Page 8 - The Jewish Voice - May '21

Page 8, The Jewish Voice

Local Happenings from page 7 Russian Jewish Revival

Longtime Florida Rabbi resilience of the Jewish
The miracle of the
Hailed “Vaccine Hero” nation and our ability to
survive against all odds
As COVID-19 rapidly spread, holidays and milestones was featured in full display
were not able to be celebrated with friends and loved ones. at Chabad of Palm Beach
In response, the Jewish Community Synagogue became the Gardens’ recent Windows
first synagogue to secure thousands of vaccines and hold to the World event with the
mass vaccination events for the community. Chief Rabbi of Southern
“He became the talk of the town not just for getting so Russia, Chaim Danzinger.
many people vaccinated, but also because of how organized The Canadian-born rabbi
and smoothly the events ran,” said attendee Erica Sandras. recently spoke about
“The Jewish Community Synagogue really took every detail the tragedy and triumph
into account to make it as enjoyable and efficient as possible. of Judaism in the city of
They really are heaven-sent.” Rostov, Russia.
Rabbi Leib Ezagui told us, “As a community synagogue, It was there that the
we are all about unity and being there for each other. The first Nazis killed more Jews than
time a woman told me she hadn’t seen her granddaughter in anywhere else in Russia, in
over 10 months, I immediately decided that I would find a a mass grave called the Babi
way to get families back together like it is supposed to be Yar of Russia, a reference
and I became committed to making it happen.” to the most horrific Nazi
Since the events were open to anyone who qualified as per killing site in Ukraine. Tens
the governor’s orders, appointments were fully booked out of thousands of Jews of
within the hour and the waitlists were packed. This is why the once-thriving Jewish
they decided to have a few different vaccination days, to be community were machine
able to administer the vaccine to as many people as possible. gunned to death after being
“It was hard for me to see so many people of our forced to dig their own mass
community filled with such an immense fear. As a rabbi, I grave. Judaism had little
try to anticipate the needs of the community and be there for hope for survival in the area.
them. This was a physical way I was able to be of help and But today, just 70 years
support,” shared Shlomo Ezagui, senior rabbi of the Jewish later, Rabbi Danzinger
Community Synagogue. leads a thriving Jewish
community that cares for
the spiritual, emotional,
and physical needs of all its
residents. Having reclaimed
the beautiful synagogue
that was confiscated from
the Jews, it is now a center
teeming with Jewish life for
all ages. In recent weeks,
one of the perpetrators of
that horrific event has been
discovered to be living
today in Toronto, just a few
minutes away from Rabbi
Danzinger’s childhood
home. He has been banished
from his visits to Florida by
the USA and is now facing
prosecution in Canada.
With a blend of humor and solemnity, Rabbi Danzinger
described the adjustments that his American family had to
make in order to get used to life in Russia. He also told deeply
emotional stories of the lives that have been touched and souls Local Happenings on page 9
that have been inspired in the 15 years since their arrival.

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