Amid Iran attacks, Chaim Katz, Israel’s Minister of Tourism and newly appointed Minister of Construction and Housing, visited the Rebbe’s Ohel yesterday for the first time. Earlier, he put on tefillin for the first time since his bar mitzvah, 64 years ago.
By Anash.org reporter
Chaim Katz, Israel’s Minister of Tourism and newly appointed Minister of Construction and Housing, visited the Rebbe’s Ohel yesterday for the first time. The visit came amid the backdrop of the ongoing war with Iran.
“These are difficult days for Am Yisroel,” he said, “but this is an opportunity to wipe out our enemies and obliterate our foes.” Before entering the Ohel, he wrote a pan and viewed a video of the Rebbe.
Minister Katz was accompanied by Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Wolowik, rabbi of the Bukharian community in Queens and director of Or Avner Chabad USA, as well as Lubavitcher activist and philanthropist Rabbi Meir Zeiler.
During his visit to New York, the minister also put on tefillin for the first time since his bar mitzvah 64 years ago. The special event took place at the Manhattan office of Mrs. Chagit Leviev, daughter of philanthropist R’ Lev Leviev, president of the World Congress of Bukharian Jewry.
The tefillin were placed on him by Rabbi Zalman Zvulonov and Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Wolowik of Or Avner USA, together with Mr. Gabriel Sufiov, vice president of the Bukharian Congress. As a gift, they presented Minister Katz with a dollar given by the Rebbe.
Following the ceremony, the minister was given a tour of the impressive Or Avner educational network in Queens, which serves tens of thousands of Bukharian Jewish families across the area.
WATCH: (Hebrew)
Putting on Tefillin
Is Mr. Katz a Kohen?