Grapevine: The Jewish unity epiphany

The Jewish unity epiphany

This week, Chabad emissaries throughout Israel and around the world marked the 30th anniversary of the passing of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, and spoke of the impact he had, and continues to have even now, on their lives. In Jerusalem, the women’s circle of Chabad of Talbiya-Mamilla convened at David Castle to celebrate the empowerment they received from the Rebbe’s teachings.

There were songs, including “Tzama Nafshi,” a favorite of the Rebbe’s, taken from the 63rd Psalm; a short film featuring the Rebbe and the importance he placed on sending emissaries to the farthest reaches of the Earth to kindle Jewish life in even the smallest of Jewish communities; and a challah-tithing ceremony.

But what enchanted participants most were the speakers: returned hostage Sapir Cohen, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and spent 55 days in captivity prior to her release and return home; and the legendary Rebbetzin Bessie Garelik, who met Cohen in Milan, where she has been serving as a Chabad emissary since 1958.

Cohen, who had a non-religious upbringing, developed a close relationship with Chabad soon after returning home. She was contacted by the Chabad emissary in Arizona, who wanted her to come and speak to his congregation. She initially refused, but he persisted. She told him her English was not good enough. He didn’t care. Eventually, she told him she would come if only he would stop calling.

Her epiphany about Judaism and Jewish unity did not begin in Arizona. It began six months before Oct. 7. She had a very uneasy feeling that she could not explain. She somehow knew something bad was going to happen, even though everything in her life seemed perfect at the time. She wondered if something was amiss with her health, so she went for tests. The doctor told her a virus had invaded her body. While he said it wasn’t serious, she didn’t believe him. Suddenly, a prayer suddenly popped up on her Instagram account with the message that if she recited it for 30 days, she would be healed. She had never prayed before, but feeling uneasy, she prayed. However, she didn’t make it to the 30 days because Oct. 7 happened. It was then that she finally understood the prayer.

She and her boyfriend, Sasha Troufanov, were on the kibbutz when he received an alert from Kibbutz Be’eri. By that time, they could hear the commotion outside and voices shouting “Allah Akbar.” There was no bomb shelter in their apartment, so they hid under the bed. Sasha told her to remain silent, so she took a blanket and covered herself completely. The terrorists broke in and reached Sasha first.  She heard him screaming, and as the terrorists pulled her away from the bed, she saw Sasha lying on the ground, his face covered in blood. The terrorists placed her on a bike and took her to Gaza, where she was touched and beaten by the mob. Two terrorists saved her because they had been instructed to bring in live hostages.

Soon after her arrival in Gaza, she met a 16-year-old girl who was trembling in fear. Cohen then understood why she had been kidnapped. It was her duty to protect the girl. She even managed to steal food for her.

Hamas switched to psychological torture when it wasn’t using physical torture. One day, the guard brought in a memorial candle with her name on it. She asked why, and he told her that she was the enemy.

After Arizona, she spoke at several Chabad enclaves in various countries, and each time she was impressed by the sense of unity between the religious and secular people, especially in the face of growing antisemitism. At every venue, she learned that the unity was nurtured by Chabad.

She is now waiting for Sasha’s return. She has seen him in videos released by Hamas, so she knows that even if he is suffering, he is alive.

■ BESSIE GARELIK was 20 years old when the Rebbe sent her and her husband to Milan. Her parents had been emissaries in Pittsburgh since 1944, so she knew no other life. She loved the thought of being an emissary herself. Her work in this regard is her lifeblood. At the Rebbe’s instructions, she started a kindergarten and, later, a school. Some of her former students, most of whom came from non-religious backgrounds, were captivated by her passion for Judaism. They became religious, and in some cases, their sons are rabbis at important yeshivot. Garelik attended a reunion with some of them, who embraced her with enormous love. A captivating speaker, she travels the world to deliver the Rebbe’s message.

The event was organized and moderated by Rabbanit Chani Canterman, who, with her husband, Rabbi Eli Canterman, directs Chabad of Talbiya-Mamilla.

Raise Your Spirits

■ THE ALL-FEMALE Raise Your Spirits theater group (originally, Raise Your Spirits Summer Stock Company) was founded by Toby Klein Greenwald, Sharon Katz, and Arlene Chertoff in 2001 to raise the spirits of the women and girls in Gush Etzion during the Second Intifada. Klein Greenwald, the artistic director, has remained with the group to this day.

Providing talented Orthodox female singers, dancers, and actresses the opportunity to show their stuff, the Raise Your Spirits theater group has gained a large following for its productions, which are based on biblical and other religious themes. Some of the performers are former professionals who have become religious and therefore do not perform for mixed-gender audiences.

One of the popular productions, Mikva the Musical, Music & Monologues from the Deep, which was a big hit in English, will premiere its Hebrew version at two Jerusalem theater festivals. In addition to its classical scenes that are both serious and humorous, it includes moving new monologues written by women about the challenges of going to the mikveh (ritual bath) during wartime. Performances are scheduled for July 16 at the 360 Festival in Kfar Shaul as part of a groundbreaking cultural festival on the site of what was originally Dir Yassin and is now a mental health facility; and on July 21 at the Fringe Theater Festival in Beit Mazia in memory of acclaimed Israeli poet Hava Pinhas-Cohen.

Both festivals operate under the auspices of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Culture and Sport Ministry and are co-produced by Myra Gutterman and Klein Greenwald. The show’s lead composer, choreographer, and singer is Adina Feldman.

For tickets, go to MikvatheMusical.com; for info Toby, 052-3822-104 or toby@wholefamily.com.

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