In just 48 hours after the wake of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan’s tragic murder, more than 40,000 mitzvahs were performed in his memory, with individuals from over 200 locations participating through a dedicated One Mitzvah page.
The tragic murder of Tzvi Kogan, a 28-year-old Shliach in Abu Dhabi, sent shockwaves through the Jewish community worldwide. Kogan, a Shliach and manager at a kosher supermarket in Dubai, was abducted and killed by terrorists His death has sparked a global outpouring of grief and solidarity, with many people coming together to honor his memory through the performance of mitzvahs during his shivah mourning period.
The notion of performing mitzvahs in the wake of a tragedy has long been a Jewish tradition. For the family of Tzvi Kogan, the call to action was not just to mourn but to channel that grief into meaningful acts of kindness and spirituality. The global Jewish community responded in an overwhelming manner, with more than 40,000 mitzvahs being reported to have been performed in his memory on the designated online page, onemitzvah.org/tzvi
The One Mitzvah Platform, an online initiative designed to encourage Jews worldwide to commit to performing mitzvahs for a cause, became a focal point for people all over the world to submit their commitments.
A diverse range of mitzvahs were undertaken, the vast majority from people who never met Tzvi OBM or his family. For example, Esther Bogatin made a pledge to be more careful with her speech, committing to add "shalom" into her words and conversations. She vowed to do this 10 times in the coming days, adding a touch of peace to her community during a time of loss.
Carissa Braun, a grandmother, chose to impart a legacy of spirituality to her grandchildren by teaching them prayers. She dedicated herself to repeating the teachings 36 times.
Ellyn Egenberg, another participant, made the commitment to recite the Shema before going to sleep each night. She committed to this mitzvah 36 times, dedicating her nightly prayers to the soul of the late Shliach.
A staggering 4,000 people from over 200 locations participated in this show of solidarity and resolve. The OneMitzvah Platform, a digital tool for Jewish engagement, created a way for anyone, anywhere, to participate in a mitzvah campaign on behalf of a cause, individual, or community. This platform launched a dedicated campaign for Rabbi Kogan, where people from across the globe could sign up to perform mitzvahs in his memory. Whether it was lighting Shabbat candles, donating to charity, reciting psalms, or observing the laws of kashrut more diligently, the mitzvah campaign was accessible to anyone with a desire to honor Tzvi’s life through action.
You can still join the initiative through onemitzvah.org/tzvi
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