Israeli Celebrities Visit Rebbe's Grave in New York
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
They prayed for health, wounded soldiers, and peace and unity in Israel, expressing hope for better days.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yael Bar Zohar and Guy Zu-Aretz visited the Rebbe's grave in New York.
- The visit occurred on the evening of Hoshana Rabbah.
- They prayed for health, soldiers, and unity in Israel.
- Zu-Aretz shared the experience on Instagram.
- They followed customs of writing and tearing letters.
Zu-Aretz described the experience as "a moving moment," sharing on Instagram that a close friend had invited them to visit the site on this particular evening.
Zu-Aretz admitted he didn't fully grasp the significance of Hoshana Rabbah before the visit, but the experience at the Rebbe's resting place gave it new meaning. He recounted feeling an immediate connection upon arriving at the site, comparing it to being drawn by a magnet. At the location, they were instructed on the custom of writing a letter to the Rebbe, reading it at the grave, and then tearing it.
Before writing their own requests, Bar Zohar and Zu-Aretz were advised to begin with expressions of gratitude. They first wrote thank you notes for what they already had before moving on to their petitions. Their prayers included requests for their own health, for wounded and sick soldiers, and for the State of Israel, which Zu-Aretz noted has been "bleeding for three years."
Alongside personal petitions, the couple prayed for more peaceful and unified days in Israel, expressing a desire for "better days of togetherness, of unity, because we deserve much better." Zu-Aretz concluded his post with a hopeful outlook, quoting Israeli musician Shalom Hanoch, "It's always darkest before the dawn," adding his own sentiment, "So I am waiting for the sunrise."
