Eastern Arizona is home to cool mountain lakes, lofty buttes, towering cliffs and turquoise skies. And there are some Jews there, as well—although not nearly as numerous as the ponderosa pine trees that the region is famous for.
That doesn’t deter Rabbi Yaakov and Tiferes Cahnman. As a roving Chabad emissary couple, they are being charged with reaching out to Jewish residents and tourists living and visiting anywhere in the state’s vast Rim Country and White Mountains region. Rabbi Zalman Levertov, who directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Arizona with his wife, Tziporah, was instrumental in paving the way for the young couple to establish Chabad of NE Rural Arizona.
“Traveling long distances just to help a fellow Jew has been the hallmark of the Chabad movement for decades,” said Levertov, who has directed Chabad activities in the state for 47 years. “No Jew should be left behind. That’s our philosophy. We should reach out to every Jew everywhere.”
“We feel we have a unique responsibility,” said Tiferes. “We want to show every Jew that they’re loved, and no matter what they’ve gone through, or how far they might be, they have a beautiful soul. Neither physical nor spiritual distance can diminish the essence and the holiness of every single soul.”
