Posted to Mivtzoim, Shlichus on

When in Rome, do as the Jews

Visiting Rome for the wedding of a nephew, Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz – who are Shluchim in Kathmandu, Nepal – toured the ancient ruins of the city on Friday afternoon when a man dressed as a roman called out to them and asked if they had Tefillin.

The Lifshitzs were in Rome for the wedding of Tzviki Lifshitz of Belgium and Mushkie Hazan of Rome. On Friday afternoon they toured parts of the city.

As they stood in front of the Coliseum and the Arch of Titus they noticed a group of men dressed as romans and posing for photographs with tourists. “We were walking around when suddenly we hear a shout” writes Chani Lifshitz, “one of the ‘Romans’ calls out to us and he asks for something. No he does not want to take a picture with us, or money, he asks us if we have a pair of Tefillin.”

Turns out the man, who is in his 40’s, last put on Tefillin some twenty years ago, and after hearing about the tragedy involving the kidnapping and later locating the bodies of the three Israeli teenagers – Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frankel, 16 – he felt the need to connect with his Jewish roots and show his solidarity with his nation.

“My Jewish name which was given to me at my bris is Shabtai,” he explains “which was the name of my grandfather, who was a ‘real’ Jew, not like me” he says as he averts his eyes.

“You are also a real Jew” Chezki tells the man, explaining as there is no such thing a non-real Jew.

After wrapping the straps of the Tefillin Shabtai recites word for word “Shma… Yisroel…”, and as he completes the prayer he breaks out in dance, singing “Am Yisrael Chai…”

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