A heroic rescue carried out six years ago by Yad L’Achim led to an epic milestone this week, when a Jewish boy raised as a Muslim in a far-off country celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Israel.
The case involves an Israeli woman who moved to Tanzania decades ago for economic reasons. She succeeded in getting a job and working her way up to a senior position. But the longer she was away from home and her family, the more cut off she felt from Judaism, to the point that she married a local Muslim of Indian origin.
The abuse began right away. As the sole wage earner, she was expected to cover all the expenses, even as she endured daily humiliation and threats at his hands. Over the years, she had three children who were also subjected to abuse.
Shortly after Pesach 2020, L.'s mother passed away, leaving her family with one final wish: Do whatever it takes to rescue my daughter from her life of suffering; help her leave her cruel husband and return to Israel with her children.
L. asked her husband for permission to bring the children back to Israel for the Sheloshim, for the unveiling of her mother’s tombstone. Suspicious that she was planning to leave him, he insisted that the children remain in Tanzania.
In desperation, L.’s family turned to Yad L’Achim. The organization’s rescue team quickly learned the details of the case and instructed L. on how to proceed, based on the advice of the Chabad emissary in Tanzania, Rabbi Shneur Shmuelevich.
L. was given “legal" documents indicating that for her to collect her share of the estate left by her late mother, she had to physically appear in Israel with her three children. The Muslim, eager to get his hands on the funds, gave his permission, paving the way for L.’s safe return to Israel with her children.
Awaiting her arrival at Ben Gurion Airport was a large delegation from Yad L’Achim. The team included English-speaking social workers and mentors to help the family transition back into life in Israel.
Meanwhile, Yad L’Achim lawyers helped L. navigate the bureaucracy at the Interior Ministry so that the family could receive Israeli citizenship. The lawyers also helped her receive sole custody of the children.
At the same time, arrangements were made to fulfill all the halachic requirements needed to have the children officially recognized as Jewish, including the "hatafat dam" brit ceremony.
This week, six years after the complex rescue was carried out, the eldest son celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Ramat Gan. In attendance were Mrs. Oshrat Bargo, the social worker who heads the team that continues to accompany the family, and other Yad L’Achim activists.
The Bar Mitzvah boy beamed with joy, his face not betraying the hardships he had endured. In a clear, confident voice, he delivered his Bar Mitzvah speech to the tearful participants.
Yad L'Achim stresses that it will continue to support the family in every way. Rabbi Shmuel Lifshitz, one of the organization's leaders, said this week that the story of L. and her children is "proof of the eternal truth embodied in our motto: We do not give up on any Jew."