The first experience I had with Jeff Seidel, was at the kotel this past summer. My friend and I had planned on davening at the wall and heading back to his place to eat a makeshift shabbat meal consisting of cheap cold cuts and chummus. After we were done praying, we heard a commotion going on outside of the wall. We decided to check it out. As we walked closer we heard several families yelling at groups of students leaving the kotel. Once I heard what they were shouting about I got the chills… These families (organized by the one and only Jeff Seidel) were fighting over who was going to join them for a shabbos meal. As I walked closer, a family approached my friend and Me and asked if we wanted to join them for shabbos. We looked at eachother…thought of the cheap cold cuts and kindly responded “why not!” This experience will forever resonate with me, and reminded me how strong the jewish nation of israel is today. Because of passionate, devoted, selfless individuals like Jeff Seidel, college students across the country are becoming more and more connected to judaism. Jeff Seidel’s spark does not only ignite the neshamas of students in his central student center in Jerusalem, but his impact is felt in universities all across israel. When i was studying abroad at Tel Aviv university, Jeff made sure I always had somewhere for shabbat, and constantly held different events to keep the students of my university passionate about Judaism. When I think of the expression _¢_ _ª_©_¬__Ï _Ñ_ª I would be remiss if i didn’t acknowledge the amazing contributions made by people like Jeff Seidel. It is because his hard work, dedication, and passion, that so many young adults are re-connecting to Judaism. I will be forever grateful for his service, and advise all young adults traveling to Israel to visit him and get the same incredible experience that I was blessed to have.” Have a good shabbos!
Forever Grateful!
17
Jun
Jun
George Deek is an Arab-Israeli diplomat. In 2018, Deek was appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. He is the first Israeli Arab Christian to become an ambassador. Deek grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, in a building where the other tenants included Muslims, Catholics, Jews and a Catholic priest of Jewish ancestry.[2][3] His father, who worked as a tax advisor,[3] was one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jaffa who served as chairman of the Orthodox Association, and was considered a well-known and popular figure in the city until in 2015 a square was inaugurated in his memory in Jaffa in the presence of Mayor Ron Huldai.[4] According to Deek, his grandparents fled to Lebanon for safety when the 1947–1949 Palestine war, having been told that the Jews would slaughter them if they remained in their homes, but expecting to return home once Arab armies defeated the Jews.[3] According to Deek, when the war ended, his grandparents felt that they had been “deceived”, and decided to return illegally to their home in Jaffa rather than remaining in Lebanon as refugees. Since reentering the country was illegal, Deek’s grandfather, an electrician, was arrested and jailed.
