Rabbi Israel Yitzhak Bazenson Hospitalized; Followers Urge Public Prayers for Recovery

Rabbi Israel Yitzhak Bazenson, a prominent Breslov rabbi and spiritual leader of the "New Song" community in Tel Aviv, has been hospitalized. His students issued a public call for prayers for his recovery, referring to him as "Rabbi Israel Yitzhak ben Fortuna" and asking for prayers alongside other ill members of the Jewish people.

Born in 1944 in France, Bazenson returned to religious observance at age 15 and studied in yeshivas in Lucerne and Antwerp. He later became a disciple of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Bender. In 1976, with Bender's blessing, he founded a study center and Breslov outreach community in Aix-les-Bains, France, which grew around the beit midrash.

In 1995, Bazenson immigrated to Israel with his family and became close to Rabbi Israel Bar Odesser in his later years. He currently resides in Tel Aviv, leading the "New Song" community of about 30 families. The community operates a beit midrash, yeshiva, Talmud Torah, publishing institute, and Jewish outreach center in central Tel Aviv.

In addition to his religious leadership, Bazenson is an artist who has created oil paintings and Judaica. He composed melodies featured on the "Kolmus" albums and authored the book "Courage," which addresses coping with crises through the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and has been translated into seven languages.