"There are times the human image is so deep inside us that it is not expressed, until suddenly there is a spark and we understand our function and significance in the world"

Rabbi Azriel from Omaha visited the Western Galilee " I had an amazing time and the two intense days in Akko and Matte Asher brought lots of joy to me. I hope I was helpful"

Rabbis Azriel is a great friend of the Partnership, he has been here various times. This time he came to deepen connections and met with many new faces. Three of the high lights was the meetings the Maccabia students right before they went to Omaha for the National Maccabi games, with members of Kibbutz Cabri and ten of the Knafaim students.

Here a few comments of the Israelis: 

Esti Wasiman, member of Kibbutz Cabri and the Partnership commented with great enthusiasm the mifgash with Rabbi Azriel: "The other evening a group of people from my kibbutz had the great honor to spend an evening with Rabbi Azriel. The discussion for the evening centered on the idea that the orthodox community in Israel has appropriated Judaism to itself and that we what are doing at Cabri is growing closer to Judaism.

We, here in Cabri have begun to observe Yom Kippur with prayers and readings of appropriate verses and passages from the Torah. We brought in a sefer Torah and sidurim, women and men sat together; the shofar was blown and one of the young residents of Cabri organized the prayers in the way he knows. We also organize Kabbalat Shabbat for all kibbutz members where we sing songs, bless over wine, the challah, candle lighting, and so on.

Rabbi Azriel raised interesting comments and ideas and praised what we are doing".

Tami Hermesh, another member of Kibbutz Cabri added " I came to meet someone who leads a community. I met a tremendous source of inspiration, full of love for our doings, a mind that is open to new ideas and gave great faith along the way. I came away filled with inspiration. Thank you for visiting us".

The day after Rabbi Azriel met with ten students from the Knafaim preparatory program "We had a fascinating mifgash with the rabbi".

The meeting kicked off with an introductory talk. In response to the students' requests, the discussion focused on 9 Av, the various forms of self-denial, and baseless hatred, and led to a discussion on the positive strengths we all have. The discussion was lively, people asked questions, and the rabbi gladly answered them all. 

In short, it was a dynamic meeting and a success and we would be happy for it to become a tradition.

By the end of the evening Azriel told a story to conclude the meeting, which made a very deep impression on the students: "The night before God made Adam, the angels held an emergency meeting because they were afraid of human beings being created. And they decided to hide the human image.

One angel said it should be hidden on a mountain top but the others said it would be found.
Another angel proposed it should be hid at the bottom of the ocean and his fellows said it would be found there too.

Then suddenly a new angel they had never seen before arrived and said he had a brilliant idea - hide it in the human being's body  - where God would never be able to find it…