Holocaust survivor and son return to Judaism
We recently wrote about the Toledo to Jerusalem Exhibition, where we featured our beloved Abraham Kron the artist and his son Haym Hadar Eliahu. But there’s so much more to this impressive story, of which we were happy to be a part.
Abraham Kron was born in the middle of the Second World War into a Jewish family. His family comprised of 50 people who, miraculously, managed to survive the Nazi army by taking refuge in Payrac, a small town of 200 inhabitants in France. Hopefully soon this town will recognize his merit among the Righteous of the Nations…
Abraham grew up an atheist, he had no faith instilled in him given his parents’ fear of being persecuted again. At the age of 36 (when he became a Christian) Abraham became convinced that he was a bridge between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. He lived for a few years in Israel and returned to France. Years later he moved to Toledo, Spain and there he founded a monastery whose members prayed to God as a sign of love and unity for the Jewish people, with the awareness that the Jewish people have their own identity, mission and vocation, without any intention of converting the Jews to Christianity.
After 28 years of intensive work, realizing that their work with the Church was over, Abraham and his son Haym decided to emigrate to Israel and this awakened in them a feeling of belonging, evidence of their place, and a very deep desire to return to his country, his people and his faith. To finally go Home.
For this reason, after a few months, Haym decided to carry out a conversion process. His father, who could not be circumcised as a child, because he was born sick and in Nazi-occupied France, was finally, at age 80, was recently able to perform the circumcision, thus closing a circle that had been left open for a long time.
“Today,” says Haym, “my father is very happy, he looks full of energy, gratitude and love for God.”
The circumcision was performed by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the religious ceremony led by Rabbi Shimon Bosso, the grandson of the Baba Sali. After the ceremony, Abraham and Haym celebrated this special event in their lives with friends, music, and songs at the home of Rabbi and Rabbanit Zinguer.
They currently live in the Gush Etzion community of Tekoa close to his family, his daughter and 5 grandchildren. Abraham and Haym express great gratitude to Shavei Israel, who has played a very important role in this joy, because there is no greater joy than belonging to the people of Israel.
Here are some photos in their community following the brit milah:
Haym said, “Thank you for the generosity, dedication and quality of Shavei Israel’s work, which allows many people to resurrect, in a way, to a totally new and very happy life, also, of course, thanks to the donors and benefactors of this organization, without them this organization could not do so much good. Shavei Israel not only sends trained people to distant countries to support the spiritual growth of the dispersed, but also supports people who come to Israel to find housing, work, to be able to solve administrative difficulties and this is simply admirable.”
We hope that Abraham and Haym continue to share joy and good news with us, their story is a sample of the power of faith in the only God and divine supervision for the people of Israel.