By Shmulik Kravitsky
During Chol Hamoed Sukkos, I went with my son-in-law Rabbi Elie Filler on Mivtza Lulav on the streets of Prescott, a former gold and silver mining town in central Arizona.
We met Noah, a 21-year-old Jewish man who works at a local supermarket. After shaking the Lulav and Esrog, Elie invited him to stop by the Sukkah at the Chabad House the next morning.
Elie also invited him to join Hakafos dancing on Monday night of Shmini Atzeres to celebrate Simchas Torah. “We begin at 6:30 PM,” Elie said.
Noah said he didn’t think he could make it since he has the evening shift and is only done at 10:00 PM. But then, thinking about it, he said that if the manager sees him working really hard, he can be allowed to take off earlier.
“I’ll try but can’t promise,” Noah said.
On Monday night, as we were dancing the 6th Hakafah, Noah walked in. The time was 8:45 PM. He had a shy smile, trying to take in the scene of dozens of Jews who looked just like him and were dancing away with joy while holding the Torahs.
Elie spotted him immediately and honored him with leading the 7th Hakafah. Noah slowly read the 6 Pesukim with great effort, and was then asked to announce his favorite Jewish song. The crowd would then follow and dance to it.
I only know one Jewish song, Noah said.
“I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay…”
And so, there we were, a group of Jews singing a Chanukah song on Simchas Torah…
And we danced, until we had no more strength to move. 3 men in Kapotas, a group of people in Shul – some of whom were at their first Hakafos in their lives – and one young Jewish soul who had worked hard to get out of work to participate in a Jewish celebration that he had never even heard of before that day.
Repeating, again and again with great excitement, the song of the dreidel…
“Oh, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made you out of clay,” we sang and danced away in this genuine moment of pure spirituality, joy, and unity.
“Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, the Dreidel I shall play!”
If this is not the essence of a Jewish soul, I don’t know what is…
We thought our simchas Torah in a shul i full of happy yiden in an old church was special,but yours is the crown jewel. Thanks
This gives the Rebbe Nachas!
These are the Jews only the Rebbe saw and felt and therefore he sent shluchim to take care of them.
Its a gem
what an emotional story. thank you so much for sharing this. this has got to be the Simchas Torah that shook the heavens.
thanks for sharing and pointing out the holiness in every yid and being there to expose it!
I cried tears of emotion.
This is the story of dozens of small town communities thoughout US and beyond. The real heroes are the shluchim the shluchos and their children some who have been out 5 years 10 years 20 years 30 years and still doing it year after year, Where the value of every Yid is seen. the excitement that a new face walks in to the chabad house is what gives them what to talk about throughout the long days of YT. Kol Hakavod to all the Shluchim/chos. The Rebbe is with u throughout YT and every day and you will see the… Read more »
As a shliach I have several similar stories that I know of ( I have to say this one is unbelievable great)
Imagine if the thousands of people that come to CH go tishre would go help a small town shliach in there country state or a different country how many dradel dradel stories we would have
There is a good travel agent I know that can book the tickets
Not a family member just a fellow shliach in the state of Arizona
Kol hakovod