A sixth-generation Jerusalemite from a prominent Hasidic family, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman grew up in the Mea Shearim. Desiring to work for the benefit of the Jewish nation, he moved to the Galilee town of Migdal HaEmek in 1968. At the time, Migdal HaEmek's immigrants population growth drastically outpaced its socioeconomic and educational infrastructure. The town was plagued by poverty, crime, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Rabbi Grossman embarked on a mission to educate and rehabilitate youth from distressed homes, hoping to give them a chance at a better future. He visited the pubs and discos and slowly gained their trust with his love and care. In 1969, the town unanimously elected him Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, giving him lifetime tenure. At age 23, he was the youngest municipal Chief Rabbi in Israel.
In 1972, Rabbi Grossman founded the Migdal Ohr (Tower of Light) educational network to give children of all ages the essentials needed to break the cycle of poverty. The year of its founding, Migdal Ohr enrolled 18 students. Today, its vast network of schools and extra-curricular programs benefit over 12,000 boys and girls across Israel, from birth through marriage.
