Hi,
Every once in a while I’m reminded of the miracle of miracles.
The survival of the Jewish People and its Torah.
…It was in 1939. The beginning of the Second World War
The Nazis invade Lublin, Poland.
And first thing they do is take over the world famous Yeshiva.
It was called Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin. “Scholars of Lublin.”
Sometimes our enemies know us better than we know ourselves.
The Nazis knew that Torah learning insures the Jewish future.
So they took out all the Torah scrolls. And all the books from the huge Judaic library.
And burned them in the town square!
Most of the students were killed in death camps across Poland.
Some survived and went on to Israel or the United States.
… February, 2007.
Hundreds of Polish Jews break into joyful applause as a new synagogue is dedicated.
It’s in a building that the Polish government returned to the Jewish community.
An orchestra plays Chassidic music as the chief Rabbi is lifted up by a crane.
And he unveils the name of the building.
“Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin”!
Mezuzahs are put on the doorways.
Velvet covered Torah scrolls are danced into the building.
A former student of the Yeshiva, now living in New York was interviewed.
And here’s what 84-year-old Joseph Friedenson said.
“This is a source of great satisfaction to me. Hitler did not succeed in destroying Judaism”!
… And there’s an amazing picture in the newspaper Haaretz.
A real “Kodak Moment”!
A picture that captures the eternity of the Jewish People.
One that says it all about the miracle of Jewish survival.
It shows the chief rabbi of Poland dancing with a Torah!
The Torah we’ve had for 3000 years.
The same Torah that was studied at Chachmei Lublin.
It’s the Jewish past.
But also in the picture?
A father dancing. With his son on his shoulders.
The Jewish future!
Click here to see this amazing picture http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/824447.html.
And feel proud to be part of an Eternal People!
All the best,