“Are you an Angel?”
Those are the words that came out of the elderly woman’s mouth as she lay in her bed at the Jewish Hospital in Istanbul back in 1993.
You see …. I was visiting Turkey with a group of friends during my first year of Rabbinical School at HUC-JIR in Israel. The Jewish Hospital was mostly a home for older adults. When this one particular women learned that we had just come from Israel, she touched my face and began to cry.
”I’m hardly an angel” I responded. I then realized that connecting with her allowed me to see God face to face.
It was a fleeting moment in time. And it was an encounter I had mostly forgotten. But this week, with the devastation in Turkey and Syria following the massive earthquake, I can feel her hand on my face all over again.
Over 12,000 people have died to date. Each of them had a divine spark. Each of them created memories. Each of them touched the soul of others.
What a massive, horrible loss.
We can’t bring their lives back. But we can help. Jewish Federations of North America have launched an earthquake relief fund. Our donations will go to provide humanitarian help in Turkey and Syria. Every dollar will made a difference, Every dollar will bring hope.
This is our chance to not only be the face of God – but to be the hands of God as well.
Go out and create love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
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