From Everest to Everyday Life: The Extraordinary Jewish Stories Reaching the World’s Highest Peak

Photographer Meir Alfasi has managed to reach many fascinating places around the world — leaving his unique mark in each one. In 2016, Alfasi decided to embark on a journey to Mount Everest, no less, with the goal of printing the Tanya and putting on tefillin — both himself and with Jewish travelers he met along the way.

Alfasi and a friend who joined him for the two-week expedition on the world’s highest mountain stayed in touch with Chabad emissary to Nepal, Chezki Lifshitz, through a satellite device.

After a long and difficult trek, when they finally reached Everest Base Camp — at an altitude of 5,362 meters, they succeeded in accomplishing their mission of printing the Tanya.

“We asked the locals for electricity so we could print the Tanya,” Alfasi recalled. “We told them we wanted to print an ancient and holy book, and they agreed and helped us print the Tanya for the first time ever on the most powerful mountain in the world.”

He also had the privilege of putting tefillin on Jewish and Israeli hikers who were at the site.

He Saved a Turkish Climber on Everest—And Nearly Lost His Own Hand

At just 24 years old, Nadav Ben Yehuda planned to become the youngest Israeli in history to reach the summit of Everest.

But suddenly, he spotted Aydin Irmak — a young man from Turkey, lying unconscious on the ground. The weather conditions were unusually harsh at that time of year, and four climbers ahead of him had already died during the ascent.

It was unclear how Irmak had been left alone, but Ben Yehuda did not waste time wondering — despite how strange it seemed. “I didn’t realize he had been there all along. Everyone thought he had already descended,” he said.

Despite the freezing temperatures, Ben Yehuda pulled his fingers out of his warm gloves so he could lift the Turkish climber onto his back, and carried him like that for ten hours. The self-sacrifice took a serious toll: Ben Yehuda suffered from oxygen deprivation and severe frostbite, to the point where doctors feared he might lose his fingers.

Nadav Ben-Yehuda returning from his Everest climb

Both he and Irmak suffered severe frostbite, and both faced the possibility of amputation. “At first they thought they’d have to amputate my fingers, but now the doctors are more optimistic and believe they’ll be able to save them,” Ben Yehuda explained. “All my fingers are still intact — they just don’t look very good.”

Although he did not fulfill his dream of reaching Everest’s summit, Ben Yehuda has no regrets. “I don’t ask myself whether it was worth it. During the rescue I already knew I might lose my fingers, but that’s not something you can think about. A human life is worth more than anything,” he concluded.

Putting on Tefillin at the Top of Everest—And Sharing It Online

In 2019, shortly after completing his military service, officer Yakir Asraf set out on a post-army trip around the world.

What made his journey unique was his decision to photograph himself putting on tefillin in every place he visited — and share the images on social media.

It all began when he sent his family a photo from Mongolia. “I’ve been traveling for a year, and eight months ago I was in Mongolia,” he said. “After Shacharit, I took a picture of my arm wrapped in tefillin with the view behind me. When I saw the photo, I realized it had a special kind of power. Since then, in every country and every special place I reached, I took a photo with the tefillin.”

“It looks like you’re reaching out your hand to God,” the morning-show host commented.

“Exactly,” Yakir replied. “It’s a type of connection we don’t usually see — something physical and spiritual together in nature. It’s something that catches the eye, thank God.”