Dear Friends,
As we return to our routines after the holidays, I’m writing to you with a heavy heart.
An elderly, sick Jew from Eretz Yisrael sits alone in a prison cell in Odessa tonight. He has been there since Rosh Hashanah—not because he committed any crime, but simply because he cannot afford to pay a fine.
While we gather around our Shabbos tables, he sits behind bars, separated from his family. While we go about our daily lives, he is cut off from the medical treatment that could save his life.
He is a father. A grandfather. A Jew who needs us.
I have personally vetted his case and remain in close contact with his family and local lawyers. The path forward is clear: with $20,000, his debt can be paid, his cell door can open, and he can finally go home to his family in Eretz Yisrael.
But his family has nothing. They are completely destitute, watching helplessly as their loved one languishes far away. We are his only hope.
Each morning in our tefillos, we recite the bracha of matir asurim, thanking Hashem for releasing those who are bound. Today, we have the chance to be His partners in this sacred work, to bring those words to life through the mitzvah of Pidyon Shvuyim.
Please open your heart and help us bring this man home. Every contribution brings him one step closer to freedom, to healing, and to his family.
Help bring him home!
With deep gratitude and blessing,
Rabbi Wolff