Page 32 - HaMizrachi Rosh HaShana - Yom Kippur 5783 USA

JEWS

with
VIEWS Zeev Efrat

Schwartz Metzler

hinking about Torah MiTzion over feel blessed to have been on shlichut three
the years, a key word comes to mind: times! The first time was in Stockholm, as a
dedication. When tanks patrolled the young bat sherut leumi traveling with some
streets of Moscow in 1999, we had a trepidation to a new community about which
Tcrucial decision to make. Should we send II knew so little. My second shlichut was again
We asked shlichim to establish the first Zionist kollel in to Stockholm, but this time as a married couple,
serving the community there for three years. We
Moscow, a city in turmoil? How could we balance
leaders of the risk to our shlichim with the incredible arrived there in 1999 before Chabad had even
set up there, and served as a central hub of the
potential for change in post-Soviet Russia?
Our dedication to our vision guided us as we community. Then, as a family with four kids, we
shlichut decided to move forward, coped with financial packed our bags again and headed to Melbourne,
Australia to lead the largest Bnei Akiva snif in the
instability and navigated the challenges of an
old Russia transitioning into a different reality. world, with a team of 68 madrichim.
organizations: Since then, the dedication of our shlichim experiences took place last year in Israel, on Yom
The moment that brought all these
to the Jews of Russia has enabled our kollel
to flourish, despite instability and ongoing HaAtzmaut morning, when we hosted an event
What were challenges. This vibrant learning center has for over 300 Bnei Akiva bogrim who had made
Aliyah. As I took the microphone to speak, I was
directly impacted thousands of lives, teaching
some of Torah and strengthening Jewish identity through overcome by tears of emotion. Years of shlichut,
its many Shabbatonim and other events.
of building relationships with young Jews, of
On my desk in Jerusalem, I keep a collage of speaking about Torah, avodah and Aliyah, were
your most pictures of the young couples that met, married transformed into a living reality in front of my
eyes!
and have built a life of yiddishkeit in Moscow
under the guidance of Rabbi David Ushuvayev, “Who are these… who fly like doves to their
meaningful our legendary Rosh Kollel of 24 years. Some dovecote?” (Yishayahu 60:8). Rav Kook explains
that Aliyah is like a dove returning to its home.
have even made Aliyah, and are happily raising
Jewish families here in Israel. All of this is only Seeing hundreds of Jews return to Israel, to their
shlichut possible due to the extraordinary dedication of homeland – this is what redemption looks like!
our shlichim.
As we cope with ongoing uncertainty,
moments? whether it be the COVID pandemic, Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine or other challenges all over
the globe, it is the dedication of our shlichim –
to the people, values and mission of Religious
Zionism – that gives us the strength to move
forward.

Efrat Metzler became the first female Deputy
Director of World Bnei Akiva in 2021. She previously
Zeev Schwartz is the CEO and Founding Chairman served as Director of World Bnei Akiva’s Bogrim
of Torah MiTzion. Department and as Head of its European Desk.

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