Page 54 - issue
P. 54
Asher and Chava ran into each other. him a Tanach, which he read diligently. whereas Chava and her two brothers
They also got to know each other from Coming from a completely irreligious had three bathrooms in their child-
being involved in Heneni, a new organ- background, with only the knowledge hood home! Also, Chava describes how
ization to help the immigrants. Soon that he was Jewish, Zev nevertheless hard it is to understand her husband’s
enough, the couple was dating and a came to the conclusion that he had Hebrew, even though she’s fluent. “He
short while later celebrated their found the absolute truth. As he read or speaks so fast that I am forever telling
engagement. Chava remarks that she heard from others about mitzva obser- him to slow down!” They laugh at their
and her husband are not the only vance, he started keeping the mitzvos. differences and concentrate on their
Heneni couple. A few others also met In the 1970s, when he was finally similarities. Ideologically, they are “on
this way! released from jail, the couple married, the same page.” Both of them want to
made aliyah, and continued in the path build a true Torah home, and they
◆◆◆ of teshuva. Many of the families they share a readiness to help others.
connected with were Sefardi, so with
Chava and Asher are a beautiful permission from a rav, who explained ◆◆◆
example of couples from very different that a baal teshuva without a mesora
backgrounds who have created incred- can choose which customs to keep, Asher and Chava began their mar-
ibly harmonious homes. Asher’s par- they chose to become Sefardi. riage in Kiryat Moshe, where Asher
ents are from the former Soviet Union. learned in nearby Yeshivat Mercaz
His father and uncle were involved in Growing up in Alon Shvut in Gush HaRav. Two years later, they decided to
anti-Communist activities and were Etzion, Asher’s Sefardi minhagim, as look for a growing community where
eventually caught by the KGB and put well as his Russian-Israeli background, they could make an impact. About 40
into jail for several years. Asher’s par- was a sharp contrast to Chava’s years ago, their Rav, Rav Dovid Chai
ents, Zev and Malka, were about to American mentality. One culture gap is HaCohen, a talmid of Rav Tzvi Yehuda
become engaged, and his mother was Asher’s outlook that “you make do with HaCohen Kook, had developed a dati
given an ultimatum to either break off what you have” in contrast to Chava’s leumi (religious Zionist) community
contact with Zev or be expelled from upbringing, which was to “have avail- according to the beliefs of Rav Kook in
the university. Malka continued to visit able everything you need and don’t Bat Yam. He gave shiurim and estab-
Zev in jail and was subsequently need.” Asher’s family had one bath- lished schools and shuls for both
expelled from university. room in the house for seven kids, Ashkenazim and Sefardim. Now, Rav
Dovid wanted to open a yeshiva gedola
While Zev was in jail, someone gave
50 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
They also got to know each other from Coming from a completely irreligious had three bathrooms in their child-
being involved in Heneni, a new organ- background, with only the knowledge hood home! Also, Chava describes how
ization to help the immigrants. Soon that he was Jewish, Zev nevertheless hard it is to understand her husband’s
enough, the couple was dating and a came to the conclusion that he had Hebrew, even though she’s fluent. “He
short while later celebrated their found the absolute truth. As he read or speaks so fast that I am forever telling
engagement. Chava remarks that she heard from others about mitzva obser- him to slow down!” They laugh at their
and her husband are not the only vance, he started keeping the mitzvos. differences and concentrate on their
Heneni couple. A few others also met In the 1970s, when he was finally similarities. Ideologically, they are “on
this way! released from jail, the couple married, the same page.” Both of them want to
made aliyah, and continued in the path build a true Torah home, and they
◆◆◆ of teshuva. Many of the families they share a readiness to help others.
connected with were Sefardi, so with
Chava and Asher are a beautiful permission from a rav, who explained ◆◆◆
example of couples from very different that a baal teshuva without a mesora
backgrounds who have created incred- can choose which customs to keep, Asher and Chava began their mar-
ibly harmonious homes. Asher’s par- they chose to become Sefardi. riage in Kiryat Moshe, where Asher
ents are from the former Soviet Union. learned in nearby Yeshivat Mercaz
His father and uncle were involved in Growing up in Alon Shvut in Gush HaRav. Two years later, they decided to
anti-Communist activities and were Etzion, Asher’s Sefardi minhagim, as look for a growing community where
eventually caught by the KGB and put well as his Russian-Israeli background, they could make an impact. About 40
into jail for several years. Asher’s par- was a sharp contrast to Chava’s years ago, their Rav, Rav Dovid Chai
ents, Zev and Malka, were about to American mentality. One culture gap is HaCohen, a talmid of Rav Tzvi Yehuda
become engaged, and his mother was Asher’s outlook that “you make do with HaCohen Kook, had developed a dati
given an ultimatum to either break off what you have” in contrast to Chava’s leumi (religious Zionist) community
contact with Zev or be expelled from upbringing, which was to “have avail- according to the beliefs of Rav Kook in
the university. Malka continued to visit able everything you need and don’t Bat Yam. He gave shiurim and estab-
Zev in jail and was subsequently need.” Asher’s family had one bath- lished schools and shuls for both
expelled from university. room in the house for seven kids, Ashkenazim and Sefardim. Now, Rav
Dovid wanted to open a yeshiva gedola
While Zev was in jail, someone gave
50 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
