How a Palestinian Student Led to My Return to Faith

In Rabbi Aharon Cohen's community, he is a beloved and well-known figure. Aharon returned to observant Judaism and is involved in outreach to those distant from the faith. When asked how he came closer to the Torah, Rabbi Aharon smiles and says, "Do you know who brought me back to Judaism? It's hard to believe, but it was... a Palestinian student."

Aharon did not grow up in a religious home. Even as a child, his unique talents were apparent. He was sent to a school for gifted children, and at the age of 22, he began studying nuclear physics at a university in Germany. The country funded his studies, intending to utilize his skills upon his return.

At the German university, there were students from many countries, and the Arabs would often harass the Jewish students. There in Germany, Aharon and his friends experienced anti-Semitism firsthand, even though they were not religious or observant in practice...

As part of the university's efforts to calm the situation, a public debate was organized, inviting both Jewish and Arab students to participate. Aharon was chosen to lead the Israeli group. He thought the initiative was an internal university matter, but one day he was surprised to receive an invitation from the Israeli embassy in Bonn, then the capital of Germany.

The ambassador welcomed Aharon and explained that the Israeli Foreign Ministry was placing considerable importance on the upcoming debate. A decision was made to provide him with a team of experts—historians, Middle Eastern studies scholars, diplomats, and debate professionals—to prepare him well for all aspects of the discussion. They simulated debates and challenged Aharon, with seasoned debaters playing the Arab side, responding to Aharon's arguments, and presenting opposing views. Aharon was tasked with providing a decisive response.

* * *

The day of the debate approached, and Aharon felt good about it. The experts provided by the Foreign Ministry had thoroughly challenged him and greatly increased his knowledge. Everyone around him encouraged him, expressing confidence in his success. On the evening of the debate, the hall was packed. Students from all over the world came to hear the intriguing discussion, along with the university staff.

The first part of the debate went well. Aharon easily defeated his Arab opponents, and the audience applauded his precise and enlightening responses. The preparation had proven effective. At the height of the debate, Aharon opened the Bible given to him by one of the embassy representatives and began to read aloud the section that had been marked for him.

Aharon read verses from the Eikev portion, where Hashem promises the Israelites the land of Israel. It states that all nations will be driven out by Hashem for His people, and wherever they tread will be theirs. No one will stand before the people of Israel, and they will instill fear and awe across the land.

(Illustration photo: shutterstock)

"Both we and you believe in the Bible," Aharon told his Arab opponent as he closed the book and looked him straight in the eye. "If so, perhaps you can explain why you seek the very land that God promised to the people of Israel?"

A silence fell over the audience. Aharon's argument was convincing, and his presentation of it was excellent and precise. It seemed the debate would end with his clear victory.

But then, the Arab student smiled and pointed to the Bible in Aharon's hand. "You read three verses to us," the student said. "Would you please read verse 22 right before it?"

Aharon returned to the mentioned verse and read: "But only if you carefully obey this entire commandment I give you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk in His ways at all times."

The Arab student smiled. "That's the condition under which God gave you the land. So, if you are not adhering to your religious commandments, how can you challenge us?"

"By the grace of Heaven," Rabbi Aharon recounts today, "I managed to steer the discussion and somewhat diminish the impression that the student's words left on the audience. But the debate ended. I returned home, and that night I couldn't sleep. The words of the student echoed in my head, and his question troubled me: Why indeed do we demand the right to our ancestral land if we are not fulfilling the condition set for us?"

"That began the process which ultimately led to my return to observant Judaism," Rabbi Aharon concludes. "And you see, I was right: I truly found my faith again because of a Palestinian student."