Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("95345")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Portland,_Oregon">Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930, making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most...
) who has pioneered various
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
ish educational initiatives geared towards
baal teshuvaBaal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jewish person who embraces Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "master of return", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
("returness to
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
") outreach. In 1979, after receiving rabbinical ordination in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
, Packouz started the first
Aish HaTorahAish HaTorah is a Jewish Orthodox Ashkenazi organization and yeshiva. Aish HaTorah is actively pro-Israel and encourages Jewish people to visit Israel and connect to the land and its history. From a religious perspective, however, it follows a mostly Charedi philosophy...
branch in St. Louis. In 1980, he founded the Jewish Computer Dating Service which earned him an appearance on The Today Show.
Packouz speaks out on Jewish continuity through marriage, and in 1976 authored the book, "How to Stop an Intermarriage." The book was recently expanded and retitled as: "How to Prevent an Intermarriage - A Guide For Parents to Prevent Broken Hearts."
In 1992, Packouz launched the
Shabbat Shalom Weekly, one of the most widely-read electronic publication in the Jewish world, with tens of thousands of copies distributed each week via fax and email.
In 1997, Packouz created
Window on the Wall, a 24-hour live webcam from the
Western WallThe Western Wall , sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel , and as al-Buraaq Wall by Muslims, is an important Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
in Jerusalem. The site has since logged 20 million visits and been featured on
CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
and
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
.
Packouz served for 10 years as executive director of Aish HaTorah international operations, and is currently head of the Miami office of Aish HaTorah's worldwide programs.
Packouz is married and the father of nine children.
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