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Joseph Frager, MD
Shomer Eretz Yisrael Awardee
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Dr. Joseph Frager is one of Israel’s leading advocates in the United States. He focuses his efforts on lobbying local politicians and Capitol Hill on behalf of Israel and has been a guest on several nationally syndicated talk shows.
Dr. Frager has practiced gastroenterology and internal medicine at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center for 37 years and performed over 40,000 procedures. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and has written over 30 scientific papers. He graduated the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1980 and Yeshiva University in 1976.
Since spending several weeks at the age of 19 in Ofra working on its security fence, Dr. Frager has been dedicated to building towns in Judea and Samaria. He has organized and led countless tours of Israel for political leaders in order to share the Religious and Zionist perspective. Through his unique form of political activism, he has emerged as a key liaison of the Jewish community to numerous political leaders including Former Governor Mike Huckabee. He has also forged close friendships with former Ambassador John Bolton and Fox and Friends anchor Pete Hegseth.
In addition, Dr. Frager has organized the Annual Israel Day Concert in Central Park for the past twenty-five years. He is the Chairman of American Friends of Ateret Cohanim in the Old City of Jerusalem and is an active board member of the National Council of Young Israel. He serves as Executive Vice President of the OJC-Public Policy and Chairman of the Exilarch Initiative.
Dr. Frager and his wife Karen have been married for 35 years and enjoy much nachat from their children and grandchildren. They have been members of the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates with Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg as the Moreh D’Asra for 30 years.
Dr. Frager writes a popular blog on Arutz Sheva. He has written countless Op-eds and Torah commentaries. He is most proud of his affiliation with and support of Bet El Institutions. He is an active member of the board of the American Friends of the Bet El Yeshiva Center. Dr. Frager said, “From Bet El, I draw immense optimism for the final redemption and for a very beautiful and robust Israeli sovereignty throughout our land, despite immense pressures to the contrary.”
Upon receipt of the American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva Center’s Shomer Eretz Yisrael Award, Dr. Frager noted that his aim is to –
“empower what is the most important and hotly-contested enterprise in the State of Israel today – the return of the Jewish people to our biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. Bet El stands out as the leading community of this enterprise in every realm and gives us great hope and promise for a better future for the Land and Torah of Israel.”
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Mechel and Sima Lieber are stalwart members of their community in Flatbush and strong believers in Bet El Institutions and what they represent.
Mechel is an executive at a design and build firm with particular emphasis in the senior healthcare industry. Sima is first and foremost the mother of their five children, but in between, launched a successful business in fashion and apparel. For over a decade, she juggled between the tasks of business and home with such success, that, she says, “…for many years, our children didn’t even know I was working while parenting.”
Mechel says his heart “lives and lies in Eretz Yisrael.” He and Sima support the community of Bet El, because it represents two vitally important issues:
“The community is populated by courageous, Jewish heroes who hold on to these critical areas – the front lines of the struggle for Eretz Yisrael. Also, the Bet El community is centered around accomplished Torah institutions which guard our borders through a Torah life and Torah way.”
Mechel is a founding member of Congregation Nachalas Yehoshua in Brooklyn and to this day remains very active, performing many functions on behalf of the shul, including Baal Koreh. He dedicates several nights a week studying with unaffiliated Jews in the “Partners in Torah” initiative and has helped several along their journey towards mitzvah observance and the establishment of beautiful, religious families.
Mechel feels strongly that the Orthodox community should express its talents in a kosher way in the field of the creative arts. He has a number of original musical compositions that have been commercially published by popular Jewish singers.
Pushing things further, Mechel recruited a team of amateur and semi-professional actors and produced the first, kosher, Orthodox comedy series on the web, Verplank (search in YouTube). Written in a “mockumentary” style, the show follows a group of Orthodox people from the city as they set out to build a new model religious community in the “sticks.”
Sima is active in the Sister-to-Sister organization, and provides hours of close friendship and support to women who are, or are getting, divorced.
Mechel and Sima are most proud of their children and grandchild.
The American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva Center is proud to bestow the Keter Torah Award upon Mechel and Sima Lieber.
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