World Cup in Chevron

B"H

The World Cup.
Nations from around the world gather to fight for the prized golden trophy the entire world covets.
Here in Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem, we had a world cup of our own. Students from countries all over the world joined together for a special 8-day program we created during the summer break.
After many classes on Jewish Law and mysticism, as well as many trips and hikes, we wanted to finish with a special Shabbat experience that would never be forgotten. So we chose:
Chevron [Hebron].

A city saturated with meaning for our people.
Abraham & Sarah lived there. King David lived there.
In the center of town is a massive structure, built over a cave, called Me'arat Hamachpeilah - the doubled cave.



In that cave, down below, are buried none other than our Matriarchs Sarah, Rivkah and Leah (Rachel is buried in Beit Lechem - see Genesis 35:19 for more details on that)
and our Patriarchs Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Heck, even Adam & Eve are buried there!
[ed. note: Our Sages tell us that after being banished from the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve one day arrived in Chevron and, sensing the feeling of the Garden of Eden there, decided to be buried there when they died. When Abraham later came to the cave where they were buried, he smelled the scent of Eden and decided to bury his wife Sarah there, and the rest is history.Tradition has it that Chevron is the gateway to the Garden of Eden...]

Here we would re-connect to our heritage in the very place where it all began nearly 4,000 years ago!
After an inspiring Fri. evening Shabbat service at the cave, we all gathered around a festive meal, where we sang and laughed, and discussed G-d, Judaism, life lessons & experiences. The inspiring stories told by the students who joined our program, about how each of them had ended up here, were all incredible.
One such story that really struck me, was told by a student named Alex.
While enjoying a short vacation in Israel before embarking on a vigorous semester of Grad. School at Johns Hopkins,
Alex somehow stumbled into our yeshiva. And this is how it happened:

"During WWII, my grandfather lived together with his cousin, who was a Partisan - a civilian resistance fighter against the Germans - who fought in the famous Bielski camp.
So while in Israel, I decided to visit Yad Vashem (the famous Holocaust museum in Jerusalem), in order to possibly find out more about his life story. When I gave his name over to the registry, I was actually printed a transcript detailing his entire account of his personal experiences during the holocaust!
What a treasure! But there was one catch... It was all in Yiddish! And I don't speak a word of it. What could I do?

I decided to find a Judaica store in Jerusalem; Perhaps they could help me. Upon hearing my request, the owner told me to try a Jewish library down the block. After asking for help in translation there, the librarian said that, while he knew Yiddish, I would need someone who properly knew English...
Directed to an English speaking yeshiva down a few blocks, I felt a bit frustrated. But to my surprise, when I arrived, the 1st person I saw was a friend from Baltimore standing at the door! After speaking a while, he connected me with a Chabad student who helped me for the next 2 days to translate the entire fascinating transcript. Once, during our conversation, he mentioned to me this 8-day program. Intrigued, I signed up, and here I am.
This program has been incredible. I've learned so many fascinating things about Judaism that I never knew about, in such a short amount of time.
I'm someone who didn't even know I was Jewish until I was 13 & saw all my friends having bar & bat mitzvahs and my Parents finally told me I was Jewish."

As I listened to Alex speak, together with all of the other students, each with his own special background and story, I began to feel a special unity, a special truth, pervade the room.
"Here we are 4,000 years later, Jews from all over the world, many celebrating their 1st Shabbat ever, together with our ancestors. Look how far we've come; disasters and war, assimilation and pogroms. 60 years after living and fighting in war torn Europe, a man's grandson, directed by Divine Providence, stands in Chevron in 2010 and re-connects to their shared heritage.
As Mark Twain once remarked: All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

May the amazing resurgence of Spiritual seeking and good deeds lead us to the ultimate World Cup Victory - one where the whole world wins - with the coming of Moshaich Now!

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel