו של אלון אהל | Shuvi Elay - Avi...

Chanson pour lotage Alon OhelSong for hostage Alon Ohel

[girlactionfigure]

BREAKING: Signs of life have been received from the following hostages who have been held by Hamas in Gaza for 494 days in inhumane conditions: Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eliya Cohen, Nimrod Cohen, and Elkana Bohbot. Only Eliya Cohen is on the list of those expected to be released in the first phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

[lesfruitsdores]

Alon Ohel's family has finally learned that he's alive, but injured in Gaza. He'll turn 24 on February 10 and it'll be his second birthday spent in captivity.

Last year, his mom Idit wrote about her fight to bring him home.

"My son Alon lives in an apartment in Tel Aviv with his friends. It’s not fancy, but it’s charming and warm; sometimes his little brother, Ronen, will stay there if he doesn’t want to make the journey late at night to our home north of Haifa. For more than a decade Alon has played piano, and he has an acceptance letter to Rimon School of Music. He loves to grill, but always complains to his dad that ours doesn’t work, so we bought a brand-new one a few months ago. For his twenty-third birthday this past February, everyone from around our small community came together to play music and eat hot dogs, his favorite. It’s a pretty good life.

The only problem is that my son is missing from it. We haven’t seen him for a year. 

On the morning of October 7, 2023, my son was at the Nova Music Festival. When Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, he hid in a bomb shelter with 27 people. Sixteen of them were murdered. Seven survived after hiding for six hours under a pile of bodies. Four were taken hostage: Or Levy, Eliya Cohen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and my son, Alon Ohel. "

[eretzyisrael]

Agnieszka Traczewska, an accomplished documentary filmmaker and photographer from Krakow, Poland, remembers the first time she saw a group of Chassidim – Jews who adhere to a branch of Orthodox Judaism and revere a particular rabbi who leads their community. The Jews were in Poland to visit the grave of a famous rabbi, and when Agnieszka caught a glimpse of the men in their long dark coats, black hats and long beards, she remembers being shocked. Growing up in communist Poland, Agnieszka had learned about the Holocaust and how it decimated her country’s Jews: “I didn’t expect that anybody survived from the Jewish community," she recalls.

In an Aish.com exclusive interview, Agnieszka explains how that early glimpse of Chassidic pilgrims sparked a decades-long interest in photographing Chassidic Jewish communities. Agnieszka’s exquisite, award-winning photographs give us a glimpse into the insular world of Chassidic Jewish life. Photographing these communities has also profoundly shaped Agnieszka’s ideas about Judaism and God.

"The Jewish identity of those places was totally forgotten, totally erased.”

“I come from Krakow,” explains Agnieszka. As a child, she learned about Polish history but without understanding the large Jewish community that called Poland home for over a thousand years. Before the Holocaust, Krakow was home to a vibrant Jewish community and the towns and villages around it sparked some of the Chassidic dynasties that still thrive today. “As a child, I travelled with my parents around many small villages and towns in Poland," Agnieszka explains, and went on numerous school trips. “Nobody even mentioned that most of those villages or towns were 50%, 60% Jewish – sometimes even 80% before the war. The Jewish identity of those places was totally forgotten, totally erased.”

While the Jewish history of many Polish villages may have been forgotten within Poland, whole communities of Chassidic Jews outside of Poland remembered their names and honored the history of the towns their families came from. “That was the second surprise” of seeing groups of Jewish pilgrims visit Polish towns such as Bobowa (Bobov in Yiddish), Lublin, Lelow (Lelov in Yiddish), Radomsko, Krakow and Warsaw. “I realized how much these people inherited from these places, that I had no idea about.” Seeing groups of Chassidic men travel all the way to Poland simply for the opportunity to pray at the graves of great rabbis moved Agnieszka; she wanted to take photographs of these men and try to document their emotional visits to the towns and villages she’d so long taken for granted.

A friend told Agnieszka about an annual visit that Chassidic Jews made to the town of Lezajsk on the yahrzeit Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum (1717-1787), one of the founders of the Chassidic movement. Agnieszka went along and took photos of the men as they prayed and found herself very moved by their fervor and devotion. She decided to continue this work, taking photos of Jews who returned to Poland to pour out their souls in prayer at the graves of the great rabbis buried throughout the country.

“When I started to speak with Chassidim, they said ‘Oh, my zeidie was from Bobov, my bubbie (grandmother) was from Lublin,” Agnieszka recalls. She was blown away by the fact that so many Jews who’d grown up all over the world retained such intense feelings of connection to Poland. “I decided that if nobody else wants to remember this Jewish history in Poland, I will be the one. I didn’t want to conquer the world – this photography was just my private archeology project to remember the Jewish past, and to learn about it myself.”

Agnieszka’s beautiful photographs bring to mind paintings by the Dutch masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer who bathed their subjects in light and captured a sense of serenity. Largely self-taught, she has a palpable sense of communing with her subjects, and helping the viewer to feel as if they have got a glimpse into the very soul of the people in her photographs.

In an interview with the Yiddish newspaper Der Forverts Agnieszka recalled visiting the Jewish cemetery in the Polish town of Radomsko, where the great Chassidic Rabbi Shlomo Chanoch HaCohen Rabinowicz, known as the Radomsker Rebbe (1882-1942), is buried. “I am the only woman standing outside the ohel,” (an open-air memorial for the Radomsker Rebbe) Agnieszka described, "and somehow I have to get there from the cemetery gate. What should I expect? Open confrontation? Admonishment that I do not belong here?” Agnieszka prepared to be yelled at by the black-clad Jewish men for invading their space.

The Jewish visitors did begin to shout – but with joy. “I told you she would come!” they said to one another. Somehow, Agnieszka had become a legend: the non-Jewish woman who wanted to photograph moments of beautiful Jewish prayer. “What kind of coffee do you want?” the visitors asked her. “Would you like a cookie?”

It did take years to break into the insular community and meet Chassidic Jews who’d help her. About twelve years ago, Agnieszka was in Bobowa, taking photos of Jews praying at the grave of Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam (1847-1905), the founder of the vibrant “Bobover” Chassidim. While many Jews who are Bobover Chassidim are intensely insular and unlikely to strike up a conversation with someone who’s not Jewish, particularly a person of the opposite sex, some Bobover Chassidim are more used to interacting with the secular world. (New York Criminal Court Judge Ruchie Freier, for instance, is a well-known Bobover Chassid whose high profile has defied stereotypes of what Chassidic Jews can do.)

One of the men praying at the site was Duvid Singer, from Boro Park, a heavily Chassidic neighborhood in Brooklyn. Duvid and his wife Naomi have visited Poland numerous times, leading Jewish heritage tours with their company Heritage and Discovery and helping to restore Jewish cemeteries and other sites around Poland. With his deep knowledge about Poland, Duvid was intrigued by Agnieszka’s work. The Singers got to know Agnieszka and began to collaborate with her. Agnieszka describes befriending the Singers as a “turning point” in her life; she describes Duvid Singer as her teacher and almost her “rebbe”, her spiritual mentor. The Singers, recognizing that Agnieszka was trying to be respectful in her work photographing Jewish subjects, gave her a helping hand.

Through the Singers, Agnieszka got to know other Chassidim and began travelling all over the world photographing Chassidic Jewish families and settings. While her early photos in Poland were primarily of Jewish men, because the vast majority of pilgrims travelling to pray at the graves of rabbis were male, once she began visiting Chassidic Jews in their homes, Agnieszka began to get to know Chassidic women, developing a deep connection with the wives and mothers who hosted her.

Agnieszka’s parents both died when she was young, and she has no siblings and few other relatives. “It’s not so easy to be a lonely individual in the universe,” she notes. “The people I’ve had the closest connection to in recent years were Chassidim.”

Her photo won second place in National Geographic’s Photograph of the Year Award in 2014, beating out 18,000 other pictures.

Agnieszka published a book of photos of Chassidim visiting the graves of rabbis in Poland in 2018 called Powroty / Returns, and has exhibited her photographs in over forty shows worldwide. She’s working on another book of photos of Chassidic Jews all over the world.

She finds it amazing that whenever she enters a synagogue or a Chassidic home, whether it’s in San Paolo or Antwerp or Israel, the same timeless Jewish traditions are preserved and followed.

One of Agnieszka’s most celebrated photographs was taken in Jerusalem’s Meah Shearim neighborhood at a large Chassidic wedding in 2014. Agnieszka had got to know an extremely religious Chassidic family in Meah Shearim, befriending the wife and getting to know her eighteen children. When the family’s oldest son got married, Agnieszka was invited to the wedding.

The wedding was a grand affair, but Agnieszka’s most treasured photo is from a quiet moment right after the ceremony. In Orthodox Jewish weddings, it’s traditional for the bride and groom to spend a few minutes alone together right after the marriage ceremony. For many couples, these moments are the first time they have ever been completely alone together. As the bride and groom entered a room where they’d be secluded together for the very first time as man and wife, Agnieszka followed them, along with the groom’s mother, to the door. As the mother in law waved goodbye to the couple, Agnieszka snapped a photo of the beaming, happy young couple. Coming from a very Orthodox religious tradition, this couple had never been alone before and had never even held hands. This was a huge moment of transformation for them.

That photo, which she named “First Time”, won second place in National Geographic’s Photograph of the Year Award in 2014, beating out 18,000 other pictures. Agnieszka was shocked that her photo won, noting that most of the winning pictures in National Geographic’s contests are of the great outdoors. Agnieszka recalls, “With this photo, they said they loved it because it showed not a physical volcano, but a volcano of emotion, an eruption of emotions.”

When she heard that her photo had won such a prestigious prize, Agnieszka excitedly phoned the family and shared her good news. “They said they were so happy for me. I don’t think they understood that this photo would be so widely published.” The award-winning photo was reproduced all over, in newspapers and magazines, including in Israel. The family, so used to being modest and outside the public eye, was shocked to see the picture everywhere.

Since she’s started photographing Chassidic communities, Agnieszka has found that her own life has profoundly changed as well. Brought up Catholic, she used to consider herself not religious. Now, Agnieszka explains that she feels much more spiritual and regularly prays. Being exposed to such intense spirituality has made her feel much closer to God, as well.

“Very often when I accompany groups of Chassidic Jews coming to Poland – especially when I have an opportunity to be with them for a long time (as they pray) I observe a growing temperature of davening” Agnieszka explains, using the Yiddish term for prayer. “I see their attempt to communicate with Hashem” – the Hebrew term for God. “I sometimes had the feeling that there were some divine transcendental moments that I’d never be able to see otherwise.”

Agnieszka's exquisite photos can be viewed on her website http://www.agnieszkatraczewska.com/

[dfroza]

our Creator already knows exactly who we are.

and still, some people try to hide by refusing to acknowledge spiritual truth.

for it is Love that leads us into the Heart of Light by being open in heart to welcome the entrance of the Spirit within, becoming the Temple that holds the eternal as its treasure in the inner room of the heart (the instrumental womb) where rebirth occurs (inside, Anew)

to illuminate our thought-lives with the spiritual truth of grace as a new covenant with our Creator.

A line from Today’s reading in the book of John:

“But Jesus saw through to the heart of humankind, and He chose not to give them what they requested. He didn’t need anyone to prove to Him the character of humanity. He knew what man was made of.”

and the whole chapter from The Voice translation that begins with a wedding scene:

Three days later, they all went to celebrate a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was invited together with Him and His disciples. While they were celebrating, the wine ran out; and Jesus’ mother hurried over to her son.

Mary: The host stands on the brink of embarrassment; there are many guests, and there is no more wine.

Jesus: Dear woman, is it our problem they miscalculated when buying wine and inviting guests? My time has not arrived.

But she turned to the servants.

Mary: Do whatever my son tells you.

In that area were six massive stone water pots that could each hold 20 to 30 gallons. They were typically used for Jewish purification rites. Jesus’ instructions were clear:

Jesus: Fill each water pot with water until it’s ready to spill over the top; then fill a cup, and deliver it to the headwaiter.

They did exactly as they were instructed. After tasting the water that had become wine, the headwaiter couldn’t figure out where such wine came from (even though the servants knew), and he called over the bridegroom in amazement.

Headwaiter: This wine is delectable. Why would you save the most exquisite fruit of the vine? A host would generally serve the good wine first and, when his inebriated guests don’t notice or care, he would serve the inferior wine. You have held back the best for last.

Jesus performed this miracle, the first of His signs, in Cana of Galilee. They did not know how this happened; but when the disciples and the servants witnessed this miracle, their faith blossomed.

Jesus then gathered His clan—His family members and disciples—for a journey to Capernaum where they lingered several days. The time was near to celebrate the Passover, the festival commemorating when God rescued His children from slavery in Egypt, so Jesus went to Jerusalem for the celebration. Upon arriving, He entered the temple to worship. But the porches and colonnades were filled with merchants selling sacrificial animals (such as doves, oxen, and sheep) and exchanging money. Jesus fashioned a whip of cords and used it with skill driving out animals; He scattered the money and overturned the tables, emptying profiteers from the house of God. There were dove merchants still standing around, and Jesus reprimanded them.

Jesus: What are you still doing here? Get all your stuff, and haul it out of here! Stop making My Father’s house a place for your own profit!

The disciples were astounded, but they remembered that the Hebrew Scriptures said, “Jealous devotion for God’s house consumes me.” Some of the Jews cried out to Him in unison.

Jews: Who gave You the right to shut us down? If it is God, then show us a sign.

Jesus: You want a sign? Here it is. Destroy this temple, and I will rebuild it in 3 days.

Jews: Three days? This temple took more than 46 years to complete. You think You can replicate that feat in 3 days?

The true temple was His body. His disciples remembered this bold prediction after He was resurrected. Because of this knowledge, their faith in the Hebrew Scriptures and in Jesus’ teachings grew.

During the Passover feast in Jerusalem, the crowds were watching Jesus closely; and many began to believe in Him because of the signs He was doing. But Jesus saw through to the heart of humankind, and He chose not to give them what they requested. He didn’t need anyone to prove to Him the character of humanity. He knew what man was made of.

The Book of John, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 34th chapter of the book of Job:

Elihu’s Second Speech

Elihu continued:

“So, my fine friends—listen to me,

and see what you think of this.

Isn’t it just common sense—

as common as the sense of taste—

To put our heads together

and figure out what’s going on here?

“We’ve all heard Job say, ‘I’m in the right,

but God won’t give me a fair trial.

When I defend myself, I’m called a liar to my face.

I’ve done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.’

Have you ever heard anything to beat this?

Does nothing faze this man Job?

Do you think he’s spent too much time in bad company,

hanging out with the wrong crowd,

So that now he’s parroting their line:

‘It doesn’t pay to try to please God’?

“You’re veterans in dealing with these matters;

certainly we’re of one mind on this.

It’s impossible for God to do anything evil;

no way can the Mighty One do wrong.

He makes us pay for exactly what we’ve done—no more, no less.

Our chickens always come home to roost.

It’s impossible for God to do anything wicked,

for the Mighty One to subvert justice.

He’s the one who runs the earth!

He cradles the whole world in his hand!

If he decided to hold his breath,

every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air.

“So, Job, use your head;

this is all pretty obvious.

Can someone who hates order, keep order?

Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God?

Doesn’t God always tell it like it is,

exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals?

Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor?

Isn’t he equally responsible to everybody?

Don’t people who deserve it die without notice?

Don’t wicked rulers tumble to their doom?

When the so-called great ones are wiped out,

we know God is working behind the scenes.

“He has his eyes on every man and woman.

He doesn’t miss a trick.

There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough,

to hide those who do evil.

God doesn’t need to gather any more evidence;

their sin is an open-and-shut case.

He deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions,

and replaces them at once with others.

Nobody gets by with anything; overnight,

judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered.

He punishes the wicked for their wickedness

out in the open where everyone can see it,

Because they quit following him,

no longer even thought about him or his ways.

Their apostasy was announced by the cry of the poor;

the cry of the afflicted got God’s attention.

“If God is silent, what’s that to you?

If he turns his face away, what can you do about it?

But whether silent or hidden, he’s there, ruling,

so that those who hate God won’t take over

and ruin people’s lives.

“So why don’t you simply confess to God?

Say, ‘I sinned, but I’ll sin no more.

Teach me to see what I still don’t see.

Whatever evil I’ve done, I’ll do it no more.’

Just because you refuse to live on God’s terms,

do you think he should start living on yours?

You choose. I can’t do it for you.

Tell me what you decide.

“All right-thinking people say—

and the wise who have listened to me concur—

‘Job is an ignoramus.

He talks utter nonsense.’

Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account

for wickedly talking back to God the way you have.

You’ve compounded your original sin

by rebelling against God’s discipline,

Defiantly shaking your fist at God,

piling up indictments against the Almighty One.”

The Book of Job, Chapter 34 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, may 11 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons that looks into the secret place of the heart:

Our Torah portion this week (Bamidbar) begins: “The LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tent of meeting (ohel mo’ed), on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (Num. 1:1). Note again that the LORD spoke in the desert (ba-midbar) of Sinai, and that the Hebrew word for “desert” (i.e., midbar: מדבר) shares the same root as “word” (i.e., davar: דבר), which suggests that we hear the Word of God in a place of emptiness, brokenness and ongoing need. But note further that the LORD spoke in the “tent of meeting” (אהל מועד), which may be read as the tent of "mo’ed" (מוֹעֵד), or “holiday.” We celebrate our need for God’s healing and turn to him in a state of gratitude, even despite our sinful condition (Psalm 119:71). We take courage and draw near, renewed in trust. That is why the verse says it was “the first day of the second month” (חדש השני בשנה) -- the word “month” (chodesh) can be read as “new” (chadash), suggesting it was a time of renewal, a time to celebrate a new beginning (Acts 2:1-4). When David prayed in his need: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10), the Hebrew may be read: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew within me ruach nachon (רוח נכון) - a spirit of “Yes” (כן). As Paul said of Messiah our Healer: “All the promises of God find their ‘Yes’ in him” (2 Cor. 1:20).

Our Heavenly Father sees in secret... "The deepest thing in our nature is this region of heart in which we dwell alone with our willingnesses and our unwillingnesses, our faiths and our fears" (William James). It is there, in the secret place of the heart, that the sound of the "knock" is either heard or disregarded (Rev 3:20). May the Lord give us the willingness to do His will and the courage to believe in His love. May we all be strong in faith, not staggering over the heavenly promises, but giving glory to God for the miracle of Yeshua our LORD. May we all be rooted and grounded in love so that we are empowered to apprehend the very “breadth and length and height and depth” of the love of God given to us in Messiah, so that we shall all be filled with all the fullness of God. [Hebrew for Christians]

5.10.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

May 11, 2021

Things Worth Knowing

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

Although the book of 1 John is well known for its use of the word “love,” various words such as “know,” “perceive,” and “behold” occur almost as often.

Several of these words refer to the work of Christ in salvation. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins” (1 John 3:5). “We know that we have passed from death unto life” (1 John 3:14), and “hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). This knowledge brings great comfort and assurance: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

This knowledge should bring us into a life of submission and service: “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:5). Similarly, “he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:24; see also 1 John 4:13).

This gives us confidence in prayer: “And this is the confidence that we have in him,...if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,...we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

The culmination of a life marked by salvation, assurance, empowering, and victory will be that we will be with Him and be like Him. “Behold [same word as ‘know’], what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). JDM

[myocdstory]

My OCD Story

As a child I would count steps "one, one, two, two, three, three, four, four" on each foot and would count up to 12 (sometimes 20). Sometimes I would count like this when I was not walking. I thought I got this from Sesame Street. In middle school I was obsessed with evenness. When I ate food I would divide it evenly in my mouth. I would step on a sidewalk boxes 4 times before moving my leg to another. I'd have to walk the same number of steps on my left foot as my right foot.  I had to step on tile lines with one foot the same way as the other. In high school I became obsessed with certain events, googling them over and over again. I knew this wasn't normal and possibly rising to the level of a disorder. I played doctor and diagnosed myself with PTSD, but questioned the diagnosis as I did not fit the criteria for PTSD.

At age 19 I kept checking doors repeatedly to see if I locked them and checking toilets to make sure I flushed them. My family was annoyed with me checking the balcony door over and over during the evening, and my sister told me "you already checked" but they weren't severe enough to get help. At this point I realized I had OCD, but questioned whether I really had it since I wasn't washing my hands constantly. To be honest as a teenager I hardly washed my hands. I would wash my hands for 5 seconds after using the bathroom unless they were visibly dirty.

Then my symptoms got worse. If I walked a certain path I had to walk back the same path. I would spend 30 minutes deciding which path to take, which side of the road to walk on. If it takes 15 minutes to walk home, it would take me 1 hour to walk home. Sometimes I moved my hands instead of walking back. At this point it was clear I had OCD. When I was 20 I was late to a psychotherapy appointment because I went back to the beach boardwalk to take a different exit. I at first didn't like the idea of taking meds that would alter my brain. But I knew my OCD was severe enough that therapy alone won't help. Eventually I accepted the fact I needed meds. One time I drank a glass of champagne at a restaurant to help me quell my OCD. But that made my OCD worse. I went home and I was deciding which path to take walking back. Dad was wondering why I haven't come home yet went out to find me and yelled at me. I cried saying I needed a psychiatrist. Dad prints a list of psychiatrists in our insurance, all female. I procrastinated and then misplaced the paper. So at the last minute I used google and found a medical center nearby. I knew there was a new condo at that street and when I googled this placed google earth displayed this new condo. I couldn't find a doctor's name so I assumed there were multiple doctors in one practice. On Friday April 21, I made an appointment. The next available appointment was on Monday April 24. They were literally available all day.

When I got there I saw this place wasn't located in the beautiful condo, but in an old commercial space next door to it. I brought my mom along because I was nervous and she was paying. I filled out a questionnaire. Office staff said I had to take a urinalysis and I asked why since I was there for OCD. Then I saw the psychiatrist. I told him I had OCD and told him my symptoms, "such as walking back and forth, repeating certain phrases, counting steps, etc." He asks as bunch of questions about my history and does the mental status exam, such as who is the president, math problems, what would you do, etc. He asks me checklist questions about my OCD which I could only answer "yes" or "no" such as "do you wash hands" "do you arrange objects" "do you have religious obsessions"?. I answered "no" to many of the questions but most of the questions did not match my symptoms. He continues to ask about my history then asks to speak to my mom. I say no and he says he just wants to ask her questions. He asks about history such as marriage, pregnancy, when I was a young child, etc. Then my mom starts complaining about me sleeping all day, how my dad yelled because of something I did last night, etc. I told her to be quiet but doc insists I let her speak. Doctor asks how old I am and I said I was 21. He said I looked 15, and yes I do look younger than I am. Doctor thought at 21 I should be independent from my parents. At 1st he was discussing a residential facility. He said they have a schedule they will enforce so I can't sleep all day. He then says a residential facility will see I'm smart and suggested a supported apartment. He asked me what I want to be and we started talking about my career plans. He says to call Ohel which offers a supported apartment and employment training. He said he isn't going to prescribe medication as he felt it wasn't needed. I asked "what are you going to do about the OCD?" and he answers with the dismissive gesture that he will treat the OCD. He doesn't make a follow up appointment. I then did the urinalysis and handed office staff the cup. Then I was walking back and forth in and out of the bathroom, touching things until it felt right. I asked the office staff when is the next appointment and they said I can always call to schedule an appointment. I didn't know when to schedule the next appointment. After all they have a lot of availability. I was angry after the appointment. Later that day my mom told me that in order for the doctor to prescribe meds I have to first be evaluated by Ohel. She told me the psychiatrist can't prescribe meds at the first appointment. That night my dad told me to call Ohel.

The next day I heard my mom call Ohel so I picked up the phone. She told them I am "svoyeobraznaya" in Russian which translates as "peculiar" or "not like everyone else". The director told my mom that "is not a diagnosis" and they need a diagnosis. Mom starts telling them diagnosis unrelated to my OCD. I insist she hang up the phone and she got mad. I was not willing to call Ohel after this because I thought she would ruin everything like she did with the appointment. I debated whether I should make another appointment with this doctor. While one part of me said "well this is his treatment plan" I wasn't comfortable with him.

I was still complaining about OCD. I just wanted out of this hell. My dad told me to look for a new psychiatrist and if he has to pay out of pocket, this will be the last psychiatrist he will pay for. I was very picky about my psychiatrist, and would not choose anyone with less than 4 star ratings. He has great reviews, most of which mention medication, is a few blocks from me, and a professional member of the American Psychiatric Association, wrote in his description he treats OCD, and in our insurance plan. But the earliest available appointment was a month away. So, I went to my primary care physician. I was hoping he'd prescribe something to get me out of this hell, but my plan was not to mention medication as I don't want him to think I'm drug seeking.

Doctor leads me to the exam room asking what brings me here. I told him "I am here for OCD If I walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk I have to walk back. I avoid stepping on manhole covers." He says they cannot treat OCD but can refer me to professionals who will. Then he asks me "are you taking meds for this?" and I said no. He asks "why aren't you taking meds?" and I told him I already went to a psychiatrist and he thought I didn't need meds. Doc says "That's not true. You do need meds." I told him I made an appointment with another psychiatrist on ZocDoc but it's a month away. He takes my height and weight at the front of the office and my mom was there. "I will refer you to providers where you don't have to wait a month." Then doc writes the number to a neurologist and Maimonides psychology. He asks what's the name of the doc who refused to prescribe meds. I answered and he says "forget about him". I asked if I should cancel the appointment and he says no. He says "see a neurologist because a psychiatrist will just dismiss her as drug seeking". Mom told him I torture her saying I have OCD. Doc says I am right to torture her as OCD is serious. He told my mom to take this OCD seriously. My mom later told me I went to the wrong specialist.

When I got home dad told me that the neurologist he referred us to isn't in our insurance and gave me a list of doctors in our insurance. One wasn't accepting new patients. One didn't pick up the phone. I called another one and it was in TWO WEEKS. She said there is another neurologist in their office which was available sooner. I said yes and dad googled her to make sure she was in our insurance plan and she was. When I saw her she said I have to see a psychiatrist for OCD. I told her I already saw a psychiatrist who refused to treat my OCD and my primary care doctor said to see a neurologist. She said in the Soviet Union neurologists treated OCD but in America psychiatrists treat OCD and canceled my appointment. So I went to the right specialist all along.

My only option was to wait for the psychiatrist. Waiting is hell. Especially if you are suffering. When I had the appointment with the psychiatrist, I described my symptoms. This psychiatrist has a 2nd job as he is involved in clinical trials. That's why it takes a month to get an appointment. On the 1st appointment he prescribes Prozac 20mg and a refill as he will be on vacation.  I asked about Zoloft and he said Zoloft was not approved for OCD, which isn't true.  Prozac is one pill a day and Zoloft is two pills a day morning and evening. I figured one pill is better than two.

The next day I took the drug and saw it working. I was no longer avoiding gum patches. At first the medicine made me depressed and gave me cold-like symptoms. But those side effects went away. In a month the dose is increased to 40mg. It no longer mattered what I stepped on, manhole covers, sidewalk ventilation grates, cigarette butts, you name it. I stopped walking back and forth.

When I realized I had OCD, I began doing a lot of research. During this research, I discovered I had symptoms of OCD as a child. I didn't know the counting I did, the way I walked, or my obsession with events in high school were all symptoms of OCD. What I went through in high school was called "pure-o", a type of OCD without overt compulsions. This type of OCD is never talked about .The OCD symptoms we talk about are washing hands, arranging objects and being a perfectionist. I was none of that. My room was a mess in high school. If it weren't for my parents cleaning my room, I would be like those people on the hoarder TV shows. After I started medication my dad and I cleaned out my room and I realized I was a hoarder. I couldn't throw away old catalogues, my sister's 2011-12 high school directory (she already graduated high school), etc. When I did research I learned that hoarding is a symptom of OCD.

So I ended up leaving a negative review about the first psychiatrist. I then began to read other reviews about him, most of which were negative. One was that he refused to treat people. Another one is that he seemed irritated working with patients. This is basically how I felt with him. Another review was written after mine. The doctor wrote a prescription incorrectly and patient pointed it out. Doctor begins to chastise the patient saying they are not his only patient, and they cannot expect special treatment, like the doctor returning patient's call. The only reason the patient goes back to them is because they have a lot of availability and the patient needs their meds. I see why they have a lot of availability. This doctor sucks so every patient leaves and doesn't go back to him. Once I left him thank goodness I didn't make another appointment.

[thatmarika]

This is such a beautiful book with the detailing alone but I really enjoyed reading it today for Wednesday. 🔯 My beloved grandmother would be very overjoyed and proud, so I really appreciate my friend Jasmin for getting this for me out of the goodness of her heart. 😍 I will cherish it! ❤️ #justbecause #blessings #thankyou #wednesday #wednesdaywisdom #bookofpsalms #daily #torahstudy #torah #tehillim #ohel #yosef #yitzchak