We’re in a race against time….

Rabbi Yitzchak  Weinberger of Bergen County, NJ, called me recently with the following idea:

“I know this is last minute, but I have a great suggestion for you… Each year many newcomers come to the megillah reading on Purim and – not understanding a word of Hebrew – have no idea what is going on. They sit listening to the baal koreh for half an hour and do not understand a single word. For many, this is their first taste of Judaism and it does not exactly leave them thirsty for more.

“For years, I have wanted to produce high quality visual material that would be shown by outreach organizations while the megillah is being read to enable those who don’t understand Hebrew to enjoy the reading as well. When I read the Hamodia feature article about you and your amazing work, I thought, ‘If anyone can do it, this guy can!’”

We accepted the challenge and are working day and night to produce stunning slides that can be shown digitally during the megillah reading. Of course, once complete, educators may want to use material to show their classes in the days before Purim.

The material will be ready PG on Sunday 4th March – too close to Purim to start spreading the word about it then. I am therefore encouraging people to start spreading the word now and sign up ASAP.

Know a school or outreach organization that wants the material? Please write to stunningdigitalmegillah@torahlive.com

Chodesh tov,
Rabbi Dan Roth

PS: Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, world renown halachic authority and one of the spiritual leaders of the worldwide baal teshuva movement, has endorsed the idea of screening the material during the megillah reading with the proviso that this only be be done by outreach organizations. Each organization is encouraged to consult with their own halachic authority.

Nicky Newfield of South Africa, founder of Jewish Interactive with her husband Jonathan on a Skype call with Rabbi Roth. “We are excited to collaborate with Torah Live,” said Nicky, “as we are both passionate about making Torah alive using the 21st century technology.”

Want to share this special moment with you…

The mezuza presentation was given in Russian in Moscow by Sara Katz AND in Hebrew by Shmuel Rind to elementary school boys – both on the same day!

 Sara Katz sent me the following note via Skype:

I took the kids to Yad Eliezer to pack food packages for people in need. As you see from the pictures we all had a really great time and can’t wait to do it again.This got me thinking….

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make a presentation on the mitzvah of chesed and loving your fellow Jew? We need it now more than ever!

It could include video interviews with people who have excelled in this field, as well as inspiring stories, fascinating sources, and ideas of how we can all do more.

Our team of highly talented animators, 3d artists, cinematographers, special effects artists, and script writers have a track record of producing original and very creative material.

Of course we need funds to make this happen and so I am turning to you for help. The cost of a Torah Live presentation is £18,000. You can see what other people have pledged and keep a tab of our fund raising thermometer here. Minimum pledge is $100.

The Sages tell us that those who cause others to do kindness are greater in some ways than those who do kindness themselves. Your contribution will inspire the 50,000 people who have benefited from our material to do more kindness.

Please let me know how much you can pledge towards this important project by clicking here or using the donate buttons on this page.

Warm regards,
Dan Roth
Founder, Torah Live

Join the growing team of partners in building a new Torah Live presentation on this most important and relevant of topics, Kindness. Send an email with your pledge commitment, or donate now here.

Current Total: £1,421

Our thanks to:

Graham Calvert – £500

Dan Roth – £500

YK Sofer Blog - $360

Issamar Ginzberg – $100

Yossie Weiss – $100

Goldberg Intl CPA Firm – $100

(Updated 12.02.12 | 11:00pm)

For the detail oriented folks, here’s the exact cost breakdown for creating this groundbreaking multimedia experience:

Multimedia Work

Cameraman – £737

Video Editing – £798

3D Modeling and Animations – £1,290

Flash Programming – £1,352

Graphic Design – £1,475

Sub-total – £5,652

Research and Development

Research – £1,690

Script Writing – £1,821

Sub-total – £3,511

Allocation of Fixed Expenses

Project Manager, Public Relations, Marketing Director, Secretary, Transportation, Telephone, Misc £8,486

Total per presentation – £17,649

What do you think? Please tell us in the comments section below, or shoot an email to d.roth@torahlive.com.