Flames of Faith: How the Fire Artist Became a Neighbor of Rabbi Shimon

"I am a neighbor of Rabbi Shimon, I have the fortune to live in the courtyard of Rabbi Shimon," Avi Applebaum tells us, who lives in Moshav Bar Yohai very close to the holy site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. "There isn't a day that I don't visit the site at least twice," he says with satisfaction.

However, Applebaum is not just a neighbor of Rabbi Shimon; he also feels complete identification with the external and internal fire that burns every year in Meron, with the bonfires and the boundless joy. For him, the fire burns throughout the entire year, as he performs fire shows and performs juggling with torches on various occasions.

"Throughout the year, every time I go to a performance and light the torches, I feel like I am doing it in honor of Rabbi Shimon, in honor of all the righteous," he explains. He then candidly adds, "And also in honor of my internal faith, because when I think about it, it's really not a given."

The Magic of Meditation

Avi Applebaum was born to a secular family that resided in a Kibbutz of the Youth Guard. "I was secular in every aspect," he recalls. "I didn't even know how to put on tefillin. I came from a completely zero background, maybe even a bit negative... Yet, despite this, faith always accompanied me throughout all the stages of my life. Nowadays, in retrospect, I can say that my soul was searching for faith and crying out for faith, and only when I found it – did I find peace."

And when did you start juggling?

"I was always drawn to the artistic side of life since I was young. I loved playing various instruments and dancing. I painted a lot and also specialized in juggling. It completely captivated me."

Sorry to ask, but is juggling an art form?

"Absolutely. Someone who creates a juggling show is an artist in every way. The essence of art is to create something that no one has created before, so if you are a painter - you create a painting, and if you are a singer – you sing a song, and when we talk about juggling, the creation in the field is endless. There are so many combinations and possibilities that can be done in every performance. There are people who dedicate their lives to juggling and reach extraordinary levels.

"Juggling truly captured me," he continues to share, "mainly thanks to the meditation in it. To successfully perform such a show, you must have a lot of self-focus, and by nature, I was a person who loves to think and ponder, one who is immersed in contemplation, so it suited me very well to cultivate this topic. At that stage, it was still not a profession, but a hobby."

A Show of Fire

Around 15 years ago, Applebaum discovered the world of fire and began to understand that he could take his amateur juggling a step forward and develop it even more. So, he bought himself torches and began to train.

"Initially, it was very frightening," he admits, "because if you don't juggle professionally, it can be really dangerous. But over time I reached really high levels. Still, I wasn't satisfied with myself. I couldn't explain why, so it frustrated me even more."

One day, he decided to travel to South America. "It was the kind of trip you take when you're trying to escape yourself. When you realize you have nothing in life and it's all just a big emptiness. I was in Spain and a bit in South America. I traveled and also performed fire shows on the streets. I was a street artist. I returned from this trip with many thoughts of repentance."

Why? What happened suddenly?

"It started even before the trip. On the eve of my journey, I visited a friend and saw on his wall a picture with the hymn 'Song of Ascents'. It reminded me that once, I heard this song on a disc. I didn’t know it was connected to Tehillim, I didn't know the concept of 'Tehillim' at all, but I loved the song and connected to it. So, I took out a page and pen and copied the words. During the trip, I sang this song again and again, even without understanding its depth. During the trip came the holiday of Passover, and I was privileged to participate for the first time in my life in a Seder night properly in the home of a family in a community in southern Spain. I read the Haggadah, and it was a very deep and profound experience.

"One day during the trip, I arrived at a village called 'Name the dearest' – the Hebrew translation is 'The Name'. I have no idea who gave it this special name. I spent the night in an abandoned ruin in the village, and in the morning, when I woke up, I sat on the roof of the ruin and looked around. Suddenly, I glanced at my watch and saw by the date that today is Shabbat. I started crying immediately. It's Shabbat today! Suddenly, an old tune came to me, and I began playing with the recorder a Shabbat welcoming song I remembered from kindergarten – 'Lecha Dodi Likrat Kalah'. In my innocence, I didn't even understand that it's forbidden to play on Shabbat. I was really in concealment within the concealment. But apparently, in the village called 'The Name', my eyes opened. I remember sitting for hours and crying on the roof. Afterward, I continued the trip, and from time to time, I wanted to return again to that special crying, but I couldn’t manage to cry. I felt that there was a big cry inside me, but I wouldn't cry until I had a kippah on my head. At that stage, I wasn’t yet considering the direction of returning to observance, but I realized I was searching for something. When I returned to Israel after the trip, I had the opportunity to be with a religious friend during Shabbat, and suddenly, all at once, I realized this is what I had been searching for all those years."

Fire of Spirituality

Applebaum began studying at a yeshiva for returnees to Judaism in the city of Safed, where he had the opportunity to perform a juggling show including fire torches at a friend's wedding. The responses were very enthusiastic, and for the first time in his life, he began to think about it as a profession. "I consulted with a career counselor who recommended that I pursue this direction and develop it. At first, I wasn't confident in myself, as I'm not the type to be accustomed to the stage. I always dealt with these performances as an internal matter that requires focus, so I connected with them. In torch juggling, you especially need increased focus. Because if you think about the audience for a moment and don't concentrate on yourself, the torch will burn you. But with the years and experience, I learned how to perform, to speak in front of the audience, to connect them with content, and to tell stories, each time with different contexts."

What is the real secret to a show with fire torches? How do you not get burned?

"You need to understand that fire is a very varied thing, and it can be at all kinds of temperatures. For example, the fire of a cooking gas burns at 1500 degrees, so anyone who tries to pass their finger through the flame will immediately get a burn, the fire of a bonfire is also extremely hot, about 1000 degrees. But a candle flame, for example, a Havdalah candle, burns at a much lower temperature, about 60-70 degrees. Therefore, if we quickly pass our finger through it, usually nothing will happen. This is called cold fire. It's not that it's not hot at all, but it's much less dangerous and more safe. In my shows, I use a torch made of a material called Kevlar, which is made from a burning material that isn’t consumed. I soak it in oil and then light it. It's not that it isn’t hot at all, but it's much less dangerous, like a candle." 

And how do artists manage to put the torch in their mouth?

"I don't deal with that, but the idea is to extinguish the torch in some way at the last moment before it enters the mouth."

Avi's show is usually held in the dark, and then the fire has a truly mesmerizing effect. "In the show, I move from the easier to the harder," he explains. "Initially, I juggle smaller flames and then move on to larger flames and more complicated throws, with fire ropes and fire spins, and more. Meanwhile, Chassidic songs and transition clips are played.

"My greatest satisfaction is when I see happy people, that this show succeeds in making them happy and moves them. This is something that over the years was so missing from my life, and when I succeed in doing this, I truly feel a great light."