Uri Zohar – once Israel’s most popular entertainer and later – most famous Baal Teshuvah
Earlier this month (June 2nd) the Torah world and even secular Israelis were saddened to learn of the petirah (death) of Rabbi Uri Zohar, zt”l, at the age of 86 – once Israel’s most popular entertainer and later the Jewish State’s most famous Baal Teshuva (a secular Jew’s decision to abandon an assimilated life and adopt a Torah-true lifestyle.)
Most Americans have no idea of just how important Uri Zohar was to the chiloni (non-religious) community in Israel. He was a highly regarded and popular Israeli film director, actor and comedian who abandoned the entertainment world in order to become a frum (religious) Jew and an ultra-Orthodox (hareidi) rabbi. To put in the proper perspective, try to imagine how Americans of all faiths would have reacted to a similar baal teshuvah movement of Woody Allen and what a kiddush Hashem that would have created.
Among the YouTube interviews with Rabbi Zohar that I can recommend, is “Frankness Rabbi Uri Zohar Most Ingenious.” Although it is in Hebrew, there are English subtitles and offers one a great opportunity to learn concepts of Rabbi Zohar that he might not have been able to relay in English which is not his mother tongue. It also helps one improve on one’s Ivrit (Hebrew.) For those interested in only a direct English interview with Israel’s most famous Baal Teshuvah, you can google “From Israeli Film to Bnei Brak Gadol – Rabbi Uri Zohar” a recent podcast by the staff of Meaningful People.