The Awareness Center, Inc.: Case of Rabbi Michael Ozair

Case of Rabbi Michael Ozair

Kabbalah Coach

(AKA: Michael Ezra, Michael Ezra Ozair)

Pictures: left from the California Sex Offender's Registry. Right Facebook profile (2008)

Monsey, NY

Beverly Hills, Culver City, CA

Thailand

Michael Ezra Ozair plead no contest on November 5th, 2002, to one count of oral copulation of a person under 16 (the girl was 14-years-old). He was sentenced to 5 years felony probation, 1 year in county jail, a mandated term of sex offender treatment, and was required to register as a sex offender.

Back in 2008, it was difficult to find Michael Ozair on the California Sex Offender Registry due to the fact his current residence is in Thailand, a country which is known to be a haven for child sexual predators.

According to Whitepages.com Michael Ozair may be back in the United States living in Los Angeles on South Wooster Street. If this is true he is non-compliant with the sex offenders registry.

Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.

Table of Contents:

General

Who is Rabbi Michael Ozair
Domain Name: KABBALAHCOACH.COM
Meet Rabbi & Spiritual Coach - Michael Ezra

Timeline

2002

Charismatic Rabbi Faces Charges (08/23/2002)
Rabbi Charged With Molesting Girl, 14 (08/16/2002)
Rabbi Charged With Molesting A Student (08/12/2002)

2004

The Same Man? (05/03/2004)
The Kabbalah Coach has updated his site, too (05/04/2004)
Kabbalah coach a sex offender (05/06/2004)
Sex Offender Becomes 'Kabbalah Coach' (05/07/2004)

2005

California Sex Offender Registry (02/22/2005)
Why We Choose Our Parents (04/13/2005)

Rabbi Michael Ozair

2007

Kabbalah Coach: Love the One You're With (01/23/2007)

2008

California Megan's Law Registry (06/25/2008)
Sex-Offenders' Haven? Convicted Sex Offender Rabbi Michael Ozair Residing in Thailand, A Mecca of Pedophiles (07/15/2008)

2012

Rabbi Micheal Ozair is back on Facebook (07/18/2012)
Here we go again: Sex offender Rabbi Michael Ozair back on Facebook (07/19/2012)

Other Cases Connected to Rabbi Michael Ozair

Case of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach
Case of Rabbi Marc Gafni
Case of Rabbi Gershon Winkler

Charismatic Rabbi Faces Charges

By Wendy J. Madnick

The Jewish Journal of Orange - August 23, 2002

Rabbi Michael Ozair - Convicted Sex Offender

Michael Ozair is, by many accounts, charming, charismatic and an excellent teacher.

He is also in jail.

The once-popular instructor at schools like Shalhevet High School on Fairfax Avenue and Sinai Akiba Academy on Wilshire Boulevard, who was an active participant in the Happy Minyan at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, was arrested earlier this month and charged Aug. 15 with the 1997 sexual molestation of a then-14-year-old girl. At press time, he was in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, with bail set at $95,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 4.

The complaint first came to the attention of the Los Angeles Police Department about a year ago, according to Lt. Dan Mulrenin, who oversees the LAPD's Sexually Exploited Child Unit.

"The reason it waited so long is because the victim was apparently in therapy and did not report this to the police until Aug. 22, 2001," Mulrenin said. "There is one additional victim, but that victim has refused to cooperate and does not want to pursue this matter."

Police and prosecutors were guarded about who initiated the charges — three counts of a lewd act on a child and one count of oral copulation of a child under 16. Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, said that in general "when allegations of rape or sexual assault occur, the victims are taken to the hospital and there are a long list of questions they must undergo. With an older case, we have to have independent corroboration, someone who can testify. It cannot just be the word of the victim." Robison also mentioned that "by law, there are people who are mandated reporters [of sexual assault], including clergy. So if the victim were to tell a teacher or a therapist or a clergy member about the attack, [that person] would have to report it."

Ozair, 33, could not be reached for comment and his attorney, Daniel Hustwit, did not return repeated calls from The Jewish Journal.

This is the third arrest of a rabbi charged with child molestation this year. What makes this case unique was the esteem with which Ozair was held by a variety of influential people and organizations. In addition to his involvement in the Happy Minyan (of which he was not the leader, members insisted, despite press reports to the contrary), Ozair led the Mystical Wednesdays program for OLAM for about a year, from summer 2000 until 2001. He was featured in an OLAM Magazine article titled "You Had Me at Shalom" (which characterized Ozair as "the cool, charismatic, ex-Dead Head and self-acknowledged Seeker of Truth") and in a June 2000 Jewish Journal article about an event called "Building Bridges of Spiritual Unity." Ozair also was scheduled to lead a Yom Kippur spiritual service at the Roxbury Park Community Center in Beverly Hills.

Ozair's problems began to surface several years ago. In June 1997, the year of the alleged incident, he left his full-time teaching position with Sinai Akiba. It was not until September 1998 that he landed another teaching position, this time with Shalhevet. However, his employment was terminated for undisclosed reasons in August 2000, according to Shalhevet president Dr. Jerry Friedman. Ozair then returned to Sinai Akiba for a brief stint in early 2001, said headmaster Rabbi Laurence Scheindlin.

"He was coming once a week to do some work on tefillah with some of the classes," Scheindlin said.

Both Friedman and Scheindlin stated that there were never any complaints about Ozair's behavior at their respective schools. Indeed, a number of people interviewed noted that parents and students at each school were fans of Ozair.

"To his credit, there are a number of students on whom he had a very positive influence at Sinai Akiba," said Rabbi Steven Weil, leader of Beth Jacob. "He launched them on a path of morality, decency and theological searching. Many of these young men have become outstanding stars in the community."

Despite the rabbi's popularity, Weil said leaders at his shul decided to expel Ozair last year.

"He was banned from Beth Jacob Congregation over a year ago by myself and by Marvin Komorsky, our executive director, because we felt he was a threat," Weil said. "We were concerned for the safety and well-being of certain individuals in the community."

Weil said he was saddened to see an organization like the Happy Minyan, which has operated out of Beth Jacob for about eight years, taken in by someone like Ozair.

"Because they are such a welcoming, open community, they attract people who are often needy or searching. Unfortunately, such people can often be taken advantage of," Weil said.

Although Weil declined to elaborate whom the congregation was protecting with Ozair's expulsion, some people close to Ozair have said that it was around the same time that Ozair's marriage fell apart and that his wife and children sought protection at a battered women's shelter.

An incident last year might also provide some insight: According to Sgt. Steven Seeger of the Beverly Hills Police Department, Ozair turned himself in to that department on Aug. 15, 2001, and was briefly in custody on a probable cause warrant.

"This was in regard to a warrant issued for his arrest under Penal Code Section 422, making a threat, which means making a credible, criminal threat to do harm to someone else," explained Seeger, adding that an underlying crime report showed the initial complaint that led to the warrant involved a charge that Ozair had made a threatening phone call or calls. The case was dropped within days by the district attorney's office because of insufficient evidence.

(Several sources also questioned Ozair's credentials as a rabbi. Ozair's Web site states that "his rabbinical training was at Kol Yaacov Torah Center in Monsey, N.Y." However, administrators at Kol Yaacov tell a different story, saying he applied to the school and visited it in August 1997, but never enrolled.

"He said he wanted to try it out, so he popped in for a couple of hours a week for about six weeks, but he was never officially accepted as a student," said Rabbi Leib Tropper, the school's educational director.)

Douglas Schiller, like other members of the Happy Minyan, was reluctant to discuss Ozair, who was one of the group's founders and mainstays.

"I can see easily why somebody would call him charismatic or a good teacher," Schiller said. "I think we're all surprised and saddened by what has happened."

Weil said it was important to see that it is possible for a person to have good qualities and still commit a crime.

"These people, the Baruch Lanners and the Michael Ozairs, are multidimensional individuals, which is why the Ozair incident has been very painful to many people whose lives he touched in a legitimate sincere way," Weil said.

Rabbi Charged With Molesting Girl, 14

LA Times - August 16, 2002 Friday

Home Edition - California Metro; Part 2; Page 4; Metro Desk

A 33-year-old rabbi has been charged with sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl, the district attorney's office said. Michael Ozair pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. If convicted, he could be sent to prison for 10 years.

Ozair is a former teacher at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles and Sinai Akiba in Westwood, according to the district attorney's office.

He has lectured and taught at several congregations in West Los Angeles and Venice, prosecutors said.

The alleged molestation took place in June.

Rabbi Charged With Molesting A Student

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles District Attorney's Office - August 12, 2002

Contacts: Joe Scott, Director of Communications

Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer

Jane Robison, News Secretary

(213) 974-3525

http://da.co.la.ca.us/mr/081202b.htm

LOS ANGELES – A 33-year-old Rabbi and former teacher at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles has been charged with sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl, the District Attorney's Office announced Monday.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Korn said Michael Ozair (dob 1-4-69), a freelance rabbi in the Los Angeles area, has been charged with three counts of lewd act on a child and one count of oral copulation of a child under 16 in case No. SA046100. Ozair has lectured and taught classes as a rabbi with severall local congregations, including the Happy Minyan congregation in Beverly Hills, Metivta congregation in West Los Angeles, and Mishkon Tephilo Synagogue in Venice. In addition to teaching at Shalhevet, Ozair also was employed as a teacher at Sinai Akiba in Westwood up until 2001.

Ozair, who pleaded not guilty at his Aug. 8 arraignment, is scheduled to be in Airport Court, Department 145, on Sept. 4 for a preliminary hearing. Bail was set at $95,000.

Ozair is suspected of sexually assaulting the victim in 1997. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in state prison.

Who is Rabbi Michael Ozair

Roots and Wings
Feb. 19, 2003
http://splendor.hypermart.net/bio.htm

Rabbi Michael Ozair has served as an inspirational rabbi at the Happy Minyan of Los Angeles since its conception. Rabbi Ozair was mentored by the late Hasidic master, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and continues his teacher's path of tolerance and spiritual outreach. He is the founder of the Hidden Splendor and is a Jewish educator whose passion for the deep wisdom of Judaism and Kabbalah coupled with his compassion and sensitivity for all humanity has inspired many on the spiritual path. Currently, Rabbi Ozair's focus is with OLAM (One Light for All Mankind) and leads theweekly Mystical Wednesdays gatherings among many other innovative projects.

In the summer of 1998 Michael had received orthodox rabbinical ordination under Rabbi Yehoshua Reich of Efrat, Israel. His rabbinical training was at Yeshivat Kol Yaacov in Monsey, New York. His spiritual training came from his own extensive study, practice and personal inner journey.

Convicted Sex Offender - Michael E. Ozair

As a pioneering teacher, Michael has given hundreds of workshops and classes on personal empowerment through simple and practical spiritual technologies, teachings and exercises, both ancient and current, Kabbalistic and New Age. Rabbi Ozair coaches others along their spiritual journeys toward greater happiness, health and realization.

When asked about his background, Rabbi Ozair explains that his roots are those of a Sephardi while his wings are those of a Hasid. Through his father's side, Michael is a direct descendent of the Prophet Ezra of the Bible while also a descendent of a long line of some of Babylon's greatest rabbis from the Talmud, and most recently included is the chief rabbi of Basra, Iraq who is his great uncle. His hasidic wings come from his mother's side in Galicia, Poland and were returned to him through the inspiration of the Hasidic master, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach zt"l who was both a close friend and teacher of Michael for 14 years. Emulating his rebbe Shlomo, people find Michael incredibly sincere, approachable, inclusive, compassionate and one who speaks from the heart.

Domain Name: KABBALAHCOACH.COM

Registered through: GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com)

Created on: 10-Jan-04

Expires on: 10-Jan-05

Last Updated on: 22-Feb-04

Administrative Contact: ozair, michael ezra chemdah@yahoo.com

kabbalahonline.com

3848 Overland Ave, Apt. 419, Culver City, California 90232

Meet Rabbi & Spiritual Coach - Michael Ezra

http://kabbalahcoach.com/MeetMichaelEzra.htm

R' Michael Ezra has been providing spiritual guidance for the last 15 years to a very wide and diverse range of people. He is an ordained rabbi, a well sought after scholar in the area of Kabbalah, published author, motivational speaker and spiritual counselor. Michael's expertise stems from merging his knowledge as a rabbi of metaphysics with his experience in practical counseling.

Michael has been asked to speak in person to a variety of groups over the years and has also reached a wide audience through various television and radio appearances. He has positively influenced and helped reshape the lives of many people, including graduate students, people from the entertainment world, politicians, company presidents and CEOs. While Michael is a rabbi, his language is Universal, and is held in very high esteem by highly regarded spiritual leaders from various communities. His articles have been featured in OLAM, the worlds largest Kabbalah magazine, with a circulation of over three million.

Michael's educational background includes:

Rabbinical ordination by R' Yehoshua Reich, a member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
A fourteen year mentored relationship with R' Shlomo Carlebach, one the 20th Century's most influential Hasidic masters.
Masters in Education from University of Judaism. Bachelors in Religious Studies. Years spent learning in various yeshivas in Israel and New York.

Kabbalah Coach Webpage

Michael's Family Background:

In addition to the formal training Michael has had, he also comes from a long line of Rabbis and Kabbalists from Iraq, all the way from the Biblical Ezra the Scribe (origin of family name), R' Azaryah of the Talmud, his great uncle - the Chief Rabbi of Basra, and his grandfather who was ordained by Kabbalist, R' Yaacov Chaim (son of the reknown Kabbalist - the Ben Ish Chai).

Michael Ezra's work today as a spiritual coach:

While in the past Michael was very active as a Jewish spiritual teacher teaching hundreds of classes and workshops, today Michael's private practice has turned towards helping the INDIVIDUAL reach their greatness through personal empowerment coaching and spiritual consultation. His approach with clients consists of a very practical action-oriented way of coaching with a main focus on producing RESULTS.

As a spiritual coach, Michael has created several unique ways for clients to understand their own "soul map" using Kabbalah tools, archetypal profiling, and various proven self assessment tests. Clients benefit by learning new ways of seeing themselves and all that is around them, enabling them to face the present and future with a new sense of confidence.

The Same Man?

By Steven I. Weiss

Blog Spot - May 3, 2004

http://protocols.blogspot.com/

L-R: Michael Ezra's homepage photo, Awareness Center's Ozair photo

Some intrepid readers have taken note of the link in Uri's post yesterday to a man who calls himself Rabbi Michael Ezra, the Kabbalah Coach, and declared that he looks similar to Rabbi Michael Ozair, listed on the Awareness Center's page for charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor.

These readers have further investigated and found that the URL for Ezra's KabbalahCoach.com is registered under the name Michael Ozair.

I spoke with the Los Angeles D.A.'s office this morning, and they told me that Ozair had pleaded no contest on November 5th, 2002, to one count of oral copulation of a person under 16. Among other things, he was sentenced to 5 years felony probation, 1 year in county jail, a mandated term of sex offender treatment, and is required to register as a sex offender. The D.A.'s office could not tell me whether he would be legally allowed to use an assumed name, though he likely would be allowed to so long as he's registered under his real name; they couldn't tell me at the moment how I could verify if he's properly registered as such.

You'll note that the Awareness Center has already updated its page with the Ezra alias and his plea; those people are quick.

posted by Steven I. Weiss | 1:30 PM | comment (0) Comment

The Kabbalah Coach has updated his site, too

By Steven I. Weiss

Protocols - Tuesday, May 04, 2004

The Kabbalah Coach has updated his site, too. Now it calls him "Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair." That's the high speed of the Internet, man: Updates on blogs, updates at The Awareness Center, and updates at the Kabbalah Coach. Meantime, my dead-tree story for the Forward has to keep changing to keep up with the Web. posted by Steven I. Weiss | 4:26 PM | comment (0) Comment

Kabbalah coach a sex offender

JTA - Breaking News

Thursday, May 06, 05:25 p.m. ET

http://www.jta.org/brknews.asp?id=106488

A convicted Los Angeles sex offender is trying to teach Kabbalah. Michael Ozair, 34, who was sentenced in 2002 to one year in jail and five years probation after pleading no contest to having oral sex with a 14-year-old girl, is advertising himself as a "Kabbalah coach" who is a "spiritual guide and life coach combined," the Forward reported. Ozair told the Forward he only teaches adults, so there is "no problem."

Sex Offender Becomes 'Kabbalah Coach'

By Steven I. Weiss

Forward - May 7, 2004

http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=weiss200405051149

Rabbi Michael Ozair

A convicted sex offender in Los Angeles has used an assumed name to market himself as a rabbi and Kabbalah instructor.

Michael Ozair, who pleaded no contest to oral copulation of a 14-year-old girl in 2002, had until earlier this week been advertising himself as Rabbi Michael Ezra, the "Kabbalah Coach."

The KabbalahCoach.com Web site, registered to Ozair, describes a kabbalah coach as, "a spiritual guide and life coach combined. A person who has the metaphysical tools to see what lies beyond the physical in your soul's journey while having the expertise to help you identify, map out and accomplish your life's mission."

The site contains numerous quotations endorsing Ozair's work from a diverse list of individuals, including actress Tatum O'Neal and Pir Zia Inayat Khan, president of the Sufi Order International.

Ozair's 2002 sentence, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, was for 5 years of felony probation, with 1 year in county jail. In addition, he was required to register as a sex offender and receive treatment. The D.A.'s office was unable to provide information confirming Ozair's registration as a sex offender. The office did tell the Forward that advertising under an assumed name would not represent a violation of Ozair's probation.

In a phone interview with the Forward, Ozair said that he has not been instructing minors as part of his Kabbalah coaching. Asked if he intended to do so, Ozair replied: "Absolutely not."

Ozair said that he sees no problem with his providing kabbalah services to adults. "If there's adults," he said, "there's no problem."

Shortly after Ozair's interview with the Forward, the KabbalahCoach Web site was changed, with the instructor now being identified as Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair.

Ozair was initially charged two years ago with "three counts of lewd acts on a child and one count of oral copulation of a child under 16," according to the D.A.'s press release at that time. The press release noted that the Ozair was, "suspected of sexually assaulting the victim in 1997," and that Ozair had taught at two area schools and acted as a rabbi in several area synagogues.

Marvin Komorsky, executive director of the Beth Jacob Congregation, which describes itself as "Centrist Orthodox," said that Ozair had led one of the synagogue's prayer services in 2002, but had been asked to leave before his arrest. According to Komorsky, Ozair "was not paid by the synagogue" and "his leaving the synagogue had nothing to do with his arrest," but was simply a matter of dissatisfaction with the kabbalistic focus of his teaching.

Ozair's use of an assumed name was discovered by Internet users who saw his Kabbalah Coach photo and thought that they noticed a similarity to a picture of Ezra posted on TheAwarenessCenter.org, a Web site that maintains profiles of abusive rabbis.

Ozair said that all of the endorsements on his Web site from celebrities and religious figures "are all old quotes" from before his arrest and subsequent decision to refer to himself as Michael Ezra. Asked if those endorsees were familiar with his arrest or knew of his Kabbalah coaching activities, he said, "I'm not in touch with anybody now."

Ozair's credentials have come under question in the past. When he was arrested, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles reported that his Web site stated that "his rabbinical training was at Kol Yaacov Torah Center in Monsey, N.Y." The Jewish Journal reported that administrators at Kol Yaacov said that "he applied to the school and visited it in August 1997, but never enrolled." An administrator at Kol Yaacov confirmed this version of events for the Forward through a secretary.

The Kabbalah Coach Web site claims that Ezra received ordination from "R' Yehoshua Reich, a member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel," but the Israeli-based rabbi could not be reached .

The University of Judaism, a Los Angeles-based institution that offers Jewish studies courses, confirmed that it had awarded Ozair a masters degree in education and a bachelor's degree in religious studies from the University of Judaism.

Rabbinic ordination papers

California Sex Offender Registry

http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/

Feb. 20, 2005

Last Name: OZAIR First Name: MICHAEL Middle Name: Ezra

1. Description

Michael Ezra Ozair - Sex Offender's Registry

Last Known Address: 90034

County: LOS ANGELES

Zip Code 90034

Date of Birth: 01-04-1969

Sex: MALE

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 190

Eye Color: BROWN

Hair Color: BROWN

Ethnicity: WHITE

2. Offenses

288a(b)(2) ORAL COPULATION WITH PERSON UNDER 16 YEARS

3. Scars/Marks/Tattoos

PIERCED EAR

4. Known Aliases

OZAIR, MICHAEL EZRA

Why We Choose Our Parents

by Michael Ozair

Spiritual Network - April 13, 2005

http://www.spiritualnetwork.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=45

(Please note that Michael Ozair was a convicted sex offender on the California sex offender registry at the time of the publication of the following article)

Prepared in collaboration with OLAM Magazine. Please distribute freely for non-commercial purposes.

The Kabbalah teaches that souls arrive here in this world with a very specific curriculum containing both many of both your goals and challenges. Your parents and the families you are born into are a big part of that program. Find out why...

There is a concept in Jewish mystical thought known as gilgul, which can be translated as reincarnation. Gilgul does not necessarily mean that a soul in its entirety has been reincarnated; it may only be a nitzotz, or spark of a soul, that is reincarnated. That is to say that an individual can possess a nitzotz from the soul of someone who has lived previously. Gilgul occurs when the preceding incarnation of that soul has more to accomplish.

Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel of the 17th century writes that the word, gilgul, in Hebrew letters equals the numerical value of 72, which is also chesed, the Hebrew word for kindness. When this type of numerical connection occurs,it implies a conceptual relationship. In this case, reincarnation is seen as the ultimate kindness, in that a soul is given another chance for the refinement of its past and the spiritual advancement of its future.

Ultimately, a soul can never fail. To succeed, the soul will come back as many times as necessary to fulfill its spiritual mission. This is the view of the Kabbalists, who call the process of the soul's returning for the purpose of rectification tikkun, or repair. Sometimes it is discussed as the birur hisaron, or the clearing of a shortcoming.

If greatness is your soul's destiny, then to achieve it, it's only logical that you have a plan. Just as you would not head off to college without knowing about the school you'll be attending, souls do not randomly incarnate into this world. Rather, souls arrive with a very specific curriculum containing both goals and challenges. Your parents are a big part of that program.

It is in this respect that the Hasidic master Rabbi Yisrael of Rhizin teaches that our souls choose our parents. While the reasons for a soul's choice of parents will vary, it is always significant. Reasons can include past life relationships, or simply the conducive environment that the parents can provide for the soul in achieving its overall goal.

In a broad sense, your parents are the guarantors of your mission. How this works is different in every case. One possibility is that your parents will provide positive mentoring, as guides and as a support system. Another is the opposite - that they will model for you what you do not want to become and thus clarify the positive direction in which you need to go. For many it is a combination of the two. The key is to know that directly or indirectly, your parents create the fire behind your passion to grow toward your spiritual advancement.

Here is an exercise to help you find out what your purpose is in this world and what role your parents are playing in it. Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Regardless of what I do for a living and what my obligations are, what is the theme that most obviously is pushing my soul forward in life, day after day?

2. What is the one theme that best describes the force pulling my soul off track day after day?

3. What role have my parents played, directly or indirectly, in developing these themes?

Why bother looking at these themes at all? Because through them we can discover the real reason we chose to come here this time around, and as an added bonus, we may discover why we chose our parents to raise us. Ultimately, the biblical commandment does not obligate us to love our parents, but to honor them. Honor in Hebrew is kibbud, which literally means "to make heavy". To honor our parents means to acknowledge them as people of tremendous worth in our pilgrimage of life. It demands effort and often requires a tolerance for emotional pain, yet it is the most dignified endeavor of an entire lifetime.

Rabbi Michael Ozair has been providing spiritual guidance for the last 15 years to a very wide and diverse range of people. He is an ordained rabbi, a well sought after scholar in the area of Kabbalah, published author, life coach and spiritual counselor. Michael's expertise stems from merging his knowledge as a teacher of metaphysics with his experience in practical counseling. He can be reached at coach@kabbalahcoach.com or by visiting his site at http://www.KabbalahCoach.com

Kabbalah Coach: Love the One You're With

Posted by: Michael Ozair

Articleberry - Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 09:37:00 PM

http://coaching.articleberry.com/kabbalah-coach-love-the-one-you-re-with

http://livehealthypeople.com/coaching/Kabbalah-Coach-Love-the-One-Youre-With_8388/

(Please note that Michael Ozair was a convicted sex offender at the time of the publication of the following article)

Introduction

Every one of us came to the planet to figure out how to experience love in the human form. It is amusing to observe all the ways we try to find love, especially since most of us don't even know what we are doing. But Love does exist. To truly recognize it, one must be willing to understand that it comes in many forms and in many ways. It only then makes sense to begin with who you are and where you are, on the life journey.

Love the one you are with. Whether you are around others or not, it doesn't matter. The "one" that you must begin loving here is yourself. A big part of this self love, is in remaining loyal to your life journey for what it is. It is your soul's curriculum, unique to your own divine unfoldment..

Unfortunately many religious and cultural programming has led us to believe that focusing on ourselves is selfish. Obviously narcissistic, egomaniac behavior is not proposed. Neither is self-negation and self-abuse. If you need an excuse to transition yourself into the self-love mode, imagine that how you treat yourself impacts the lives of others. When you treat yourself poorly, others suffer too. Your pain creates pain in the collective energy we share. Everyone gets a dose. When you treat yourself well, others benefit. We are all share the same world, collective consciousness and universe. Self-love therapy for ourselves heals us all.

The Challenge of "Self Love"

One of my great spiritual teachers, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, once challenged a group of us to attempt to love ourselves as much as we love G-d. "Loving G-d is the easy part", he began, "but the real challenge is whether you can feel the same love you have for G-d, towards yourself". I remember half the room of people who were there were completely speechless by this statement, because of both the simplicity of the teaching, yet the profound truth it was revealing at that moment to many of us. There was no question of how much we loved G-d, but the idea of loving ourselves with as much desire and yearning that we felt for Spirit felt both challenging and revealing. An idea that needed time to digest and explore.

In working with many people, both as a rabbi and a life coach, I have found that the idea of "self love" doesn't come easy for most people. In fact, most people practice "being good to themselves" or refrain from "beating up on themselves" and that one day is considered "generous" or "progress". This is because it is harder to see ourselves as we really are - standing in the Light that is our birthright, than to see it in others.

Why is this so?

Self is not a static "thing" that you are cherishing. Self is an energy that is alive, in constant flux and motion. It is a localized expression of an Overall Supreme Being. What we are is a Self that is dynamic, but in a body that is physical, temporal and a "thing". And that is what creates the confusion. The Self is a verb (an action). While the body is a noun (static identity - person, place or thing). The difficult we often have with "self love" is when it is a noun we are seeking to love. When we seek a some "thing" to love, an it just doesn't feel right, and so we turn away thinking, "I'm having a hard time loving myself", "I'm not sure how", or "I just don't feel like its working".

Once we understand what the concept of "Self" is it will be much easier to practice "Self love".

I Am That I Am

Mystics love to remember when Moses, standing before the burning bush in his moment of Divine Encounter, asks in whose Name he is to act. It is here that G-d speaks the Sacred Name, E-heye Asher E-heye, I Am That I Am; and we have from then on the closest thing we will ever have for G-d's name for Itself, a statement of unconditional being.

I Am is a statement which is constrained by no description whatsoever. It not only is a completely open-ended subject, but can actually function as a verb. E-heye Asher E-heye, while commonly translated as I Am as I Am, is literally translated from the original Hebrew as "I Am Becoming as I Am Becoming". In other words, it is a verb in motion, changeless yet ever-changing, formless yet ever-evolving in the infinite and multi-faceted expressions of Creation. It is something we can sense and experience to some degree, but never completely apprehend its infinitude.

We might remember that the sacred name of I Am is our essential name as well. If we remember that the Divine Nature is our nature, then we know that the Divine Name is our name as well, only we condition this name by our own unique and individual characteristics. When I introduce myself and say, "My name is Michael," I am conditioning the unconditioned with my own personality.

However, just as we condition the unconditioned, we can also slip the bounds of personality and rest again in unconditioned-ness, in the peace, power, and love that is G-d within us. Then we are remembering the true sacredness of our being and, for a time, reveling in the Nature that heals and inspires us.

Affirmation for this Moment

I am at peace; I am creative; I am the beloved place where G-d stands forth in the world as myself. Knowing who I am, I revere and honor the sacredness of my being every time I speak my own name. My name reminds me that my nature is Divine and that I have a magnificent inheritance in front of me. It is joyful for me to know who I truly am.

The Most Effective Place to Begin

We can begin to put self love in action by loving where we are at on the Journey. But the secret to doing this step right is that loving where we are at must also include loving all our present obstacles. While the idea seems odd at first, and often contrary to what we may really be feeling, it is one of the inevitable gates we must enter in order to restored to true wholeness.

The key here is allowance and acceptance of your Self. This means accepting your entire HUMAN SELF, with all its parts, desirable or not. It is not until we accept our human selves that our Divine Selves can emerge.

From a Coaching Perspective - What this step is about

Most of us have experienced feeling stuck, overwhelmed or just confused, in one way or another. It can be related to a very specific project (e.g. experiencing writer's block). Or It can be a more complex situation, like deciding whether it is time to end a relationship or not. Often it can also be more all encompassing -- a general sense of "stuckness" that colors all of life.

Until you acknowledge, accept and appreciate where you are in your life right now, you won't truly be able to move on. That is all this step is saying. Many successful coaching approaches demonstrate that spending too much of one's time in solving problems is rarely satisfactory in the long-term, and instead we should focus on what we want to create. We ALL create, everything from good relationships, to successful meeting outcomes, to careers, and yes... music, paintings, inventions, sculptures and books. But the importance of acceptance first, before we create, will enable us to create our goals freely as opposed to allowing our conflicts to fuel our need to "run away from".

Why this step is important

When you're fighting against where you are, you're automatically stuck.
When you love where you are, you stop spending all your energy trying to escape. You can get rid of what's bugging you. You find clues about what direction to take.
The paradox: once you love where you are, you'll start to move. Guaranteed.
What will your life look like when you love where you are?
You feel an incredible sense of relief — there's nowhere you have to "get to".
There'll be less junk: junk things, junk behavior.
You develop more appreciation for the people in your life.
You begin to notice opportunities embedded in your situation. You cultivates a deeper sense of self-knowing, awareness and sensitivity.
Begin to release resistance and fear.
You allow the creative feminine flow of energy.

Two mistakes we all make when beginning this step:

Trying to figure out "what to do", when you don't need to do anything at this first initial step.

Judging your present life as bad or wrong. NEVER put a value judgment on where you are at on the Path. Even when it is challenging, avoid the word, "bad" or "evil". Perhaps use terms like, "difficult", "challenging", etc.. Better yet, begin looking at your life in terms of seasons. If its a "winter" time in your life, that means you are SUPPOSED TO be hibernating, cocooning, metamorphsizing, etc.. When its spring again, you will know it. See life for what it is, in all its changes and cycles, without feeling compelled to put a value judgment on it.

AMEN = Affirmation and Acceptance

"Amen" is the archetypal biblical response of affirmation and acceptance. It appears thirty times in the Hebrew Bible, and always carries nuances of truth, trust and reliability. Whether it was used as a response to curses or blessings, to prayers of praise and thanks, or to prayers of petition, it expressed the speaker's endorsement of the preceding statement or event.

The Hebrew Bible records an interesting event where six of the tribes of Israel ascend Mount Gerizim, the other six tribes of Israel ascend Mount Eybal, while the priests, Levites and Holy Ark remain below between the mountains. The Levites turn first towards Mount Gerizim proclaiming the blessings and then towards Mount Eybal proclaiming the curses, and with each pronouncement the Israelites atop the mountains respond Amen BOTH to the blessings and the curses !! (Deuteronomy 27:12 B.T. Sotah, ibid., , Rashi ad loc).

Metaphysical Principle:

When you begin to love where you are at, and even bless the "enemies" that come along the Path, they have no hold on you.

Conclusion

While loving ourselves is often something that is easier said than done, we can always begin cherishing where we are at, regardless of circumstances. This frees up the energy to move forward, but most importantly, we begin to appreciate the time with spend with ourselves along the way, and through each season. Our journey becomes a lot more like an adventure to live, than a crisis to be solved.

California Megan's Law Registry

June 25, 2008

Rabbi Michael Ozair - California Sex Offender Registry

OUT OF STATE:

Description Offenses Scars/Marks/Tattoos
Known Aliases

Last Name: OZAIR First Name: MICHAEL Middle Name:

Last Known Address:

County:

Zip Code

Date of Birth: 01-04-1969

Sex: MALE Ethnicity: WHITE

Height: 6'0" Weight: 200

Eye Color: BROWN Hair Color: BROWN

SVP: NO ORI:

CII: CDC:

FCN: OLN:

Last VCIN Event Date: 05/02/2007

THE REGISTRANT MAY HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY RELOCATED

More complete information is available by accessing the Violent Crime Information Network (VCIN) data base.

Sex-Offenders' Haven? Convicted Sex Offender Rabbi Michael Ozair Residing in Thailand, A Mecca of Pedophiles.

By Vicki Polin, MA, LCPC, NCC

The Awareness Center - July 15, 2008

Sex offender Registry Photo / Facebook Photo

Towards the end of May, a member of The Awareness Center happened to stumble upon convicted sex offender, Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair's Facebook account.

When I was informed I immediately looked at Ozair's site. I was stunned to see that most of his "friends" appeared to be teenage girls from Thailand, China, Israel and a few from Los Angeles. Rabbi Ozair did have a few adult friends listed (mostly male), several of whom were individuals in which The Awareness Center had been watching, due to worrisome information about them.

Considering Michael Ozair is a convicted sex offender and it appeared that he might be using his Facebook account to groom teenage girls, a report was made to the IC3 (The Internet Crime Complaint Center).

The fact that removing an account from Facebook is not the answer to the real problem, because Ozair -- like many other convicted sex offenders can easily create another account using another name within in minutes of an account being terminated. Nonetheless, it was hoped that his account closing would send a message that his behavior was being monitored.

Over the last few months several newspaper articles stated that Facebook had a policy that convicted sex offenders were not allowed to have an account with them. A note was sent to facebook with all the necessary information. At the time I thought the problem would be solved easily. I was wrong.

The next day I received a note back from Facebook asking for more information regarding Michael Ozair and was asked for a direct link to the sex offender registry in which he was listed. I went to both the California and National sex offender registry -- Michael Ozair was not listed. I had no idea what was going on and started to dig. After several phone calls and e-mails to law enforcement in Los Angeles, I learned that Ozair was no longer listed in a way in which he was easily found. Each state has its own protocols in how their registry works. Unfortunately, since Michael Ozair is currently registered as living outside the United States -- in Thailand, his profile is not easily accessed.

Convicted Sex Offender, Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair in Thailand

My contact at the LAPD forward Michael Ozair's most updated registration to both the contact at Facebook and to me. I thought this would be all that was needed and Ozair's account would be closed.

I didn't hear anything for a few days and kept checking to see if Ozair's account was removed. The entry was still there. I recontacted Facebook and they stated there was some technical difficulties with the police officer's e-mail and that the officer would need to send the information to a different e-mail address and was asking for more information besides a copy of the sex offender registration.

On July 3, 2008, I finally received a note stating "After reviewing the reported abuse, we have removed all offending content based on our Terms of Use."

If it weren't for the many hours communicating with Facebook and the LAPD, Michael Ozair's account would have remained open -- Meaning this convicted sex offender would have maintained full access to teenage girls on Facebook.

I'm still bewildered with the reality that a convicted sex offender would be allowed to move to Thailand, especially considering it is known to be a haven for sexual predators. It's also known as one of the worst countries when it came to the human sex slave trade.

Rabbi Michael Ozair's case shines a light on a deeply worrisome phenomenon -- several American convicted sex offenders are moving to places like Thailand, China, India, Israel, etc. -- all known Mecca's for child predators to most likely continue creating more victims. As Americans we need to be concerned with not just the safety of our children, but the children of the world. Without a federal policy in place, American sex offenders will continue with this trend.

Rabbi Micheal Ozair is back on Facebook
July 18, 2012
https://www.facebook.com/michael.ozair.1

Here we go again: Sex offender Rabbi Michael Ozair back on Facebook
The Examiner - July 19, 2012
By: Vicki Polinhttp://www.examiner.com/article/here-we-go-again-sex-offender-rabbi-michael-ozair-back-on-facebook
View slideshow: Convicted sex offender Michael Ozair on Facebook
Ozair on FB: https://www.facebook.com/michael.ozair.1

The Case of Rabbi Michael Ozair: http://theawarenesscenter.blogspot.com/2008/07/case-of-rabbi-michael-ozai.html

Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair, who was once known as "the Kabbalah Coach to the stars" is a convicted sex offender -- who relocated to Thailand, a country known to be a mecca for sexual predators. Back in 2002 Ozair plead no contest to one count of oral copulation with a person under the age of 16. The girl was only 14-years-old at the time. He was sentenced to 5 years felony probation, spent 1 year in a county jail, was mandated to sex offender treatment and was required to register as a sex offender. Yet, Michael is a brilliant man, he like many others realized if they no longer reside within the United States, the sex offender registry becomes a moot point -- and their names are removed.

July 18, 2012 -- Michael Ozair's on Facebook

Back in 2008, I was notified that Rabbi Ozair had a Facebook account. I immediately notified Facebook. Because he had relocated out of the country, his name had been removed from both the California and National Sex Offenders Registry. Because of that it was difficult to get Facebook to close his account. With the help of various individuals at both the California’s States Attorney’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department, his account was finally closed.

Recently, I was notified that Rabbi Ozair recreated another Facebook account which has been up for some time. Once again, because Ozair’s name does not appear on any sex offender’s registry it is difficult to have his account removed.

Facebook is trying to make their services safer for kids. Earlier this week it has been made public that social networks, such as Facebook use high tech software to scan for sexual predators. It’s great that this type of software has been created, yet the fact is that this type of software only works if the suspected offender actually uses the social media sites to actually meet up with unsuspecting children. In reality, offenders usually find their prey on the sites and get them using private e-mail or other more encrypted sites for grooming.

Back in 2008, Michael Ozair was new to using "Social Media" sites. At that time he did not know to make his Facebook page private. His site was public and it was easy to see that he majority of his friends were girls who appeared to be ages 12 - 15. Because Ozair has become more sophisticated over the years, he has to used the privacy preferences -- so that no one can see who he’s connected to or what he's doing.

According to Facebook policy, convicted sex offenders are prohibited from using Facebook. Once they are able to verify a user’s status as a sex offender, we immediately disable their account and remove their account and all information associated with it.

Facebook accepts the following forms of documentation to verify someone's status as a convicted sex offender:

Link to a listing in a national sex offender registry
Link to an online news article
Link to a court document
Documentation verifying the report attached to the sex offender report form
If you are unable to provide documentation, Facebook recommend that you ask a local law enforcement representative to contact us so we can take action on your report.

If you have encountered an account that may belong to a convicted sex offender, please report it and Facebook will review the information. You may also want to report this information to your local police department and to the national sex offenders registry.

To report a sex offender on Facebook use this link: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id=207005222725325

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Last Updated: 07/07/2008

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

Monday, July 07, 2008

Case of Rabbi Michael Ozair

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