Teens in Santiago, Chile
Last week I was afforded the opportunity to see first hand the life changing impact Shimon and Laura Vinger are having on the teens in Santiago, Chile. With Mitch Aeder and Southwest Regional Director Rabbi Israel Lashak as my guide and translator, I traveled across Santiago, lecturing at schools and attending NCSY events run by the Vingers.
Unfortunately, the Chilean Jewish community is facing sky rocketing intermarriage rates. It was touching to see teens’ eyes well up with tears when Rabbi Lashak addressed them in their schools. For many of these teens, this was their first encounter with Torah and this made me realize how much NCSY in needed in Chile, in the U.S., in Germany, in Hungry- truly all over the world.
In Kol Dodi Dofek Rabbi Soloveitchik explains that if Jews across the world fail to concern themselves with Jews in other countries and places, then we are not truly a nation. It is vital that everyone in Am Yisrael cares about other Jews’ pain and difficulties and tat together we work toward saving our nation and keeping ourselves whole and complete.
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