In an inspiring Kiddush Hashem, former hostage Maxim Herkin, who was released on Hoshana Raba after two years of captivity in Gaza, expressed his gratitude to the Borei Olam by entering the bris of Avraham Avinu.
The moving event took place in Moscow on Tuesday, the 19th Of Kislev. Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Dovid Yosef, who was a guest at the huge gathering for the Kislev gathering, served as the sandak. Following the bris, HaRav Yosef helped Herkin to put on tefillin for the first time.
Thousands of participants were moved as he received the Jewish name of “Zalman Zelig” in a ceremony led by Chief Rabbi of Russia Rav Berel Lazar.
Herkin then spoke, expressing his gratitude to the Borei Olam for the nissim he experienced, recounting that davka in the depths of the dark tunnels, he discovered his emunah and trust in Hashem, which was mechazeik him during his horrifying ordeal. Ba’al tzedaka Reb Yehuda Davidov gifted him with a pair of tefillin.
Herkin, originally from the Ukraine, was abducted at the age of 35. He has a three-year-old daughter and was the main provider for his mother and 11-year-old brother.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
12 Responses
Such a quick conversion? They normally take years.
ujm
Conversation? He?s a Jew that didn?t have bris before
It did take years. Two very long ones, in fact.
it doesn’t say anything about a conversion. maybe he was born jewish but never had a bris
the chief rabbinate in israel requires impossible standards for conversion. except when it serves their interests, of course.
He didn’t convert. He was born Jewish. He had a Bris now.
Why are my comments deleted?
How does one serve as a sandek for adults?
Zalman Zelig???? Berel couldn’t come up with at least one Hebrew name for him, had to give him two Yiddish ones??
Isn’t it exceedingly dangerous for the Israel Chief Rabbi to be in Russia in midst of war in midst of a hostile regime
Who came up with the idea of sending an Yid freed from Hamas into Russia – where he did not get bris as a kid due to Soviet anti-religious laws.
How about Mazel Tov, how beautiful, comments like that?
Do we only have to question the details??