Thursday, June 28, 2012

Help Save Rabbi Chaim Yosef Uziel Ben Estrella

Normally I don’t participate in prayer groups for rabbis or other prominent ill Jews.  But today I had an experience which made me change my mind, at least in this case.  I went for my weekly kosher pizza splurge, and I found out some appalling news.  Rabbi Chaim Yosef Uziel Ben Estrella, a Sephardic Rabbi in Surfside, Florida, is very ill.  He is a husband and father of eight children.  In addition his wife is now heavily pregnant with their ninth child and shortly scheduled to give birth.

Rabbi Uziel has had pneumonia now for four weeks.  The illness has spread to his kidneys and lungs and placed him in a coma.  Today he was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital and is hovering between life and death. 
I am an observant Ashkenazi Jew who normally prays at the local Chabad Shul at Bal Harbour.  This Shabbos I will be joining Rabbi Uziel’s congregation for Friday night services and for Seudat Shlishit as an act of compassion and solidarity during their suffering.  I hope my presence can make a difference.
I urge all Jews, regardless of background or differences, to pray for the immediate recovery of Rabbi Chaim Yosef Uziel Ben Estrella.  You should include him in your prayers and say tehillim for him -and give tzedakah in his merit.  Also please dedicate your Shabbos prayers to him as well.  Non-Jewish friends and supporters of Israel and the Jews are also encouraged to participate  in prayer for the Rabbi as well. 

I hope we can make a difference in terms of saving Rabbi Uziel’s life.  This way when his wife gives birth shortly to their ninth child, he will be alive to witness the birth of his ninth child.  The Rabbi’s children need their father, and his wife needs her husband. 

2 comments:

MIB786 said...

Last night our communities in miami joined together for an evening that I am sure we will all remember forever.
Rabbi Yosef ben Estrela and Mordechai Uziel passed away a week ago, 42 years old, a father of 8 leaving a young widow 9 months pregnant.
They have 7 girls and 1 boy and one on the way. The boy looked petite and sweet just like his father, maybe he is 6 or 7 years old. He stood on the podium with a piece of paper and said "yitgadal ve yitkadash shemay raba..." We all answered amen.
Many Rabbis spoke.
I would like to please share with you some words from last night by one of the distinguished Rabbis:

"Michal (the wife) asked me: 'Rabbi do you know what this evening is for?' I answered not really it isn't our custom, she said: 'there are two reasons for this evening, one is to bring peace to the soul of my husband the second is to WAKE EVERYBODY UP!".
The Rabbi continued to explain that we as a people will unite and become one, one way or the other and we should do our best to do so in happiness and love.
With this I would like to encourage us all to bring our Jewish people together, each and everyone of us in our communities, to encourage living a life of a true Jew, giving more Tzedakah, studying Torah, putting on Tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles and spreading unconditional love too!
That is what G-d wants for us to be ONE with our people, with Him, and to set an example to the world by being shining stars.
Is He asking too much of us?
Wishing you peace, love, happiness and a world filled with MOSHIACH NOW!
Long live the KING!
Smile G-d is watching!

May these words be in memory of Rabbi Yosef ben Estrela and Mordechai Uziel z"l, may his soul ascent up above and bring down an abundance of blessings for us all.
Toda ! [this msg arrived in my email from friend, Esther. I knew Rabbi Uziel from 2006, when he urged my husband Elie and I to live a good Sephardic Orthodox lifestyle]

MIB786 said...

Last night our communities in miami joined together for an evening that I am sure we will all remember forever.
Rabbi Yosef ben Estrela and Mordechai Uziel passed away a week ago,
42 years old, a father of 8 leaving a young widow 9 months pregnant.
They have 7 girls and 1 boy and one on the way.
The boy looked petite and sweet just like his father, maybe he is 6 or 7 years old. He stood on the podium with a piece of paper and said "yitgadal ve yitkadash shemay raba..." We all answered amen.
Many Rabbis spoke.
I would like to please share with you some words from last night by one of the distinguished Rabbis:

"Michal (the wife) asked me: 'Rabbi do you know what this evening is for?' I answered not really it isn't our custom, she said: 'there are two reasons for this evening, one is to bring peace to the soul of my husband the second is to WAKE EVERYBODY UP!".
The Rabbi continued to explain that we as a people will unite and become one, one way or the other and we should do our best to do so in happiness and love.
With this I would like to encourage us all to bring our Jewish people together, each and everyone of us in our communities, to encourage living a life of a true Jew, giving more Tzedakah, studying Torah, putting on Tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles and spreading unconditional love too!
That is what G-d wants for us to be ONE with our people, with Him, and to set an example to the world by being shining stars.
Is He asking too much of us?
Wishing you peace, love, happiness and a world filled with MOSHIACH NOW! Long live the KING!
Smile G-d is watching!

May these words be in memory of Rabbi Yosef ben Estrela and Mordechai Uziel z"l, may his soul ascent up above and bring down an abundance of blessings for us all.
Toda ! {this email came from my frien, Nils. We knew Rabbi Uziel in 2006, when he shook the ground I was walking. I have since taken to ArtTzaddikim.blogspot to reveal great Talmudic scholars in drawings of them)