Chabad emissaries to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, Rabbi Hezki and Chana Lifschitz, received a surprise telephone call from Israel on Saturday night after Shabbat, from none other than the Israeli Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau.
Rabbi Lau expressed his gratitude to the couple for their selfless work in helping the Israeli victims of two recent tragedies, an avalanche two weeks ago that killed four Israelis and wounded several others, and a bus that crashed in falling off a cliff in which two Israelis were killed and others wounded last Friday.
The chief rabbi told Rabbi Lifschitz that he decided to award him with a special certificate of honor from the Chief Rabbinate for his actions to locate and get treatment for wounded Israelis and Jews, and keep their families in Israel updated about the tragic events.
In the stirring phone call, Rabbi Lau said “all of the nation of Israel looks at you and your wife and sees a couple that are ambassadors of the honor of the Jewish nation, a Jewish couple that decided to embrace in all of their lifestyle the concept of ‘all Israelites are responsible for one another.'”
“You are the home of Israelis throughout the year, and also in difficult days like these you are their home, their parents, siblings, doing everything for them, and I have no words to express all that you are doing for every one of the Jewish people who encounters hardship,” added Rabbi Lau.
At the end of the phone conversation, Rabbi Lau promised to give Rabbi Lifschitz the certificate of honor when he returns for a visit to Israel.
“The Chabad Rebbe had far vision when he sent emissaries to many far-flung countries, and you, like many emissaries in the world, sanctify life and act as ambassadors of Judaism, the Jewish nation, as well as the state of Israel; you deserve all esteem,” concluded Rabbi Lau.