A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I embarked on a quick three-day getaway to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Capri, in the south of Italy. We spent one day touring the incredible Amalfi Coast, setting out on a hike that would take us to the famed “Path of God”—
an immensely popular mountain trail about 4.34 miles long, at the dizzying height of 2065ft above sea level. The views were indeed heavenly, but the heat was sweltering, with temperatures soaring to over 100 degrees.
As we hiked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at Hashem's incredible creation. The scenery was like nothing I had ever seen before. Along the way, I met fellow hikers and asked them how much farther we had to go. Each person encouraged me, saying we still had hours to go, but the views would be well worth it. As we hiked, I started conversations with every passerby. We met tourists from every part of the world. Australians, Europeans, Americans, Africans, Asians—you name it, they were there. We had some great conversations, but alas, nobody was Jewish.
As I always do when traveling, I carried my tefillin in my backpack, along with water and other essentials. It's a habit I've developed over the years, because what could be greater than meeting a fellow Jew and doing a mitzvah together?
As we climbed higher, we met a fellow hiker named Mike. He told me he was from Italy, and when I asked if he was Jewish, he said no. Further probing uncovered that his mother was in fact Jewish and Ukrainian, making Mike Jewish too!
I couldn't believe the coincidence. I whipped out my tefillin and asked Mike if he had ever put them on before. He said no, so I offered to perform a belated bar mitzvah ceremony for him right there on the mountain! We recited the Shema together, and I wrapped the tefillin around his arm. He was so excited to perform this mitzvah in the sweltering heat amid stunning views! As we danced and took a selfie together, it was impossible to ignore the stunning Italian peninsula in the background.
Little did we know that this very place had a complex history. In 1541, the Jewish community was banished from the kingdom of Naples. Yet, here we were, two Jews, standing on the Path of God, performing a bar mitzvah ceremony, proudly and publicly celebrating our heritage in a place where Jews were once forbidden.
I found it ironic that the hike we were on was called the Path of God. Indeed it truly is the path of G-d—or rather, the path to G-d, where the spark of Judaism was ignited in Mike’s neshama.
The encounter with Mike taught me a valuable lesson: As Jews, it does not matter where we are from. Whether we’re Italian, French, Russian, Ukrainian, American, African or Asian, once we find the common connection of our souls we see that we are all brothers and sisters.
We are currently in the 9 days of mourning, when our main focus needs to be on uncovering the common denominator that we all share, to realize that at our core we share a deep soul connection.
As I reflect on my unforgettable experience, I realize that our chance encounter on the Path of God was more than just a coincidence. It was a reminder that our traditions and beliefs can bring us together in the most beautiful and unexpected ways. So, let us embrace our differences, celebrate our shared humanity, and never miss an opportunity to connect with others and make a positive impact on the world around us.