Purim and Accessibility – On the Yahrtzeit of My Nephew Maoz Morell z”l Personal reflections by Rabbi Dov Linzer

Dear Friends,

Today, the 11th of Adar, the first day that the megillah can be read, is a particularly poignant one for me, personally, as it marks the first yahrtzeit of my nephew, Maoz Morell z”l, who fell defending Am Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael in Gaza one year ago, today. Despite learning disabilities that made reading challenging in both Hebrew and English, Maoz’s determination—coupled with proper support—led him to become an inspirational leader among his fellow paratroopers. He served heroically saving his fellow soldiers’ lives until his final moments.

( In case you missed the Times of Israel article about Maoz, written by his mother and my sister Varda Morell, I’ve included it here.)

To honor his legacy at YCT, we established the Maoz Morell zt”l Memorial Fund, supporting rabbinical students with learning differences.

The fact that the megillah can be read starting today is an accommodation the Rabbis made for villagers who needed to hear it when visiting town on market days and who otherwise would have been excluded from the mitzvah.

This date embodies the principle of maximizing access —to community, mitzvot, Torah, and education. The megillah itself emphasizes this through its recurring phrase kiktavam vi’kilshonam (“each nation in their script and language”), which is echoed in the halakha that permits the writing and reading of the megillah scroll to be done in any language.

This ruling inspired my wife Rabbanit Devorah Zlochower and me to commission the first English megillah for our son, enabling his meaningful participation after years of disconnect and effective exclusion from the Hebrew reading.

Purim’s essence highlights the vital nature of communal belonging and accessibility. It is for this reason that at Chovevei, we dedicate the pre-Purim season to promoting inclusion awareness and teaching Torah on this theme (you can read our past Purim Torah Readers on Disabilities and Inclusion here and here).

On this meaningful day, I invite you to contribute to this fund, to learn more about Torah and disabilities and advocate for accessibility in your schools, your shuls, and you communities. In the spirit of kiymu ha’Yehudim aleihem vi’al zaram, may we accept upon ourselves and our children to do all in our ability to ensure that no Jew is left behind.

Chag Purim Samayach,

Rabbi Dov Linzer