Two student rabbis give up their summer holidays to meet unaffiliated Jews in Oxfordshire
Chabad of Oxford hosted two student rabbis from the US who came under the ‘Merkos Shlichus Chabad – Lubavitch’ summer programme to Oxfordshire for two weeks to meet by appointments unaffiliated Jewish people and families in the villages and towns of Oxfordshire, as part of their training.
Rabbi Ahron Blasberg and Rabbi Yossi Amos left their studies for two weeks and visited over twenty families across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.
With five million tourists a year in Oxford, they also made a point to meet people on the busiest street, Cornmarket, in the centre of Oxford. Rabbi Ahron said that he has ‘never been in a place where people would just walk up to you, as a Jew, with ease and engage in respectful conversation.’
As Oxford is streaming with young summer school students from abroad, many Jewish students who attend summer school met the student rabbis and struck friendships and joined the Shabbat dinner at the Chabad House.
Two students studying in Oxford for the summer had the opportunity to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah, which they had not celebrated before, and a major celebration was held at the Oxford Chabad Society Friday night Shabbat dinner with their friends from their summer programme. One of the students, who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, said, ‘When I told my father about it, he started to cry and was so grateful! Words can not describe how much I appreciate what you guys did for me last week’, he said.
The Friday night Shabbat dinner at the Chabad House of Oxford was full to capacity with over fifty students and tourists and the audience was addressed by the rabbinical students who told of their interesting travels and inspirational stories.
As the students were aware of Oxford as a place of learning, they bought with them a case of books on Judaism and Judaica and many Jewish people had the opportunity for the first time to acquire Jewish books in the Oxfordshire villages and towns where they were visited.
One place they visited was Burford, ranked sixth in US business magazine Forbes magazine's list of "Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live", where they were greeted by the Mayor of the town, Mr. David Cohen, who runs the town’s two fabric shops. We had an enjoyable conversation and parted with a warm hug, Rabbi Yossi related.
This was the second year running that rabbinical students chose to come to Oxfordshire to visit Jewish people unaffiliated with the Jewish community.
Rabbi Eli Brackman, director of Chabad of Oxford, expressed his thanks to the rabbinical students for coming to Oxfordshire and making such a difference on so many lives in such a short period. He looks forward to hosting rabbinical students again next year to build on their success.