People You Should Know: 11 Stories and Videos of Extraordinary Individuals

Amit Eliyahu: "I went all the way to the Congo rainforests to understand that there is Hashem". Amit Eliyahu decided that he wanted to reach the most remote place on earth and meet people untouched by civilization. He infiltrated the rainforests of Congo, lived with primitive tribes, and emerged a new person. "I had to reach the edge of the world to realize that true happiness is here," he says. To continue reading, click here.

Amit Eliyahu

The Chinese Righteous Convert: "I've always believed in Hashem – but it took me a long time to find Him". Yaakov Akiva Friedman – formerly Hao Jiang – always knew there was something more, but he didn't know what. After a childhood in China, traveling to the US and exploring Christianity and Islam, he eventually returned to the place where it all began, converted to Judaism, and moved to Israel. "One night I read the Book of Deuteronomy," he recalls, "and started crying like crazy. I felt like every word in this book was ironing my heart. As if I was burning in fire". To continue reading, click here.

Yaakov Akiva Friedman and family

"I cried out to the Creator of the World – give me back my hands": the chilling life story of the 100-year-old. A video you will love:

Noach Hertz: "Life in captivity was a complete gift from Hashem". When Noach Hertz awoke as a young pilot in Syrian captivity, with a severed leg and a pregnant wife left behind, he thought the sky had fallen on him. But eight and a half months of surviving thirst, hunger, hellish tortures, and an incomparable loneliness taught him that life is actually a gift. And that there is none besides Him. A special interview. To continue reading, click here.

Noach Hertz

Returning to Judaism: "At 16, I discovered Hashem for the first time": Hannah Yael Moses grew up under Soviet education, in a secular Jewish family. The path she went through was identical to that of millions of Soviet children, taught from birth only what school teaches them: that nature governs the world and all that exists is only what the eyes see and science proves. On this basis, I grew up, without anyfaith in a higher power, and certainly no religious sign, neither at home nor at school.At 16, she was first exposed to religion, and from that moment began a process of return to faith that continues to this day. "Just when I felt 'on top of the world,' Hashem decided to put me to another test," she says. To continue reading, click here.

(Inset: Hannah Yael Moses)

"Where was Hashem during the Holocaust? Because of the answer I received to this question, I returned to faith"" Arad Elbaz never thought he would become a yeshiva student, but the question of where Hashem was during the Holocaust led him to a deep exploration of his Jewish roots, and once he received an (unexpected) answer, he knew there was no point in running from the truth anymore. To continue reading, click here.

(Photo: shutterstock)

A Profound *Kiddush Hashem*: "My arm was amputated, but I believe in Hashem and know that everything is for the best". A young man recounts how he miraculously survived a 14-hour surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem, during which doctors fought for his life. "I was in a coma, and blessed be Hashem, the surgery is over, and everything is fine. They amputated my entire arm, and I don't have my left arm. I'm left with only the right arm, but I am strong, *baruch Hashem*, I believe in Hashem and know that everything He does is for the best. Hashem gives me strength". Watch:

"I felt my late father hug me and talk about Hashem": Tomer Michaeli was a successful soccer player when he lost his father. The loss and longing, in a strange way, led him to search for answers – which he eventually found in Judaism. To continue reading, click here.

Tomer Michaeli

"When my husband died, I felt Hashem's comforting hug": Michal Cohen Chai suddenly lost her husband three years ago, leaving her a widow with four children. Through this difficulty, she says, she felt that she was granted special powers. Today, she teaches women to grow from crises and accompanies them on their journeys. To continue reading, click here.

Michal Cohen Chai (Photo: from Facebook)

Ariela Savir: "Gradually, we understood that Hashem gave us Chagi as a gift, not a punishment. Who is in darkness? The one who forgets where they came from and where they are going. The one who forgets that there is a Creator of the world, who forgets that we are here, in this world, only in the corridor before the lounge". To continue reading, click here.

(Inset: Ariela Savir)

"I was 10 years old. Twice I visited the jaws of the Angel of Death, Dr. Mengele. I was in a gas chamber, and in seven different extermination camps. And I still believe in Hashem". Watch the chilling story of the Auschwitz survivor courtesy of Chabad: