Ostreicher Speaks Out; Praises Aleph Institute
In the first video interview given since his return to the United States, Brooklyn businessman Yanky Ostreicher speaks passionately about the Aleph Institute, which was instrumental in arranging his release from the notorious Palmasola Prison in Bolivia.
From VIN News by Sandy Eller:
The video was taken last week in Los Angeles and is 90 seconds long, showing a remarkably healthy looking Ostreicher making his first official appearance, expressing his profound thanks to the Aleph Institute, which provides services both to Jewish military personnel as well as prison inmates.
“I would like to personally express my deepest gratitude to this incredible organization who are relentless throughout the world, helping Jewish prisoners all over the world,” said Ostreicher.
Ostreicher has remained out of the public eye since his return to the United States last month, but is speaking out publicly in order to garner support for Aleph Institute.
“It was very important to Yanky Ostreicher that people should know the good work that we do,” Rabbi Menachem Katz, director of prison and military outreach told VIN News. “He himself has been a recipient of Aleph’s work and the care, concern, tenacity and the great lengths that we go to help people is something he feels is very important for people to know.”
It was a relationship between Aleph Institute and actor Mark Wahlberg that brought about Ostreicher’s release from Palmasola, according to Rabbi Katz, who said that they approached Wahlberg who, in turn, contacted actor Sean Penn.
“It was Penn who spoke to Hugo Chavez who approached the president of Bolivia and asked him to intervene in this case,” explained Rabbi Katz.
“Aleph Institute was directly involved in my case, helping me being released from the most horrendous South American prison and only thru Aleph Institute, with the help of Hashem, by getting a hold of Sean Penn…if it wouldn’t be for Aleph Institute, that never would have happened.”
The video is timed to promote the Aleph Institute’s upcoming twelfth annual auction, which will be held in conjunction with its yearly military Shabbos, taking place in Florida on February 7th and 8th.
“This is an organization that is like no other organization that I am aware of,” said Ostreicher. “They were relentless. They were working 24 hours a day, around the clock, to do whatever they can.”
