The ancient alleys of Rome are bustling with tourists from all over the world, but when you enter the Chabad center in the city, the pace changes abruptly.
The days of the month of Elul are in full swing, and the blast of the shofar echoing through the walls reminds us that Rosh Hashanah and the holidays of Tishrei are just around the corner.
I joined a busy, spiritual and unusual day with Rabbi Menachem Lazar - Chabad emissary in the Italian capital and brother of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar - to understand firsthand what missionary work looks like in the heart of the Italian city during the most stressful and emotional moments of the year.
A race against the clock: a prayer hall, security and 450 etrogs for Baku
“These weeks before Tishrei are always a race,” said Rabbi Lazar with a calm smile, which is in stark contrast to his busy schedule. One of the main challenges for Chabad in Rome is finding a place to accommodate the hundreds of people who come for the holidays.
While members of the local community mostly dine with their families, thousands of Israelis, backpackers, businesspeople, and foreign students find themselves in Rome without a roof over their heads for the holiday.
“On regular Shabbats in the Jewish ghetto, there are hundreds of diners in kosher restaurants, but for Rosh Hashanah we need a spacious place,” explained the rabbi.
This year, after much effort, a suitable hall was found, but the work is far from over. Logistical coordination with the venue's management, adjusting the kashrut, and a strict security patrol together with Roman police and local security forces, who scan every entrance, exit, and passage to ensure the safety of the worshipers.
While talking, the rabbi made phone calls that span the globe.
Jewish logistics do not stop at the borders of Italy. A special shipment of 450 etrogs is making its way from Italy to Baku in Azerbaijan, from where some are even destined to reach the Jewish community in Iran, along with additional shipments to Eastern Europe.
"Italy is the source of the exquisite etrogs, and the responsibility to distribute them extends to every point in the Jewish world," he shared.
The only Judaica store and human encounters
Rabbi Lazar's center, which has been operating for nine years in a large residential building, has become a pilgrimage center. The only Judaica and book store of its kind in the country is located on the lower floor. "There is no other tefillin and mezuzah shop in all of Italy," says the rabbi.
"Even people from Milan order from us. A Jew who needs a mezuzah, a holy book, or a holy utensil - we are the address, and we ship all over Italy."
The shop is visited not only by ultra-Orthodox or observant people, but also by tourists, locals, and even non-Jewish Italians interested in history and cultural roots. The rabbi believes that the connection between worlds does not require compromise but mutual respect and the spread of light.
In one of the moving moments of the conversation, the memory of the Lubavitcher Rebbe came to mind, as well as the well-known message he conveyed to Benjamin Netanyahu when he served as Israel's ambassador to the UN: "The UN is a house of darkness and lies, but in a dark room - it is enough to light one small candle to drive out much of the darkness."
"This is the motto that guides us here in Rome," explained Rabbi Lazar. "Not to fight with force (Fight), not to flee (Flight), but to illuminate (Light). To act out of love, without judging anyone and without complaining. When we suggest that a Jew put on tefillin or come to the holiday table, even if he refuses - we love him just as much. The heart is always open."
A moment before the shofar blows
The hours passed, and the Roman sun began to tilt westward. The phones did not stop ringing. A couple of students confirmed a place for the Rosh Hashanah Eve meal, a local food supplier coordinated the supply of fish and kosher wine, and a messenger brought additional packages of holy utensils for distribution.
Rabbi Lazar took the shofar, closed his eyes, and blew a clear blow. The simple, sharp sound of the shofar pierced the bustle of the Roman city.
In Rome, the city that witnessed the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people, there is something thrilling about seeing the embers of Judaism not only survive, but illuminate, accept, and invite every Jew, wherever they may be, to feel at home, just before the New Year.