It is a truly amazing phenomenon that a person who went through so much personal pain and tragedy can be in a position to offer chizuk to others, but that encapsulates who Rabbi Leo Dee is, and how he is coping with tremendous personal loss. MTA talmidim were privileged to be able to attend Rabbi Dee’s lecture to YU students on Monday afternoon in MTA’s own beis midrash. The room was packed with talmidim from grades 9-12, YU students, and rebbeim as well. It was standing room only, as everyone realized how much they could benefit from Rabbi’s Dee’s moving words.

Rabbi Dee spoke about living in two different worlds: the one before his tragic loss, and his new world as a single parent raising three children. He has experienced so much loss, yet Rabbi Dee spoke from a place of strength and extremely strong emunah and bitachon. Rabbi Dee tied everything into what klal Yisrael has been experiencing since October 7, also emphasizing what everyone’s role needs to be during this time. The need for yishuv Eretz Yisrael was a point driven home at the end. Everyone who attended the lecture left feeling inspired, and ready to pack his bags for Israel!