Search results
Kalman Packouz was an Orthodox rabbi who pioneered various Jewish educational initiatives geared towards baalei teshuva ("returnee to Judaism") outreach.
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.
Later that year I started the first Aish HaTorah branch in St. Louis with Rabbi Michael Willis (see the April 1977 edition of Rollingstone Magazine). From 1982-1990 I was executive director in Jerusalem.
- Biography
- Intermarriage Book
- Jewish Computer Dating Service
- Shabbat Shalom Weekly
- Kotel Webcam
- External Links
Packouz was raised in Portland, Oregon and attended Temple Beth Israel, a reform temple. In 1979, after receiving rabbinical ordination in Jerusalem, Packouz started the first Aish HaTorah branch in St. Louis. Packouz served for 10 years as executive director of Aish HaTorah international operations, and is currently head of the Miami office of Ais...
Packouz speaks out on Jewish continuity through marriage, and in 1976 authored the book, "How to Stop an Intermarriage." The book was recently expanded and retitled as: "How to Prevent an Intermarriage - A Guide For Parents to Prevent Broken Hearts."
In 1980, he founded the Jewish Computer Dating Service which earned him an appearance on The Today Show
In 1992, Packouz launched the Shabbat Shalom Weekly an electronic publication with copies distributed each week via fax and email.
In 1997, Packouz created Window on the Wall, a 24-hour live webcam from the Western Wall in Jerusalem. You can see live pictures of the wall as well as place a note to be put in the wall. The site has since logged 20 million visits and been featured on CNN and The New York Times.
Appearing on the Today Show, the most popular morning show at the time, Kalman faced a hostile interviewer: “Rabbi Packouz, now is a time when America is moving away from discrimination. How do you answer those who say your Jewish dating service is based on a premise of discrimination?”
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.
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.
