A Sense of Purpose
I come from the worlds of non-formal education and have also taught management, but never saw myself in any formal educational framework. I grew up in Bnei Akiva and was a madrich and later worked in the organization both in Israel and then with my wife as a shaliach in Cleveland.
Making Dreams Come True
About eight years ago I started a company that would help people achieve their dreams. To take an idea and make it a reality and tell their stories in a truly unique way. We help people to take their individual talents and make it into a presentation or to take a particular family history into something that would bring people into their homes. For example, we had a hi-tech exec who always wanted to develop his talents and now he’s a full-time mentalist. Dreams are there for them to be fulfilled.
Milluim
Since the outbreak of the war, I’ve been in reserve duty with only short breaks to return home. I’m an officer of a special unit in the Southern Command and we are involved with rescuing the wounded from enemy territory. Over the course of this period we have been involved with extremely complicated missions. My main source of strength during this whole time has been my wife, Odelia. During this period, everyone finds out new things about themselves. She sees a great deal of meaning and purpose in miluim and gives me so much strength and is always with me even though she is home alone with five kids for long stretches of time. We live far away from our parents and it’s often not easy.
Far Away
When we first got married, we lived in Yeshivat Har Hatzion, where I was learning. We wanted to move up north and looked for a community where we could help it grow and found it in Migdal Haemek. There, we set up the city’s Garin Torani (religious-based community). We went abroad on shlichut to the US for three years. We returned to the community and have been very active in its growth and enjoy a really great community.
The Ketuba That Led to the Chuppa
While learning in the kolel in yeshiva, I received rabbinical certification and then we went on shlichut. When we got back, one of my students asked that I read the ketuba at his wedding. Before reading it, I asked if I could say a few words. After the chuppa, someone came up to me and said “you spoke so beautifully, you need to be officiating chuppot.” I replied that while I was certified as a rabbi, I had no experience officiating at weddings. He recommended I joined at course with Tzohar.
Making Each Chuppa Its Own
I primarily officiate weddings in the north, near where we live, but not only. A chuppa is a time when I can feel Hashem’s presence both physically and spiritually. You meet people who until they met you had an entirely different view of what is Judaism and the rabbinate, and all of a sudden when they are introduced to this dialogue, they open up and we are able to build a real relationship and bring meaning to their weddings while always sticking to the integrity of halacha but also introducing the couple’s individual flavor. And afterwards they come and say, “Wow, we had no idea that could be that special,” and that’s exactly what Tzohar knows to do.
My Northern Wedding
A couple months ago, I officiated at a wedding of a couple from a community in the north. It was a community that hadn’t been evacuated but was very close to those that were. This was a very idealistic family where everyone comes from the army and defense worlds. They told me about the rockets that had fallen in their garden but also their determination to get married specifically during these times. When they told me the planned date for the wedding, I told them that I had been called up to return to service in Rafah that exact day. I realized that if it all worked out I could probably still make the wedding but asked if it would be ok if I came in uniform to the wedding and they said of course. This isn’t an observant family and it was particularly important to them that we recite the tefilla for the welfare of the State at the chuppa and also mention the hostages. It was very moving. The chuppa was at about five in the evening with a truly special feel. Both the bride and groom’s families told me that they felt those moments really made a difference and hopefully we would be blessed with good news. The Shabbat after that the four hostages were released in ‘Operation Arnon’. My miluim, that wedding, and the remarkable chuppa, followed by this incredible news for our people, all came together in a way I will always treasure.
