Finding a Chabad Rabbi Among 1.4 Billion People

My friend Trevor* recently travelled to China for a month. He took a full four weeks off from work so he could really enjoy the beauty and history China has to offer.

Before he left I suggested he spend Shabbat at the Jewish center there, and asked him to send my warmest regards to the Chabad rabbi, Shimon Freundlich.

Now, Trevor is far from religious. He frequents our Chabad center because he’s a dear friend of mine (and because we have great Kiddush food!), but he actually considers himself an atheist. Naturally, tracking down a Chabad rabbi in China wasn’t exactly on his agenda. After all, this was a vacation – an opportunity to escape day-to-day life. In his own words, “Rabbi, there are approximately 1.4 billion people living in China. What are the odds of me meeting the Chabad rabbi while I’m there?”

Well, when Trevor showed up at shul upon his return, we asked him to share some of his experiences with us.

“Before I left,” he began, “Rabbi Vigler asked me to visit the Chabad rabbi in China. I refused and I thought that was that. I had a great month away, and it was time to head back to the US. I went to the airport and who do I see? A rabbi who looks pretty much like my rabbi. I was sure he must be Chabad. So I asked him, ‘Excuse me, are you Chabad?’ And he was! It was Rabbi Freundlich. Imagine my surprise when not only did I meet him, but we were on the same flight sitting right next to one another for the 14 hour journey back home. And guess what we ended up discussing for most of those 14 hours? Religion, of course. Unbelievable!” 

Unbelievable is right.

We’re more than half-way through Chanukah, we’ve eaten loads of potato latkes and jelly doughnuts, and now it’s time for some reflection.

Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks – the small, ill-equipped army which triumphed over the organized battalions bearing sophisticated weaponry. But the miracle of Chanukah was far more than a physical battle.

Times were rough for the Jews – the Greeks didn’t want to kill the Jews, but they wanted to kill the Torah. They forbade the fundamental mitzvot and tried to make the Greek way of life look as tantalizing as possible. And they weren’t unsuccessful. Many, many Jews did assimilate and embrace Greek culture. So the Maccabees weren’t just fighting an external influence, they were battling the “insiders” – the Jews who had already Hellenized – as well.

When the battle was over and won, there was no immediate “recovery” but it was a turning point. Despite all the Greek propaganda, the Jews had prevailed, demonstrating the strength of the communal Jewish soul. With the war behind them, the Jews were well on their way to reclaiming the Torah and mitzvoth and their rich heritage. The miracle served as a reminder from G-d: I’m here! You can try to escape Me and My Torah, but We will prevail.

So, you can go to China – or Kenya, or Chile, for that matter – hoping to take a vacation from G-d, but He will find you. It might be in the form of a Chabad rabbi, or a Jew who needs help, or an ancient Jewish artifact. But make no mistake about it – there is no “escaping!”