Party United Long Lost Relatives

By Rabbi Danny Yaffe – Sydney, Australia

We all hear about Chanukah miracles that happen here and there, and stories associated with the festival, but seldom do we actually experience or facilitate such open and pure miracles. This past week, CBDChabad and The Paddington Shteibel saw a true miracle unfold. I would like to share this with you.

This past Shabbos, CBDChabad hosted a Shabbos Chanukah Buffet Kiddush. Close to 70 people joined us for public Menorah lighting on the street followed by a rousing, energetic and inspiring Kabbalos Shabbos service. The vibe was energetic and very special and the kiddush went for several hours. We welcomed guests from all over the world- South America, North America, England, France, South Africa, Australia, Israel, and Melbourne!

Towards the end of the evening I noticed an interesting interaction between two of our international guests from the corner of my eye. The interaction was one of surprise, shock, excitement, and certainly perked my interest.

What actually transpired between these two guests encapsulated the energy of Chanukah; miracles.

The father of one of the visiting families from the US was originally from Chile, South America. He had left over 35 years ago and had not been able to visit his family all that often, and had subsequently lost frequent contact with members of his family.

In the time that he was living in the US, his youngest brother had become married and had a son many years on. This man had never met his nephew before, despite the efforts to meet him over the many years.

This young man from Chile that had frequented The Paddington Shtiebel, met his uncle for the very first time in his life! And the travelling family that were only in Sydney for 10 days, had met their nephew and cousin for the first time!

Thousands of miles away from their home towns, Chile and Palo Alto, California, uncle and nephew were finally reunited at CBDChabad Sydney, Australia!! Who knows the ripple effect of such a miracle, especially for the next generation.

This is the vital work that CBDChabad (and Chabad international) does for every single person no matter where they are from, whether living in the city, visiting on holiday or passing through.

We were truly humbled and are still on a high from witnessing and facilitating this open Chanukah miracle- certainly out of the hands of man alone!

May we all experience such miracles in our own lives!