Chabad Warrior Defends All Jews

Chabad Warrior Defends All Jews Arthur Katz, longtime champion of Jewish causes on the Island By JAMES BERNSTEIN He is grateful to Katz for coming ed Long Island schools to be a part activism on the Island. openly supporting Zionism, an Since he was a teenager growing up with the idea for the mezuzah of it all. The local winners went on As a teen, he became a protester offense of great magnitude to the up in Nassau County, Arthur Katz program. “Many years ago,” said to compete with those from the against Soviet oppression of Jews. nation that backed the Arab states has been deeply inolved with in their effort to destroy Israel. Jewish issues, including for years “I stood for the Long Island now, the Chabad. His interest movement for Soviet Jewry,” Katz recalled, “took part in demonstra- REPORTER’S tions.” He also later worked to resettle Jews who were able to exit NOTEBOOK the U.S.S.R. began with helping save Jews he anger that galvanized him trapped in what was the Soviet Tinto literally marching for Union from imprisonment and per- Soviet Jews, said Katz, stemmed secution by the authorities in the from lessons he learned as a child. Kremlin. “I grew up in a family that was Though he was raised in a affected by the Holocaust. There Conservative home, Katz had what were people who couldn’t get out. he described as a metamorphosis What [brought] me to the table toward Lubavitch Hasidus, and he were the stories I heard.” has now worked closely for Katz never forgot those stories, decades with Tuvia Tel- and he’s devoted much of his time don, the chief Chabad- and resources to ensuring that the Lubavitch representative Arthur Katz, who has championed Jewish causes for decades, is now Holocaust and its victims are in Long Island and Dir- promoting a program to provide mezuzahs to as many Jewish families on Long never forgotten. ector of the now-closed Island as possible. He was there when the Holo- Jewish Academy of Suf- caust Memorial and Tolerance folk County. He was also Center of Nassau County (HMTC) its past president. opened in 1992, actively support- Just recently, Katz, ing its work, particularly in edu- of Jericho, and Teldon, cating the community about the launched a program to in- Shoah. He was recently honored stall as many mezuzahs by the Center at a golf outing on on the homes of Jewish Long Isand. residents on Long Island The U.S. and many other coun- as possible. Katz is fund- tries are seeing a rise in anti- ing the project, which Semitism. Synagogues have been will see mezuzot offered defaced, Nazis and skinheads have free of charge to all Is- marched openly in the streets of landers who desire them. Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, Regional Director of Chabad-Lubavitch on Long Island, is Charlottsville, Va., resulting in the How did Katz decide to working with Katz to promote the mezuzah program. death of one young woman who back a campaign that has had turned out to oppose the long been a cornerstone Nazis. of the Lubavitch outreach other schools. He handed out anti-Soviet litera- The Holoaust is increasingly movement? Like Teldon “It was a great success and we ture, attended meetings, and spoke being forgotten and too many ene- and all Lubavitcher, Katz believes Teldon, “the [Lubavitcher] Rebbe all had a lot of fun,” Katz said. out about the suffering of Soviet mies of the Jewish people claim that mezuzot are one of the compared having a mezuzah in the bedrock mitzvot of Jewish obser- house to having a helmet over your vance. head” — the Rebbe saw them as “But that’s the technical reason,” nothing less than protection by the he said. There’s more to it, and the Divine. force that led him to pair with “How many will take the Teldon is very much in keeping mezuzahs?” he wondered. “Hope- Katz’s friend and colleague, Chabad leader Tuvia Teldon says, “He doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk.” with the issues that have mattered fully, thousands. It’s a very impor- to him for most of his life. “Today, tant thing.” with all the anti-Semitism we are In March, Katz helped organize seeing in every direction, a Jew a Torah learning competition for Chabad students on Long Island taking part in March in a Torah learning competition that Katz helped organize. with a mezuzah on his door says hundreds of children from 13 ‘I’m proud of my Judaism, my her- Chabad Hebrew Schools on Long His effectiveness in promoting Jewry, their general mistreatment that it never happened. Katz, who itage.’” Island. Similar competitions were and generously supporting Chabad and the heroism of those who went recently became a member of the Teldon said Katz “doesn’t just held at other Chabad schools will not surprise anyone familiar to prison for trying to revive organization’s board of directors, talk the talk. He walks the walk.” across the country, and Katz want- with his long history of Jewish Judaism in the U.S.S.R. and for continued on page 19 JEWISHWORLD • SEPTEMBER 6-12, 2019 15.

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