Kiruv in the office building

Center for Return marks its 30th year

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When the clock hits noon, hundreds of thousands of workers in Manhattan take the elevators down, lining up at the food carts and coffee shops for their lunch breaks.

At the same time, Rabbi Avrohom Dov Kahn hits the “up” button, carrying food and literature for lunch and learn sessions, which he has been running in classrooms, private homes and workplaces for 30 years. “One out of every 26 Jews in the world can be found in Manhattan on a weekday,” Rabbi Kahn said. “This is an ideal opportunity to educate so many Jews in one place.”

Through his group, Center for Return, Rabbi Kahn and his wife Miriam, have brought some 500 individuals towards Torah observance, inviting them to their Kew Gardens home, in a non-judgmental approach that has endeared them to supporters. “He is turning the tide of assimilation,” said Lawrence resident Dov Wolowitz. “He totally gives himself to the Jewish people, and shows a loving side of Judaism.” A longtime supporter of Center for Return, Wolowitz connected the Kahns with Sh’or Yoshuv founder Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld, who offered to have his students host Center for Return clients at their Far Rockaway homes. Their stories were shared publicly at the White Shul on Dec. 10, at Center for Return’s annual dinner.

Among the visitors were the Brooklyn couple Marat and Yelena Likhtenstein, who arrived from Odessa in 1987. Their decision to live an observant lifestyle encountered hostility from family members, who viewed an Orthodox lifestyle through commonly held stereotypes. “They advised us to bring our own food, as they said that the Orthodox have such large families, that there may not be enough food for us,” said Yelena Likhtenstein.

By then, not only was the couple convinced that Orthodoxy is “normal,” but they took a number of steps demonstrating commitment. “Our extended family was not happy because we were not answering their calls on Shabbat,” Likhtenstein said. “They thought we were crazy.” She credited Rabbi Kahn for providing morale to her family during that time. “He said that ultimately they will respect and emulate you.”

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