“Tzaddik” – (pl. “Tzadikkim”); A righteous man (for the female equivalent, see “Tzidkanit”) – based on the Hebrew word “Tzedek,” or “Justice.” The Jewish hero is not the swashbuckling warrior, but rather the “Tzaddik,” the “mighty warrior” who conquers his “evil inclinations,” towards pride, power and oppression, and practices righteousness and humility, and who is, like God, always on “the side of the oppressed” (“Kohelet,” or Ecclesiastes 3:15).
There is a very special man to whom I must pay tribute for all the positive work he has done to change the world. Predictably, he doesn’t receive much credit for his actions, yet humbly continues to make a massive difference every minute of every day. It is quite likely that none of you have even ever heard of him because his work is done on another side of the world in a miniature-sized country called Israel. His name is Jeff Seidel.
The second I stepped foot in Israel about seven months ago, his name was everywhere. “Jeff Seidel this, Jeff Seidel that.” “Don’t let Jeff get you.” “Oh Jeff Seidel is amazing!” After all of the hubbub, I needed to find out who everyone was talking about.
Not much to my surprise, I didn’t really need to work very hard to find him. Actually, he found me.
My very first weekend in Israel, I was approached at the Kotel (Western Wall) by a short man in saddle shoes, wearing a New England Patriots baseball cap given to him by Mr. Kraft, asking me if I had a place to eat lunch. Since I didn’t, I shook my head and before I could say a word, I was thrown into a group of people, all with just as a perplexed look on their face as myself and following a stranger to: destination unknown. We arrived at the door of some random family, who greeted us with open arms and a five-course meal. The kids, ages two and four, didn’t seem the least bit confused as to the reason for our visit. It was then that I realized the power of Jeff Seidel.
After that day, I continued to see Jeff everywhere, no matter where I went, always approaching people and offering them anything from lunch to a trip to Russia. Before I knew it, I was getting paid to learn about Judaism and Israel, registered for a 10-day all-inclusive trip to Russia for Passover, and eating Friday night dinner with his whole family at his house. Now, not only have I benefited from Jeff, I can honestly say I feel like he is my friend.
After talking to him, I couldn’t believe the amount of people he affects on a daily basis. Jeff has a goal. It is to bring people closer to their religion and heritage by providing them with as many opportunities as possible. By devoting his life to fundraising and programming, he has managed to change the lives of so many students yearning for a deeper connection to their traditions.
Recently I met Ranaan Gissin, the senior advisor of Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon. Later this week, I am going to go skiing in the north on Mt. Hermon, to feel a stronger sense of and connection to the land and its versatility. And next month, I am going to go to Russia as part of Jeff’s Passover program in conjunction with the ‘Chessed Project’ to prepare a traditional Passover ‘seder’ (feast) for Russian children. Jeff even offers a program for Jewish students from abroad who would like to learn more about Judaism to come to Israel for free and study for three weeks during the summer.
In the midst of a place so convoluted with tension and discord, seeing someone like Jeff Seidel constantly at work making positive changes is incredibly refreshing. It is for this reason, I would like to commend and recognize Jeff Seidel as a righteous man of our time, in a little place I like to refer to as the island of democracy surrounded by a giant sea of tyranny.
Leah Vitale is a Collegian columnist studying in Israel.
