"Rabbi Ovadia Told Me: 'This Child Can Be Happiest with You'"

Pleased to Meet

"Avi Mimran, 44, married and father of six, a native of Jerusalem, a media person and CEO of the organization 'Masugalim'."

A Distant Memory I Won't Forget

"One of the strongest childhood memories I have is the 'Mikdash Melech' synagogue I used to attend with my father in the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood in Jerusalem. Several great Sephardic sages and righteous rabbis prayed with us, and meeting them had a strong impact on me. In that synagogue, I learned how a Jew should behave, look, and pray. Praying near rabbis like Rabbi Ben Tzion Aba Shaul, Rabbi Elbaz, Rabbi Bazri, Rabbi Nissim Yagen, and Rabbi Avraham Harari Rafool had a profound effect.

"Interactions with these rabbis shaped important aspects of my service to Hashem, refining personal attributes, and commandments between people. We also witnessed their great miracles. Only now do I understand the uniqueness of those things. For example, as children, we played a game observing how the rain would stop when Rabbi Rafool would leave his house to go to the synagogue on rainy days, and how it happened again when he returned home. Those years under the influence of these righteous people are deeply etched in my memory."

An Amusing Moment I Won't Forget

"Amusing moments always take me back to the time of the Holy Channels, about 25 years ago. There were several pirate radio stations broadcasting Torah speeches and religious content to hundreds of thousands of listeners. The Holy Channels revolutionized, and thanks to them, thousands returned to religious observance, but there were countless amusing moments. There were entertaining characters, listeners, and hilarious stories. Here's one, for example: there was a broadcast where listeners donated money for broadcast transmitters, and each donor received a special amulet called 'The Holy Tree'. One day, an elderly lady came to the office with her two sons, and she said the truck was outside. We asked, 'A truck? What? Who are you?', and the lady casually replied, 'My sons came with the truck to take the Holy Tree'."

An Important Principle I Won't Forget

"An important principle I've held for a long time, especially in recent years, is not to judge anyone hastily. Not to judge by appearance, clothing, behavior, etc. I've suffered many times in life for judging people too quickly, and in the end, I've learned this, and I'm still learning more and more. You get a first impression of a person, and many times you later find they are completely different from what you initially thought. For instance, it has happened that I met people I thought were non-religious, and through deep conversation, I discovered how connected they are to Hashem and mitzvot. If I had judged and not taken an interest, I probably would never have discovered this."

(Photo: Yonatan Halperin)

A Jewish Figure I Won't Forget

"Although I did not have the opportunity to meet him, the Ramchal is a Jewish figure that guides me in life. He was someone who passed away at 38, yet managed to create an unimaginable spiritual revolution. I was exposed to his books several years ago, including 'The Way of Hashem', 'Daat Tevunot', and 'Mesilat Yesharim', and they had a great impact on me.

"Regarding a contemporary Jewish figure, of course, it is Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. In the last seven years of his life, I visited him almost daily. I think I was fortunate to be one of the last young people the rabbi knew personally. I began working at 'Kol Berama' radio on his mission, and in our many conversations, he spoke about the mission on the radio, views, and more. One of the important things in Rabbi's life was public merit, and I felt he wanted to guide me so I could succeed in this important mission. In meetings with the rabbi, I learned a lot, and especially I was astonished by his immense wisdom. The rabbi knew how to show everyone their exact place and knew which topic was worthy of public discussion and which was not."

A Meeting I Won't Forget

"In one of my conversations with Rabbi Ovadia, I told him we have a son with autism who almost doesn't function, and it's very hard and exhausting, and the rabbi said something that greatly strengthened me on this subject. The rabbi said that Hashem has a basket of holy and rare souls that need to come into the world, and when He sees a couple that can handle such a large and complex soul, He takes from this basket and gives it to them. The meaning of this is that it is no coincidence that you received this particular child. That you as a parent have been chosen for this mission. Furthermore, there is something fitting and precise for both sides. Rabbi Ovadia told me: 'Hashem chose you to handle this child, and he can be happiest precisely with you.'"

A Prayer I Won't Forget

"I had the privilege to organize a public prayer for the health of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef at the Western Wall. It was on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, four days before his passing. Everything happened very quickly. I started promoting it on the radio at noon, calling people to come that evening to the Kotel. The police thought a few hundred people would come, but by eight o'clock in the evening, there were over ten thousand people. There was no room to stand from the entrance gate of the Kotel. It was a tremendous prayer, piercing the heavens. I remember crying the entire evening. At midnight, I went to the hospital, entered Maran's room, and that was the last time I saw him."

A Shabbat I Won't Forget

"It was Shabbat during the peak of Operation Protective Edge. I served in the unit for identifying fallen soldiers, and after an especially hard week with many fallen, a tremendous Shabbat arrived. We gathered, hundreds of soldiers from different battalions, of all kinds of people, opinions, and ranks. At the start of the meal, a mighty song of 'Shalom Aleichem' broke out. For many minutes, we disconnected from the war, the bombardments, and the explosions. I stood there with a kiddush cup in hand, imagining my home with my wife and children around the table. I made kiddush out loud, and I'm sure there were dozens of soldiers for whom it was the first time hearing kiddush and shouting 'Amen'. It's a Shabbat I won't forget."

A Sight I Won't Forget

"Besides my media work, I also manage the organization 'Masugalim', an organization established to assist families with a child on the autism spectrum, with low functioning. We also have such a child, and we know it's a very difficult challenge, so it's very important to me to help in this matter. Our organization has a hotel, and we host children whose parents need a few days of respite throughout the year. Parents call and say they are exhausted, and we take their children for a few days.

"A few years ago, I visited, and suddenly I saw in the hotel garden a child from Mea She'arim whose parents only spoke Yiddish, a child from Herzliya with parents from the most radical left, a child from a settlement in Samaria, and an Ethiopian child, all sitting next to each other. This sight touched me deeply, and I suddenly thought that if these children knew how to speak, they probably would never have met or communicated with each other. When words and separating thoughts don't interfere, Jews succeed in communicating excellently through the soul. I realized that when you sense each other, there are almost no gaps. When you just feel, without entering into conversations and discussions, it becomes very easy to feel how united we are, how natural and strong our unity is."

A Dream I Haven't Fulfilled and Won't Forget

"For many years, I have dreamed of establishing a village for challenging autistic children with low functioning. A village where their school, employment, housing, staff residences, and everything needed will be. It should be a connection of the welfare, education, and health ministries. I believe the day will come when a wealthy Jew with a big heart will connect to this dream and make it a reality. I hope this dream will come true soon, and dozens of families will enjoy a routine and normal life."