I hope all of you had the most wonderful Purim. In Jerusalem we are still in the midst of the festive holiday. The timeless message of antisemites rising up to try to hurt the Jewish Nation and the Almighty saving us continues to resonate in a strong way today. What is so special about Purim is how all Jews come together in celebration. When we are united, nothing and no one can defeat the Jewish people.
The entire week of the Aish Destiny mission was very special. The last time we hosted this program it was right before Covid. The trip this past week symbolized a rebirth for Aish. I want to relate two stories from the Havdalah service at the close of Shabbat that touched me. We invited a few guests from outside the group to join us for Havdalah. One guest politely declined the individual spice sachet that each woman had for the ceremony. She said that she didn’t want to accept it because she was an atheist. By the time the ceremony was in full swing with the live band and dancing, she was also dancing up a storm and committed to coming on the next trip to study Torah with Aish.
We were also honored to have the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum join us for Havdalah. One of the participants said that the highlight of the week for her was dancing with Fleur. She said that back home she could never imagine a politician dancing with her at a Havdalah ceremony.
Truly, there is no better experience than being in Jerusalem and studying Torah at Aish. I would like to invite you all to come spend time with us. Whether on a mission or a family trip. Come spend time at your home in Jerusalem.
Happy Purim.
