Rabbi Shea Deitsch, a Chabad shaliach who manages the Sha’arei Tzedek center in Moscow was a bulwark of support for the Issachar family from the time Naama was arrested last erev Pesach. He visited Naama every week in prison, brought her kosher food and parsha sheets for Shabbos and most importantly, provided constant words of encouragement to Naama and her family. He was such an important source of encouragement for the Issachar family that they dubbed him “the malach.”
In a special interview with COL, he spoke about his experiences. “I remember the day that we got the message about her arrest,” Rabbi Deitsch said. “My wife and I went to the prison on erev Pesach – we visited her, encouraged her and brought her kosher food. The Jewish community in Moscow accompanied the family every step of the way from then on. Her mother Yaffa became a bas bayis by us in the shul and was hosted for the seduos Shabbos and Yom Tov.”
“Behind the scenes and under the radar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rav Berel Lazar, helped tremendously to secure her release together with the Israeli embassy and Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office.
“I visited Naama every week in prison. I encouraged her at each visit and I would bring her kosher food. Every time we read the Torah, her mother would request that we say a “mi she’beirach” for her daughter.”
Rav Deitsch showed up in the court every time there was an appeal, a hearing or trial to offer his support and assistance. He said that the most difficult moments of the ordeal were every time there was a hearing and the judge would push them off again. “Then there were outbursts of crying and much pain and sadness. It’s obvious that those weren’t easy moments for an Israeli citizen thrown into a Russian jail.”
“An emotional moment that I’ll never forget was when I brought Naama a menorah and candles on the sixth night of Chanukah. It was the first day of Chanukah that I was able to visit her. She made the three brachos including She’hechyanu and burst into bitter tears while laughing at the same time. She said that it’s a strange place to say the bracha: ‘she’asah nisim ba’yamim ha’heim u’bizeman hazeh.'”
Rabbi Deitch added: “Every time I would visit her she would bring her siddur and ask me to show her where to stand in the tefillah and I would explain the words of the tefillah to her.”
אחלה חב"ד בעולם
אחלה שייע דייטש— ארי גלהר ari galahar (@arig1210) January 30, 2020
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Isn’t it sad that an Israeli girl needs to be taught in a Russian jail how to daven? She is very, very lucky to be released & not only should she thank her mother, Rabbi Deitsch, Israeli politicians & even Putin, she should be thanking the One Above for sending her yeshua. I hope she has started to turn her life around & I wish her well.