Turning pain into action: New youth center established in Beitar Illit in memory of Rabbi Zvi Kogan
A year after the murder of Chabad emissary Zvi Kogan in the UAE, a synagogue and youth center were inaugurated in his memory in Beitar Illit. The moving ceremony combined commemoration, a 'halake' ceremony, and the donation of tefillin by Border Police soldiers.
A year after the murder that shocked the Jewish world, the story of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, may his blood be avenged, continues to serve as a symbol of revival. This week, in Beitar Illit, 'Migdal Or' — a synagogue and youth center named 'Beit Zvi' — was inaugurated in memory of the emissary who was brutally murdered in the UAE. The site, which began as a modest tefillin stand at the initiative of Rabbi Pini Deitch, has become a warm, permanent home for the youth and the community.
The housewarming and mezuzah-affixing ceremony was attended by the city's rabbis, the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Elazar Weiss, head of the Beitar Illit Rabbinical Court, and the city's Sephardic Rabbi, the Gaon Rabbi Yitzhak Muallem, alongside public figures and hundreds of teenagers.
An especially moving moment occurred when Zvi's father, Rabbi Alexander Sender HaCohen Kogan, shared the amazing Divine Providence behind the choice of location: years earlier, his son had passed exactly the same spot where his father would later meet Rabbi Deitch and learn of his extensive activities.
'Today, in exactly the same place, a lighthouse of Torah is opening in my son's name,' the father said in a calm, tearful voice.
Alongside the memorial event, the venue was filled with joy as the 'halake' ceremony (the traditional first haircut at age three) was held for the son of Rabbi Pini Deitch, symbolizing the continuity of life.
The 'Beit BaKikar' project includes extraordinary cooperation with security forces. Recently, following a warm connection formed between the organizers and Border Police soldiers stationed in the area, the soldiers collected donations to purchase a pair of high-quality tefillin. The tefillin were presented during the ceremony to one of the community's youths, who was moved to tears in front of the audience.
The new center is expected to operate throughout the week and on Saturdays, aiming to serve as an educational framework and a spiritual lighthouse for the local youth.
