Connections

Connections

By: Yossi Shuchat

Having just returned from Germany I write this article to share with
all my friends one of the most inspiring programs I have participated
in my life in Bavaria, Germany.

You might ask what brings me to Germany during the months of July and
August, a place that for many of us bodes of dark memories and not
pleasant thoughts. As so avidly displayed, when I see the destruction
and persecution of the Jewish communities in Germany and Europe
throughout the ages. In the center of many a town, during the middle
ages a large church was built atop the ruins of a synagogue. These
towns have seen the expulsion of its Jews many times throughout
history.

But after all that's said and done I would like to let you get a
glimpse of my travels in Germany. Every step of the way, from the Jew
we met at the train station who hasn't been in contact with Judaism
for years, to the middle aged businessman who put on Tefillin for the
first time in his life, to the teenager who remembers Tefillin from
his counselors in Gan Yisroel summer camp in Russia more then 12
years ago, was wrought with divine providence.

All this thanks to a program started 60 years ago by the Lubavitcher
Rebbe to reach out and enable Jews living in any far-flung town in
the world to connect with their heritage of Torah and Mitzvos.
Starting out in 1955, with 10 pairs of Rabbinical students in the
United States the program has now blossomed to over 280 rabbinical
students visiting Jews in all four corners of the world.

We start out in the city of Augsburg with a list of 3-4 Jews calling
them to ask if we can schedule a meeting to discuss some Yiddishkeit?
We meet, put on Tefillin, distribute shabbos candles, affix a mezuzah
and discuss all aspects of Yiddishkeit. With words of encouragement
we part. We ask them for more Jews in town whom we might be able to
contact as part of our quest to meet with as many Jews as possible.

We receive the number of a older Jew in town. He is very busy but
with a little nudging agrees to meet us for a few minutes. As it
turns out he is a famous lecturer on the holocaust and moved to
Germany after the war. We were taken aback when he revealed that he
was the secretary to the commander in the concentration camp near
Krakow. He secretly made contact with Mr. Schindler in order to save
the Jews employed at Schindlers factory, in the now famous Schindlers
list documentary. We are truly in awe by the courage this man had
shown in saving the lives of his fellow Jews during the holocaust.

Now it was our turn and we asked him if he would like to put on
Tefillin. Hesitating, he replies that he doesn't remember how to wrap
them. With our encouragement, he puts on Tefillin and starts reading
the Shema. After carefully reading shema and boruch sheim, he chokes
up with emotion, he cannot continue reading further. It has been at
least "50 years" since he put on Tefillin. Full of emotion he asks
where he can buy Tefillin. Telling him we have a pair he most
excitedly purchases the Tefillin insisting to pay their full price.
Concluding that now he understands why he agreed to squeeze us into
his schedule that his Neshomo receive the food it craves and deserves.

Another story I must share is about a Jew from Lithuania who is l"o
sitting in prison in Germany. The way we found out about him is a
story unto itself. During the course of a visit with a Jewish family.
the wife mentions to me that she works as a translator for the
prisons authority. If we would like, her husband may arrange
permission for us to visit the few Jewish prisoners. We of course
agreed.

Upon arriving at the prison, we were told we can only meet one
prisoner. In the midst of our conversation he mentions he had just
recently written a letter to Chabad Lubavitch (he wasn't sure to
whom) asking for a rabbi to contact him. After leaving the prison I
realized the magnitude of what has just occurred. This man had
written a letter to Chabad Lubavitch and the Rebbe with his intrinsic
connection and Ahavas Yisroel for every Jew had ensured that this Jew
receive the encouragement he needs at this time.

These tales are just a few of the many in which Jews were inspired to
buy Jewish books, Tefillin, Mezuzois, to add in mitzvah observance,
and just simply to reconnect to our rich heritage and find meaning in
being Jewish. This especially holds true regarding the many recent
immigrants from the former Soviet Union for whom this might have been
their first opportunity to connect with Judaism.

To summarize my emotions of my 3 week stay in Germany, I can say that
we truly feel and see that no matter how many of our enemies plotted
to destroy the Jewish people G-D forbid, the Jewish nation has always
triumphed. Today in Nuremburg, one of the cradles of Nazism, there
now exists a Jewish camp where children walk proudly in their
yarlmukes and tzitzis proclaiming to all the pride we have in being
Jewish and living a Jewish way of life. And let us all join together
with Jews all over the world by adding in mitzvah observance thereby
hastening the moment when we will be joined together in Yerusholayim
with Moshiach immediately.