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Kalman Packouz was an Orthodox rabbi who pioneered various Jewish educational initiatives geared towards baalei teshuva ("returnee to Judaism ") outreach. Biography. Packouz was raised in Portland, Oregon, and attended Temple Beth Israel, a Reform temple.
- Aish Branch Pioneer
- Technology For Torah
- Sterling Character
In 1978, Kalman and his new bride Shoshana drove cross-country to visit his parents in Portland, Oregon. Midway, they spent Shabbat in St. Louis at the home of Kenneth Spetner, upon whom Kalman made a strong impression. Rabbi Weinberg was urged to start the first Aish branch in St. Louis, and Kalman, always eager to embark on new projects, readily ...
Rabbi Packouz was deeply pained by the disconnect of Jews from their precious heritage, and employed innovative technology to reverse this trend. In 1980, he gained national attention by creating the first-ever Jewish Computer Dating Service (JCDS). Appearing on the Today Show, the most popular morning show at the time, Kalman faced a hostile inter...
On a personal level, Kalman was a paradigm of integrity. He worked on himself ceaselessly, molding and shaping his abundant natural strengths to be the best he could be. When it came to helping others, Kalman had an extraordinary sense of justice; yet for himself humbly abided by the credo that “being kind is more important than being right.” He lo...
Nov 19, 2023 · Kalman Packouz with former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Kalman, who passed away in 2019, is the subject of a new book, Thumbs Up!, that combines the teachings of Rabbi Weinberg, with heartwarming true stories of Kalman’s adventures. Some excerpts:
BIOGRAPHY OF RABBI KALMAN PACKOUZ. I grew up in Portland, Oregon and attended Temple Beth Israel, a reform temple where I received the John F. Kennedy award as top graduating student from the Sunday School.
Sep 7, 2018 · In 1992, after moving to South Florida, Rabbi Kalman Packouz was fascinated with the latest technology, a fax modem. So he found a way to put it to good use, by sending out a one-page "dot-matrix" fax about the weekly Torah portion to 50 people.
Between 1992 and 2019, Rabbi Packouz, obm was the author of Shabbat Shalom Weekly, with insights into life, personal growth and Torah. He transitioned from a Reform Judaism background to a fully Torah-observant life at age 22, via Aish HaTorah, where he was one of the founding five students.
Dec 24, 2018 · Writer, educator, humorist and Portland native Rabbi Kalman Packouz recently announced the Hebrew and Spanish expansion of his world-renowned Shabbat Shalom Weekly email (ShabbatShalom.org). Kalman, known as Ken to his Portland friends and relatives, is the son of Ray and Dorothy Packouz.
