We were all sitting in the second last class for the day, about 5:30pm. The teacher was Rabbi Levinger. There were about 8 students. We were well entrenched in a discussion about how important it is to be anti-religious – a topic for another instalment, but for now, just accept it at face value. There was a knock at the door.

This guy walked in who had obviously just arrived off the plane. He put his stuff down and introduced himself as Ari. He was about 5 foot 10, well built with a real strong face that reflected a certain inner confidence.

Ari is 29 years old. He sat with us through the end of classes. When I got talking to him I realized he had a special story to tell but it wasn’t until Rabbi Malkin’s class, 5 days later, that we all sat there in silence, moved by his sincerity. What follows is Ari’s story.

Rabbi Malkin takes us for a 1 hour question and answer class twice a week. However, as with all other Rabbi’s here, R. Malkin has a very special way about him. He is clearly very sympathetic and compassionate but firm where necessary. His answers always satisfy the questions and his smile always leaves you feeling good about life.

One of the guys in my class, Moshe, asked about what he should look to achieve from his time in Yeshiva and subsequently, how he should structure his time. In an attempt to explain to Moshe that only Moshe himself could answer that question by deciding what his goal is and what he wants to return home with.

Now, Ari knew that he was Jewish. He had received some, but very little, Jewish education when he was a lot younger but apparently, it had all faded into the distance as he grew up and started playing soccer.

Having never been confronted with this sort of scenario before, and being a guy who is straight down the line, he answered ‘yes.’

Now for anyone familiar with the wandering Chabadnik doing outreach work on the streets, you would know that before Ari had even finished the word “yes,” the Rabbi had masterfully slipped on the Tefillin and was waiting for Ari to repeat the Bracha after him. Ari explained how he was particularly struck with bewilderment, but he was very pleased by how happy this Rabbi was.

By the end of the whole encounter, the Rabbi had secured Ari’s confirmation for a Shabbos lunch the next week. As Ari explains it, this whole interaction began an infatuation with Judaism and Jewish learning. You see, the Divine soul in every Jew intrinsically seeks spirituality. Given half a chance, it will assert itself and attach to any spiritual ‘service provider.’ Our objective is to make sure that when it does, this teacher is first of all Jewish and second, has a profound knowledge of what Judaism is and what it is not. In this instance, Rabbi Raskin was more than qualified and the result, Thank Hashem, was that Ari’s soul began to breathe.
This teacher student-relationship continued for about 6 months before Rabbi Raskin asked Ari to play his Mandolin at his son’s Opshermish (haircut at 3 years old + big celebration).

Sitting there before a whole crowd of Jewish elders making L’chaims, Ari played his Mandolin. This strange world of rich heritage and unusual customs was slowly becoming his reality. He continued to play as he watched a most bizarre spectacle. The old men, who barely looked strong enough to raise their L’chaim cups, stood up and started to spin a table above their heads with both the Rabbi and his son on it. Ari’s hand began to play faster. He began to absorb the energy radiating from the room. The singing became more intense and his hand began plucking his mandolin faster and faster. His body was trembling. The whole atmosphere powered his playing into the realm of inconceivably fast, faster than he had ever played before. He closed his eyes and submitted himself to his mandolin and felt his whole body rise from his seat. He saw himself from the other end of the room strumming so fast that his hands could not be seen.

Three months later Ari arrived in Israel for his Rabbi’s son’s bar mitzvah, to be celebrated at the Kotel. It was his first time in Israel and he is still coming to terms with the fact that everyone he sees is Jewish. We often sit in his room in the yeshiva and play the mandolin. He teaches me. We talk. We laugh. We have begun a whole new world of consciousness and understanding. There is no turning back. Only discovery and joy ahead.