“I only found out recently that I’m Jewish,” he told us. “Brexit caused some issues for me, since I only have UK citizenship, but live half the year in Iceland.”
“My sister started to research our family ancestry, hoping to find some European connections so we could claim citizenship. She found more than she bargained for. It turns out we’re descended from Hungarian Jews. I’ve only had a few weeks to process this information. I have no idea what it means to be Jewish, but I think this Shabbos table is a great start!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, smiling.
w
We recently received a mysterious letter in the mail. It was addressed simply to “Leader of the Jewish Community, Reykjavik, Iceland.” Despite the lack of name and postal info, the post office knew exactly where to send it.
I found the story cute, so I posted it on our social media page. The outpouring of love, support, and appreciation in the comments told a story all their own.
Locals and tourists consider us ambassadors of Judaism, and our Chabad house is the embassy to which they can turn with anything they need. It’s a privilege to be here and do whatever we can to assist the local Jews.
w
A flight from Poland to New York had to make an emergency landing in Reykjavik. The flight included a large group of Chassidim.
I’m usually the only yarmulka-wearing man in the country, so it was quite a sight to see five or six minyanim worth of such crowds descending upon Iceland. Baruch Hashem, we were able to provide them all with kosher food, and we spent some time farbrenging together during their unexpected 24-hour stay. It was a real treat for us to have a surprise minyan for Rosh Chodesh! Many people in the group kept telling me, “I love Chabad,” “I can’t believe you managed to get this kind of kosher food in Iceland,” and “Mi K’amcha Yisroel!”
w
Pesach preparations were underway, and we were assembling a guest list from the reservations that came in.
“Look at this one!” my wife exclaimed. “Michael and Rebecca Roth* are coming all the way from northwest Iceland! That’s an 8-hour drive, at least!”
We marveled at the strength of the pintele Yid, that pushes souls to reconnect with their Yiddishkeit, no matter the distance - physical or spiritual.
After Michael and Rebecca attended the seder, we maintained contact. Michael even bought himself a pair of tefillin and puts them on every day!
w
Anders*, a valued member of our community, was accompanied by his wife and son on a visit to Israel. On the morning of Shabbos, October 7th, they’d planned to be in the southern region, in one of the towns that, unfortunately, had been targeted.
Not knowing why he felt that would be the better option, his son recommended, “Dad, why don’t we spend a few days in the north before heading back to Iceland?”
Recognizing the hand of Hashem at play, Anders concurred. This fortuitous decision ultimately spared his life. Had it not been for that last-minute change of plans, he was slated to stay at the precise location where the terrorists carried out their horrific attacks.
w
When we first moved and started meeting members of the community, we asked for their input: how do you envision the future of the Jewish community? What would you like to see happen?
One repeated answer was a wish that Judaism would be recognized as an official religion. Seeing how important this recognition was, we made a concerted effort to bring it to fruition. It took two years, but the Chabad house was finally recognized as the official Jewish community of Iceland.
This governmental approval granted us the right to a Jewish cemetery, recognition of a chuppah as a valid marriage, and the ability to receive religious tax funds. Most importantly, it instilled a sense of pride and belonging in our community.
w
It took a long time to convince Anna* to go to mikvah. When she finally agreed, my wife was ecstatic. They made the hour-and-half-long drive to the hot spring, and hiked their way up there. To their chagrin, they found the hot spring occupied by a group of young people, partying in the pool.
My wife knew Anna was still hesitant about the whole thing, and was afraid this setback would send her flying back to the car. She approached the group and informed them she’d be conducting a religious ritual and needed complete privacy.
The group, astonished, took one look at her determined face and understood. They immediately clambered out, running straight for their own cars! That is life when your mikvah is off the beaten track.
