Post army trek results in marriage…and new Shavei Israel emissary to El Salvador
Rabbi Aboud with Bnei Anousim in El Salvador
When Rabbi Isaac Aboud set out for Mexico in 1984 as part of the now standard Israeli post-army trek, he never expected to meet his beshert – the woman who would become his bride. But only a few days into his stay in Mexico City, he and his wife were introduced and the rest, as they say, is history – in this case with a little kick of Hebrew salsa.
That unexpected shidduch (arranged date) has resulted in another surprise benefit – this time for Shavei Israel. Rabbi Aboud is our new emissary to the Bnei Anousim community in nearby El Salvador.
While he’s not moving from Mexico (he and his wife have 8 children and 12 grandchildren there), Rabbi Aboud will now travel to El Salvador for 12 days each month. His job is to teach Torah and basic Jewish Law to the Bnei Anousim communities in the country. Continuing the work of Rabbi Daniel Touitou, Shavei Israel’s previous emissary to El Salvador, Rabbi Aboud is working closely with Eliyahu Franco, president of the Beit Israel synagogue in the capital city of San Salvador and head of the national association of Bnei Anousim communities in the country. (Read more about Eliyahu here.) There are four main Bnei Anousim communities in El Salvador, with the majority in San Salvador.
Despite living in Central America for the past 30 years, Rabbi Aboud never spoke Spanish growing up – he is a Sabra through and through, born and raised in Tel Aviv. The rabbi studied in a number of prestigious yeshivot before joining the Israeli army at age 18. He continued his education at the yeshiva of Yamit and then Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem before his fateful trip abroad at age 24.
After finding the love of his life in Mexico, Rabbi Aboud studied at the “Keter Torah” kollel (a yeshiva for married men) until he was 30, then returned to Israel to receive his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Michael Perez. Among the rabbis who evaluated his candidacy were the late Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and his son Rabbi David Yosef.
Back in Mexico, Rabbi Aboud became the rabbi of the “Mount Sinai” community, which he served for 8 years. He also started a charitable organization called Chaim b’Chesed (“Living by Grace”), which is similar to Israel’s Yad Sarah, loaning out medical devices and equipment such as wheelchairs and crutches to the needy, elderly and disabled. The organization provides ambulance and transport services, all at no cost.
El Salvador is not Rabbi Aboud’s first posting outside Mexico: for two years he traveled regularly to Peru, giving seminars to the small Jewish community there.
Rabbi Aboud came to Shavei Israel’s attention through Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum, Shavei Israel’s Educational Director, who visited Mexico 10 years ago. Rabbi Birnbaum and Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund made the long journey to El Salvador just over a year ago, in May 2013, which led to a subsequent emphasis by the organization on providing assistance and services to the Bnei Anousim there. The two asked Rabbi Aboud if he would be interested in continuing that work from a jumping off point more local than Israel; he immediately welcomed the opportunity.
Ever eager to find new ways to serve the Jewish community, Rabbi Aboud has written several books in the last 20 years. His first two were in Hebrew – a book of commentaries on the Mesilat Yesharim (“The Path of the Just,” an ethical text written by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto in 1738) and a two book set (part of a 20-volume encyclopedia) profiling some of the great rabbis in early Talmudic times. Rabbi Aboud published his first book in Spanish last year; he is now working on a new book that will deal with the questions of evil and divine justice.
Please join us in welcoming Rabbi Aboud to the Shavei Israel family.