Coming home:

We live in amazing times. We have lived through the destruction of the beautiful Torah edifice that was European Jewry and its rebirth in Eretz Yisroel. We have lived through tragic times of mass assimilation in America and its rebirth in rebuilt day-schools and yeshivas, kollels and communities. Of all this astonishing rebirth, perhaps the most astonishing is the baal teshuvah movement, the return of large numbers of highly committed Jewish men and women to the traditions of their forefathers.I have encouraged the baalei teshuvah who relate their stories here to make their struggles ? often against incredible odds ? and their successes better known. For we are all baalei teshuvah, or should be. We all need to turn from our limited Divine service of yesterday, determined to reach new levels of spirituality and Divine service tomorrow.