Meeting Israel’s Leading Rabbinic Figures
I’ve noticed that when one meets an important person, it is usually enough to just meet them. When family and friends ask for the highlights of the week, it is plenty to say merely that “We met the Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Rabbi of the Kotel” and there is no need to go into elaborate detail. Meetings with important people seem to be surface encounters and there is no guarantee that memorable pearls of wisdom will be shared. This was certainly not the case with meeting these two great Rabbis. After adjusting to the great honor and privilege to meet with these outstanding men, it was easy to absorb their message and relate to them as fellow human beings.
Both Rabbis shared some defining characteristics. They both thanked us again and again for meeting with them and giving them the chance to share lessons and stories with us. Both of them were obviously happy to be there and did not appear to be in any sort of rush (the Chief Rabbi was surprised when his aide told him that he had to leave early for a meeting). They greeted questions gleefully and gave in depth answers. I was so comfortable throughout and felt connected to both speakers, instead of merely a distant observer.
It was thrilling just to travel to Chief Rabbi David Lau’s office. It was located in a medical facility and we had to go through one at a time to take the elevator. We were led to a conference room with a long table with comfortable chairs around it. This was the situation room! We all stood when the Chief Rabbi entered. The Rabbi started off by thanking us for giving him an opportunity to practice his English. He told us about his job description and some challenges that he faces as Chief Rabbi. He was excited to tell us that he had just met with the US Ambassador to Israel (we later realized that this was a discussion along with the Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef about the Torah allowing for a land swap if it would guarantee a real peace). He didn’t have much time for questions but he answered each one honestly.
We then had to quickly get onto our van before the drivers behind got too angry (emphasis on “too” because thy were angry from the first honk). Our driver skillfully maneuvered through side streets in Mea Shearim and turned sharply in places that appeared inhospitable to vehicles. It was quite a rush and left us impressed with the driver’s skill. It resembled a roller coaster ride and I was left wanting more when we eventually came to a stop.
We made our way into the old city and through security into the Kotel Plaza. We then walked up to the new Aish building (a truly majestic work of architecture) and were given a powerful tour and shown some very meaningful videos in the Kirk Douglass Theater (!).
We then walked into the Kotel Tunnels area and made our way through a number of archaic chambers. It was definitely exciting to be guided into a room that is not open to the public as there is excavation being done. We entered the room and found a table filled with pastries, soda, juice,coffee, and tea. This was an above and beyond kindness and further painted the experience as comfortable and full of hospitality. We sat down and met the Kotel Rabbi’s translator, Assaf, before the Rabbi arrived. In a few minutes, the Rabbi bounded into the room with a smile on his face and got right into his talk. He mentioned more than once how happy he was to be there and shared some very enjoyable stories about his job. His words were honest and kind and I could tell that he was genuinely happy to be there. He openly shared stories about showing Bill Clinton and Will Smith around the Kotel.
The Rabbi told us that he only meets with public officials and no celebrities. He was told one day that a Congressman had come to see him. When he want out to the Kotel to greet him, he saw that it was Will Smith. There were so many people in the area that he could not refuse to meet with Will. He was more comfortable when he realized that Will was genuinely interested in learning more about the Kotel. Even more interested was his wife, Jada. The Rabbi said that they were all together for about two hours with never a dull moment.
The Rabbi then opened it up to questions and answered very honestly. He had been cracking jokes throughout and it was really a pleasure to listen to him. When it was time, we made our way back to the Thrive Clubhouse for food and schmoozing.
Overall, this was a really unique and fascinating day. It was such an honor to meet with such important players in modern Israeli and Jewish history. I hope to hold onto the lessons that were learned and to internalize the lessons of humility that the Rabbis exemplified.
These were once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences and I am so grateful to Thrive for making them possible.
