Like Speed Dating, But With Torah
The New York Jewish Week yesterday profiled the outreach work of Chabad emissary Rabbi Hanoch Hecht, the ‘Six-Minute Rabbi’ who brings serious, albeit abbreviated, learning to those who can’t get out of the office.
From The Jewish Week by Steve Lipman:
Rabbi Hanoch Hecht’s six minutes of Torah in Manhattan one recent day lasted seven and a half hours.
Earlier this month, the rabbi, an emissary of the Chabad-Lubavitch chasidic movement in upstate Rhinebeck, arrived at 8:34 a.m. on the Amtrak Empire Service, walked to a nearby Shacharit minyan, then began a daylong series of one-on-one learning sessions in offices around the borough. His last class ended at 5 p.m., followed by a personal counseling session. He got back to Rhinebeck at 8:30 p.m.
Another day in the life of the “6-Minute Rabbi.”
That’s the trademarked name that Rabbi Hecht, a 31-year-old Canarsie native, gave himself when he began his short-length, long-lived educational program eight years ago.
Every Thursday, no matter the weather, he meets with doctors, attorneys, real estate developers and other professionals, sharing an insight into the week’s Torah portion, an inspirational story and some words of spiritual encouragement, all in the time it takes to get a cup of coffee.
Most days he rides from lesson to lesson on Citi Bikes he picks up at stations around Manhattan, parking them when he arrives at each venue, hopping on another bike after a class, covering some 15 miles a day.
To stay light, he carries no books, no texts on his jaunts around Gotham; lunch is a Power Bar he picks up along the way.
For many of his students, the 360 seconds with him are usually the only Torah learning they can squeeze into their schedule each week. “I want to get the high-powered people, the busy people,” Rabbi Hecht said.
Wow
No homework, no tuition, no pitch to put on tefillin or commit to doing any specific mitzvah. “I don’t come with any hidden agenda,” he said.
This is shlichus? Do you work for Aish Hatorah? How could you meet with Jews and not ask them to put on Tefillin? How could you go to offices in Manhatten without a pair of Tefillin!
Great job getting in the door!
First you get in the door, then you get them to the next level, tefillin, kosher, shabbos ect.
If you say lets wrap tefillin some guys will shut you down right away. You have to know your customer.
Please look where the Quotation Marks are!
No homework, no tuition, no pitch to put on tefillin or commit to doing any specific mitzvah – this is written by the writer
“I don’t come with any hidden agenda,” – these are Hechts words
Very big difference. Please be careful before you say not such nice things about people. A little attention to the details goes a long way!
Wow
What an article.How magnificent!Our young shluchim today try everything to reach another Jw in a kosher way!Are you related to Rabbi JJ? If so, boy must her be proud of you.Keep up the holy work
Amazing
Kol Hakavod!Just amazing and a well written and interesting article.
Jim Munnis
“Like Speed Dating…”
We should know from Speed Dating???
BI
Love the article.I have been to Rabbi H Chabad in Dutchess county for an event he and his Rebbetzin are the real deal in an inviting kosher exciting way.How his congregants love them and their approach.
looking forward to more of these posts.
Esther
How amazing that people are being exposed to torah learning in a on pressured way. Keep up the good work