Tefillin At 14,000 Feet

This summer, Chabad of Southern Colorado once again hosted Rabbinical Students of the Summer Merkos Shlichus Program.

Rabbinical students Yossi Cohen and Berel Paltiel traveled for their assignment to Southern Colorado, visiting many homes and offices of locals and the military base in Colorado Springs, CO

At the summit of Pikes Peak, 14,115 feet high, the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, a local retired doctor put on Tefillin with the Bochurim.

Dr. Richard Karsh, recently retired pediatric cardiologist and radiologist, may arguably claim to have lain tefillin at the highest altitude in the US (while still on the ground).

Accompanying two rabbinical students who were visiting Colorado Springs on an afternoon journey to the top of Pikes Peak, the students urged Dr. Karsh to lay tefillin, as they had done previously at his home.

The three were shortly engaged in conversation by a woman who had recently come to Colorado from Oregon in part to learn Hebrew and, of course, knew exactly what they were doing.

Along with the obvious connection with Jewish tradition it reminded all that our heritage is as vibrant and recognizable even in the most unusual places!