CHAZAQ Goes Hollywood

By: Larry Gordon

Rabbi Yaniv Meirov of Chazaq and Larry Gordon

Many of us are well aware of the trailblazing work the CHAZAQ organization has been doing in the field of kiruv in Queens and increasingly in other areas around the U.S.

Rabbi Yaniv Meirov invited us to the first gala CHAZAQ event last Sunday in Hollywood, Florida, and what a spectacle of support and popularity it was for this unique group!

Let me share with you a couple of things I learned that evening just by listening to some of the speeches. First of all, CHAZAQ is spelled with a Q because of its origins in Queens.

We also had the opportunity to meet with the Rishon LeZion, who is the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav David Yosef, the son of the respected Torah sage, Rav Ovadia Yosef.

The dinner was held at The Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood and featured a series of honorees, including former Knicks superstar and prominent Jewish convert, Amar’e Stoudemire.

Yaniv and CHAZAQ have their sights set on South Florida primarily because of the growing Sephardic population down there. There were about 1,100 people at the dinner, who listened intently as Yaniv outlined his plans for CHAZAQ in South Florida going forward. It was a great night and an important first step in revolutionizing the lives of young Jewish men and women in Florida.

CHAZAQ!