CONGREGATION OHR TORAH
SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE: DR. MANDELL I. GANCHROW
MARCH 12 & 13 - 19 & 20 ADAR SHABBAT PARSHAT PARAH

SHABBAT SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 - 19 ADAR
Candle Lighting: 5:42 pm
Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat: 5:50 pm

SHABBAT, MARCH 13 - 20 ADAR
SHABBAT MORNING
Shacharit: 8:00 am (Gold Room)
9:00 am (Main Sanctuary)
8:45 am (Sephardic Minyan)
Drasha by Dr. Ganchrow 10:30 am
in Main Sanctuary:

SHABBAT AFTERNOON
Mincha: 5:50 pm
Maariv: 6:40 pm
Shabbat Ends: 6:42 pm

MOTZEI SHABBAT-SATURDAY NIGHT
MELAVE MALKA
8:00 pm in The Gold Room
Lecture & Book Signing
with Dr. Ganchrow
"Journey Through The Minefields;
From Vietnam to Washington
-An Orthodox Surgeon's Odyssey"

Mandell I. Ganchrow M.D.
Executive Vice President,
Religious Zionists of America

Dr. Mandell I. Ganchrow, Executive Vice President of Religious Zionists of America (RZA) - Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi is immediate past Chairman of the Board of the Orthodox Union (OU) as well as its immediate past President, having served in that position from 1994-2000. Dr. Ganchrow served as the Chairman of the Religious Zionists Coalition; the joint Orthodox community's efforts for the Zionist Congress elections and was the first President of the Orthodox General Assembly representing the Orthodox communities of 35 countries . He is a retired surgeon and former clinical associate professor of surgery who has held countless leadership positions within the organized Jewish community of the United States. His involvement in Jewish communal affairs has enabled him to project the beauty of the Torah way of life into the oft-times secular halls of world leadership. His two books, "Sason V'simchah - An Anthology of Divrei Torah for Sheva Brachos" is in its third printing and his second book, "Entering the Covenant - An Anthology of Divrei Torah for Bris Milah & Pidyon Haben" was published in 2001. Both were printed by ArtScroll Press. His autobiography, "Journey Through The Minefields; From Vietnam to Washington -An Orthodox Surgeon's Odyssey" published by Eshel Books in February 2004 is now available in bookstores.
A graduate of Yeshiva University, Dr. Ganchrow served with distinction as a combat surgeon and acting Jewish chaplain in Vietnam; he was decorated and promoted on the battlefield to the rank of Major. Dr. Ganchrow was a member of the Board of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary until 2001 and was a member of the executive board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He served for 13 years as the founding President of the Hudson Valley Political Action Committee, then the largest local pro-Israeli PAC in the U.S. and was re-elected as HUVPAC President in March 2001. Dr. Ganchrow has also been President of the Community Synagogue of Monsey and the Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Monsey. He served as a member of the Governing Board of the Jewish Agency and was a past Chairman of the Doctor's Division of Israel Bonds of Rockland County. He was a trustee of the Jim Joseph Foundation until 2002 and serves on the Board of the American Red Cross in Rockland County. He served as a Commissioner to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad from 1997 to 2000.
Under Dr. Ganchrow's six year leadership, the Orthodox Union witnessed a dramatic growth in its Torah initiatives, synagogue services, and Israel related educational and political activity, including the founding of the OU's Institute for Public Affairs where he served as founding Chairman. Since joining the RZA in July 2001 as its Executive Vice President, a renaissance and renewal of its programs and activities has occurred.

Married to the former Sheila Weinreb, the Ganchrows have three children, Malkie and Dr. Paul Ratzker, Ari and Banji Ganchrow, and our very own Congregation Ohr Torah members Elli and Brina Ganchrow. They are the proud grandparents of Zachary, Jacob, Carlie and Tamara Ratzker, and Jack, Jonah, Matthew Wallace and Rachel Ganchrow.