On Friday, October 6, the evening of both Shabbos and Simchas Torah in Israel, a beautiful hakafa service was taking place at Yeshivat HaKotel in the Old City in Jerusalem, Rabbi Reuven Taragin remembered. “Our custom is we do the sixth hakafa in the Rova [Jewish quarter] and the seventh at the Kotel: we dance the whole way there, all happy and celebratory.”
The next morning, October 7, the rabbi woke up early and went to daven. “It was such a beautiful Shacharis and Hallel,” Rabbi Taragin told The Jewish Press. “But in the middle of Hallel a siren went off, which was very surprising because I couldn’t remember the last time we had heard sirens in Yerushalayim.” Per protocol in Israel, everyone in the yeshiva made their way to a safe room. The director of the yeshiva confirmed for the anxious daveners there had been an attack in the south. An attack in and of itself wasn’t so surprising: it had happened before and was becoming a normal fact of Israeli life.
“But as the day went on,” Rabbi Taragin recalled, “we were hearing reports that possibly tens of people were killed and that there were 30 captives taken….” Throughout the day, daveners were turning on their phones to find out they were being drafted. Rabbi Taragin recalled, “After Simchas Torah I turned on my phone and the first report I saw was that a 100 people had been killed – and that was a huge shock. A hundred people!” Trying his best to hold back tears, Rabbi Taragin reported to the others that things were indeed very bad. “I was in shock,” he recalled. But soon more reports of the attack would follow, confirming that the nightmare was only just beginning.
Over the next few hours and days, Israelis and the world would come to learn that Hamas had coordinated a surprise terror attack that Shabbos morning, with at least 5,000 rockets launched at Israel from the Hamas-controlled territory of Gaza. More than 2,000 Hamas terrorists had entered Israel from Gaza and attacked military bases of the IDF, as well as hundreds of unarmed civilians – men, women and children, from seniors to newborn babies. Over 1,400 Israeli lives were snuffed out and over 220 Isaelis have been taken hostage.
Rabbi Reuven Taragin grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush in New York City. He attended Yeshiva University as well as yeshiva in Israel. Today he is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem, and the Educational Director of the World Mizrachi Movement. He has other notable titles as well, each betraying his attempts to downplay the vital role he plays on bettering the lives of modern-day Israelis. “I’m working hard to help our alumni, and our students who are in the army and their families; it’s a huge undertaking.”
Rabbi Taragin admits, “Nothing like this attack has ever happened to Jews in Israel in my lifetime. Nine-eleven was different because, while it took so many innocent lives, you didn’t have the phenomenon of individuals celebrating the murder of innocent people, or devising ways to terrorize and inflict more pain on the victims. But here you have mutilation of bodies, people being burnt alive in front of other people, torture – you’re really seeing the level of savagery that exists in a large part of the Muslim world. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists tend to be Muslim, as we see over and over in international terrorist movements, and that’s something we need to pay attention to.”
Of his life mission, Rabbi Taragin explains, “I teach Torah and help talmidim grow.” It’s been nearly 15 years since he first felt strongly about “bringing communities together.” It began with hosting Hoshana Rabbah programs at the Kotel where he would invite all the local yeshivas to learn and all the rabbanim to teach. During 2020, when Covid struck and the entire world shifted to virtual learning, he recognized the opportunity to impact communities on an international level. Through Vayichan (vayichan.com), rosh yeshivas, rabbanim, educators and leaders from around the world would give shiurim in English and in Hebrew. At one point, Vayichan’s largest program had nearly 250,000 viewers.
Today, following the horrific events of October 7 and in light of the Israel-Hamas War that is now in full effect, there is overwhelming need for the worldwide Jewry to come together. Acheinu: Worldwide Achdut Initiative is an ongoing effort to impact Jewry worldwide and to make this happen. “Acheinu is a very important organization for Klal Yisrael right now,” Rabbi Taragin shared. “People are talking about the fact there have been reports that Hamas felt this was a good time to attack because Israelis and Jews around the world are so fractured. And what we need to do in the long-term, is to build worldwide Jewish unity, which is Acheinu’s long-term mission.”
Rabbi Taragin has also been involved in #NotGoingAnywhere, which is focused on supporting and strengthening yeshiva students’ resolve to stay in Israel through the conflict and to not return home.
“#NotGoingAnywhere is motivated by the fact that many yeshiva students left the country and many parents were naturally afraid for them to stay, which is understandable,” Rabbi Taragin. He stresses that the goal is not to make anyone who chooses to leave feel guilty about their choice, but rather to encourage those who are willing to stay to do so, and to know they have the emotional and social support of others for their decision.
“There was a lot of momentum towards leaving (Israel). Fortunately, only 2 or 3 returned home from our yeshiva, but from other yeshivas it’s been much more. I felt there needed to be a student initiative to not leave and to encourage each other.”
#NotGoingAnywhere’s student co-founders agree. Eitan Laub, 18, and Jobe Silver, 19, are yeshiva students at Yeshivat HaKotel. Laub remembers just a couple weeks ago he could see from the yeshiva – which overlooks the kotel – crowds of people on the streets. “It’s kind of eerie that a place that is always so vibrant is so quiet right now.”
“I’m originally from West Orange, N.J.,” Laub said. “In the context of the war, how I feel has hit differently at different times. At first, it was very difficult and kind of scary. So that first week was definitely pretty hard.” Laub never imagined he would be a part of an event of this magnitude. “I never imagined a scenario where a large number of people from the yeshiva would end up in the reserves.”
“When #NotGoingAnywhere first began there was a request for students to take the initiative and three or four of us joined Laub and volunteered,” Silver, originally from Woodmere, N.Y., said. “Our yeshiva is a hesder yeshiva; there are a lot of Israelis that come to learn for two years, then they go to the army. So once the war started they were called up.”
“This was actually my first time in Israel,” he said, “so I was just excited at the thought of being able to learn here and to see the land and the historical sites. Never in a million years did I think that I would be here at a time like this and be doing all I can to help.”
Silver said the goal of #NotGoingAnywhere is to help yeshiva and seminary students to feel that, even though it might seem scary or their parents may be scared, “We want them to feel a part of the Jewish nation and that they are fighting for Israel, even if they are not fighting on the front lines.” Silver said starting the program made him feel increasingly better about his own decision to stay. He knows of soldiers who are excited that there is an organized effort to get students to stay and show their solidarity with those who are on the front lines.
“After Yom Tov, my parents and I had a conversation about what was the right move for me. Thankfully for me, my parents understood how I felt. And I know it’s hard for a lot of parents to think their kids are in a country that is currently at war, but they should know we are hearing about soldiers who are so inspired that there are students staying and davening for them and supporting them.”
“I want to be in Israel right now,” Laub said. “Plus, I have family who live here permanently, and they aren’t thinking of leaving, so why should I be any different?” He also notes, that while they are thankful for the help being sent by Jews in America, there’s something very different, very special about being in Israel and delivering food or bulletproof vests to the soldiers directly. “Hopefully other students who are considering staying will see that there are those of us who are not going anywhere, and use that as inspiration.”
Rabbi Taragin knows personally the anxiety of having loved ones in the line of fire – two of his own sons and a son-in-law are all currently in Gaza. He believes that just about everyone in Israel knows someone who is on the front lines. In fact, his brother, Rabbi Moshe Taragin, has six children and sons-in-laws on the front line.
“Baruch Hashem, we have been able, so far, to facilitate bulletproof vests for five of his six children on the front lines, and obviously he’s touched. There’s a terrible lack of supplies for soldiers,” Rabbi Taragin said, “not candies and bubblegum, but military supplies and basic personal needs. It seems the army had in their stock equipment for maybe 10,000 reservists. So far, over 400k reservists have been called up, and the army did not have the budget or inventory set aside for that number of soldiers. Items like good helmuts, bulletproof vests, tents and mattresses.” He believes many soldiers may have had to report to duty in haste, without the time and/or the ability to purchase warm or adequate clothing, and the Army, under the pressure of perception, may be underestimating the need. Thankfully, he said, there have been big tzaddikim, like Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, of Gush Etzion, whom Rabbi Taragin has had the honor to help raise funds to support the front lines.
“Baruch Hashem, there have been a lot of people on the ground who have been filling the need,” he said. “Tens of thousands of vests have been donated and we’re trying to coordinate with other groups to raise the funds that are needed.”
On Sunday, Rabbi Taragin announced the launching of Acheinu’s World Wide Siyum:. “Join Jews around the world in learning in memory of the victims. Together we will iy”H finish shas mishnayos…. in 50 countries and in 12 languages. Go to acheinu.world/siyum to sign up. For Acheinu, visit https://acheinu.world/join-our-whatsapp-groups/.”
For #NotGoingAnywhere, Whatsapp: chat.whatasapp.com/Krz19hLnka9Doc1zWX5yPJ or Facebook fb.me/notginganyqhere5784.
