Much Hakaras HaTov to all those who came to Washington on Tuesday, whether as part of our amazing delegation or as part of the very impressive Dallas turnout! I hope everyone will join us in shul on Shabbos morning, as I share reflections from an incredible day!
Last Week’s MSOTW and Rabbi’s Recommendation
Last week’s MSOTW was described without a picture, and with a cryptic clue:
Despite being in an area where most people have left, it has had a renaissance of sorts in the last few weeks, due to the efforts of a remarkable woman and of many IDF soldiers. Name the shul, the location and, for even more bonus points, the woman behind its revival.
The shul is the Ahavat Yisrael shul in Kibbutz Be’eri. Until the massacre on Shemini Atzeret, the shul- on an extremely secular kibbutz- was only used on Shabbatot and Chaggim, and lifecycle events. According to this article (In Hebrew), when soldiers cleared Kibbutz Be’eri and verified that no terrrorist intruders remained, they went to the shul. On the door, there was a sign saying “Anyone who wants to use the shul should call Rachel,” followed by a number. They were terrified to call- they didn’t know who Rachel was, or even if she was alive anymore. After all, so many other members of the Kibbutz were gruesomely murdered. But Rachel Friker, who founded the shul some 17 years ago, had survived, thank God, and was evacuated. She answered the phone, and a soldier asked her if she had the key to the shul- they wanted to use it for tefillah as they returned from Gaza. Rachel told him, “My house burnt down, and the key was in it. Best to just break in to the shul, and feel free to use it for whatever you need.” In short order, the shul became a meeting place and a minyan factory of sorts, with tefillot and shiurim taking place around the clock. An especially moving Hallel tefillah for chayalim that took place on Tuesday, led by the singer and baal tefillah (and reservist) Yitzchak Meir in the shul,which can be viewed here, and is a very strong Rabbi’s Recommendation.
Recently, Rachel was invited back to attend the beginning of the writing of a Sefer Torah, to be dedicated at the shul a year from now. Rachel spoke about how thrilled she is that the shul is being revived and is flourishing. When she saw the first word of the Torah, בראשית, she realized, tearfully, that that word contains all the letters of בארי!
This Week's MSOTW (sort of)
At the rally, I got to see many colleagues and meet new ones. Instead of a mystery shul this week, I am presenting a Mystery Rabbi (obviously, if you already know the answer, don’t share with anyone else). Hint: Even if you’ve never seen the Rabbi on the right, you have probably heard of him, at least from me.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
