Bochurim’s ‘Vacation’ at Roman Ghetto Leaves a Lasting Impact

By COLlive reporter

Summer boost…

Bochurim from Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Brunoy, France, are spending their summer “bein hazmanim” vacation – lasting a week and a half – reaching out to fellow Jews and encouraging them to connect with their heritage.

The bochurim were brought do to Mivtzoim – Merkos Shlichus in Rome, Italy, by Rabbi Ronnie Canarutto, Director of Chabad Viale Libia, during the busy tourist season.

Rome is booming with thousands of tourists from all over the world, many of whom are Jews who come to get a glimpse of the ancient city which is home to the oldest in the world outside of the Middle East, with a continuous existence from classical times down to the present day.

A decree by the Vatican on 14 July 1555 required the Jews to be confined into a walled ghetto with its gates locked at night. They lived a life of crushing poverty, due to the severe restrictions placed upon the occupations that Jews were allowed to perform. When Jews went outside the ghetto, the men had to wear a yellow cloth, and the women a yellow veil.

The district of the former Ghetto is the home today to the Great Synagogue of Rome and there is one remaining piece of the Ghetto wall, which was built into the wall of one of the courtyards off the Piazza delle Cinque Scole.

Clocking in almost 10 hours a day, the bochurim set up shop in the Ghetto. They spent their days scouring the ancient street for fellow Jews, offering a chance to put on Tefillin and distributing Shabbos candles, sharing a Dvar Torah or words of chizuk.

Over the course of their stay, they put on tefillin with around 150 people, and made 30 Bar Mitzvahs for people who had never seen or even heard of tefillin (“karkaftas”), the bochurim told COLlive.com.

Some of the Jews they met were moved by the experience, and committed to putting on Tefillin every day, or on certain days of the week, from now on, the bochurim reported.

The bochurim said that a considerable amount of Jews they have met have been acquainted in one way or other with activities of their local Chabad.

When they organized a minyan in the street, one participant said it was his first opportunity to recite kaddish in memory of his parents who passed away a while earlier.

Rabbi Canarutto noted that their activities already had an impact on Jews in the city – as they connected with locals as well – and will have a long-lasting impact on the visitors as well.

They spent this past Shabbos with Rabbi Sender Wilschanski, a Chabad Shliach in Milan. They are looking forward to returning to learning in Yeshiva, energized by their summer “vacation.”

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