One of the interesting things about coming to the Western Wall is that you always see a full mix of people. There are orthodox Jews and Greek Orthodox priests. Little children and senior citizens. Singles, families, tour groups, locals etc.
With all of these various people, I have often encountered some very unique individuals and I would like to start by sharing the story of one man I met last month.
The past few times I was at the Western Wall, I kept noticing this elderly gentleman huddled in the corner looking like he was deep in meditation. He never had a book open in front of him, but seemed to be mumbling some words. I had no idea if he was saying words of prayer or if he was talking to himself. After seeing him a few times over the course of a few months, I decided to approach him and find out his story.
His name was Manny and he is in his late 70's. As a baby, he was born to a Jewish family in Poland during the time of the Holocaust. His mother worked as a cleaner in a local factory and had befriended a christian man by the name of George. When the Holocaust was in full force, George told his mother that he could protect her son by sending him to live with his sister who was a nun in the local convent. While Manny's mother didn't want to send her son away, she knew it was likely his only hope to survive as Hitler's army was bearing down on Poland.
The war came and went and Manny lived safely in the convent. George searched for his parents after the war to return Manny to his family, but could not locate them. For years he kept asking around and it was only 10 years later that he received confirmation that Manny's parents had been murdered in the concentration camps. By this time, George's sister had been sending Manny to the local parish schools and he was excelling through middle and high school. The priest saw the academic excellence in this child and realized his potential as a leader. Manny was sent to be trained as a priest ad it was in that profession that he served several small communities in Poland for 40 years.
A church organized trip brought him to Israel in his 50's and he went to the world famous Yad Vashem holocaust museum. It was there that he saw his parents names on the lists of those that perished in the concentration camps. While he was a christian at heart and had accepted Jesus in his life, he still wanted to acknowledge his Jewish roots. Therefore, at the age of 58 he moved to Israel and started to work with the Christian community in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. It was at that time that he started going to the Western Wall to pray and think about God.
He told me that he finds it to be the only place where he, as a Christian, can feel connected to his Jewish parents and pray for all of them together. So virtually every day, he comes to talk to God and to talk to his parents that he barely knew and hardly remembers. He said it gives him a sense of peace and he hopes that his parents look down on him and are happy with the contribution he has made to the community and for the help he has given to others. With his life nearing the end, he told me that he has no regrets. He doesn't regret not marrying as he said it allowed him more time to give to the community. His sacrifices helped countless people and for that he is a hero of the community.
I hope God blesses Manny with many more years of health and that I can meet up with him once again enjoy his conversation each time I return to the Western Wall.
God bless,
Sol
www.holylandprayers.com
With all of these various people, I have often encountered some very unique individuals and I would like to start by sharing the story of one man I met last month.
The past few times I was at the Western Wall, I kept noticing this elderly gentleman huddled in the corner looking like he was deep in meditation. He never had a book open in front of him, but seemed to be mumbling some words. I had no idea if he was saying words of prayer or if he was talking to himself. After seeing him a few times over the course of a few months, I decided to approach him and find out his story.
His name was Manny and he is in his late 70's. As a baby, he was born to a Jewish family in Poland during the time of the Holocaust. His mother worked as a cleaner in a local factory and had befriended a christian man by the name of George. When the Holocaust was in full force, George told his mother that he could protect her son by sending him to live with his sister who was a nun in the local convent. While Manny's mother didn't want to send her son away, she knew it was likely his only hope to survive as Hitler's army was bearing down on Poland.
The war came and went and Manny lived safely in the convent. George searched for his parents after the war to return Manny to his family, but could not locate them. For years he kept asking around and it was only 10 years later that he received confirmation that Manny's parents had been murdered in the concentration camps. By this time, George's sister had been sending Manny to the local parish schools and he was excelling through middle and high school. The priest saw the academic excellence in this child and realized his potential as a leader. Manny was sent to be trained as a priest ad it was in that profession that he served several small communities in Poland for 40 years.
A church organized trip brought him to Israel in his 50's and he went to the world famous Yad Vashem holocaust museum. It was there that he saw his parents names on the lists of those that perished in the concentration camps. While he was a christian at heart and had accepted Jesus in his life, he still wanted to acknowledge his Jewish roots. Therefore, at the age of 58 he moved to Israel and started to work with the Christian community in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. It was at that time that he started going to the Western Wall to pray and think about God.
He told me that he finds it to be the only place where he, as a Christian, can feel connected to his Jewish parents and pray for all of them together. So virtually every day, he comes to talk to God and to talk to his parents that he barely knew and hardly remembers. He said it gives him a sense of peace and he hopes that his parents look down on him and are happy with the contribution he has made to the community and for the help he has given to others. With his life nearing the end, he told me that he has no regrets. He doesn't regret not marrying as he said it allowed him more time to give to the community. His sacrifices helped countless people and for that he is a hero of the community.
I hope God blesses Manny with many more years of health and that I can meet up with him once again enjoy his conversation each time I return to the Western Wall.
God bless,
Sol
www.holylandprayers.com
