"I Left Hollywood's Giant Productions to Be at Rachel's Tomb"

Those who come to pray at Rachel's Tomb in recent years often encounter Yosef Soker. Soker, with a white beard that gives him a special dignified appearance, sits there regularly, praying, reading Psalms, and studying, trying to make the most of every moment.

"It's not for nothing," he smiles, "my name is Yosef, like Yosef the son of Rachel, I am my mother's son and always feel at home..."

He pauses for a moment, looks around, and then adds: "During my military service, I came here quite often when I was a military reporter covering security events. In those days, I couldn't imagine I'd return here as a baal teshuva, and as someone who gets excited every moment he's here, as if it's the first time."

Between Carmel and the Sea

Soker's life story is nothing short of fascinating, and in honor of Rachel Imenu's yahrzeit, he consented to share the details with us: "I was born in Haifa in 1945," he begins, "I'm an only child, my parents are Holocaust survivors, and I bear the names of my two grandfathers who were murdered in the Holocaust – Yosef and David, may Hashem avenge their blood. Overall, I had a good childhood, enjoying my youth between the trees of Carmel and outings to the sea. I studied less and played and explored more."

Judaism visited Soker's home twice a year – on Yom Kippur, when his mother would take him to the synagogue to hear Kol Nidre through the window, and on seder night, when they celebrated the traditional meal and Yosef was always called to the door to open it for Elijah the Prophet. "I celebrated my bar mitzvah at a Reform synagogue," he adds.

Even as a young teenager, he displayed a special talent for writing, beginning to write in various venues. Initially, he was a young reporter for 'Maariv Lanoar' and later began writing regularly for 'Maariv'. During his army service, he served as a military reporter for Galei Tzahal, often broadcasting to the world media and revealing exclusive scoops.

Yosef Soker in his youth

"I loved the work very much; I aspired to become a journalist and a successful filmmaker," he tells. This led him in the 60s to go to Canada to study at a prestigious communications college that offered journalism, radio, and television studies.

Soker progressed professionally. He continued various journalistic assignments around the world, was a reporter and editor, participated in giant events, and finally reached the pinnacle of his dreams – arriving in Hollywood and becoming involved in global media and production, producing mass events for entertainment and sports programs through live satellite broadcasts. "It was the peak of peaks for me," he recounts, "I truly achieved the dream and did everything I wanted."

Uncompromising Promise

Then, while in Hollywood, the world of the stage and screen, he went walking one day along the beach, deep in thought. "I thought to myself: 'Here you are in Hollywood, even succeeding here and reaching new heights, but what's next?' I looked at the endless sea and thought: 'If I swim further and further where will I end up? The earth is round and in the end, I will return to the beginning. But what is my true mission here? What next?'"

While lost in thought, he passed by the 'Ahavat Yisrael' synagogue located on the beach and heard a familiar tune of 'Kol Nidre'. "Suddenly I realized it was Yom Kippur, and I, who lived like a baby captured among the nations, had even forgotten the holiest day of the year. I suddenly realized how far I had come from myself and the Jew within me, and I was ashamed." Along with the shame that struck him, he made a decision – "I understood I had to take control of myself because if I didn't do it at that moment, I might end up stuck there. It was clear to me I needed to cut everything and make a 'cut', just like in the movies."

And so he did. He returned to his apartment and wrote on the mirror in his room the date 12/31/78 – the last day of the civil year in about three months. "I decided that at the end of the year, I would return home to Israel, perhaps there I would succeed a bit more in searching and finding my Jewish mission. It was a promise I knew I would not give up on."

Yom Kippur passed and the life of grand productions continued as usual. "I returned to the endless circle of productivity," he recalls, "we continued to produce and broadcast concerts with the most renowned bands and the largest orchestras, but from time to time I saw the date written on the mirror, and I remembered I was planning to return home, and although it seemed completely crazy to leave everything in the middle, it was clear to me I would abide by the promise I made to myself.

"Friends tried to stop me, but I boarded the plane precisely on the date I set for myself – the last day of the civil year, and when I arrived in Israel and rented a car from the rental company, I was probably too tired and instead of going home, I mistakenly drove to Jerusalem."

This mistake turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him. "I thought to myself, if I'm already lost, let me get lost completely, so I continued and drove to the Western Wall. At the crack of dawn, I stood before the stones of the Wall and felt that not only had I physically returned to the land, but my soul had finally come home. It was the exact night of Zot Chanukah, and in the large menorah by the Wall, all eight candles were lit, illustrating to me that as long as the candle burns, it is possible to mend."

Gradually and Consistently

The continuation didn't happen overnight. "My journey back to Judaism was gradual and prolonged," Soker shares, "several years passed until I felt like a new person, but with much patience and persistence, it finally happened. For me, it is truly a miracle, and I never stop thanking Hashem and praising Him for the great kindness He did for me, not leaving me in foreign lands, but bringing me closer to Him."

After returning to Judaism, he wrote in various forums like the 'HaModia' newspaper and broadcasted on radio stations like 'Kol HaNeshama'. Additionally, he wrote the 'Book of Thanks', a book aimed at spreading gratitude among everyone, to fortify every Jew wherever they are and draw them closer to their Creator, to thank Him.

"Rachel weeps for her children," Soker quotes at the end, "and apparently she cried for me too; that’s what brought me back to Judaism and brought me closer to Hashem. It is known that Rachel's Tomb is a place conducive to prayer since the time of Jacob our father, and therefore I simply come to pray here every day and feel a special connection to this place, especially thanks to the gratitude."

Soker points to the curtain on Rachel's tomb, his finger tracing the words "Rachel weeps for her children... and the children shall return to their own borders..." "Not everyone notices," he points out, "but the words 'and the children shall return' are numerically equivalent to 'thank you', including the whole. Hence my idea was born – to establish a gratitude study group operating at Rachel's Tomb every Friday morning. The people who are here gather to read the entire Book of Psalms together and Nishmat Kol Chai. I speak a little on the weekly Torah portion and then we conclude with requests and the Mizmor L'Todah. Every week we have many participants, and I feel it is a great privilege to be here."

Just before we part ways, he presents us with a black yarmulke with the inscription: 'Ahavat Yisrael Synagogue'. "This is a yarmulke I received as a keepsake from the 'Ahavat Yisrael' synagogue, where my journey back to Judaism began," he reveals, "they gave it to me after they heard my story, and I keep it with me always. It is part of my life's journey."