It has been almost a year ago now that Kelly and I visited Adat Shalom Fellowship in Summerville, SC to explain why we were going to Ariel, Israel for the First B’ney Yosef National Congress.  After we spoke to the fellowship they had a time of prayer and dedication.  During that time several people came up to share a word they had received.  One gentleman came up and spoke several things, but there was one paragraph that shocked me and stuck with me.  It was a humbling and awe inspiring statement that drifted to the back of my mind and only over dinner last Sunday evening did it come rushing back drawing tears from my already red eyes.

He said,

…You have the face of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  You could be in that famous painting.  You look just like one of those men….

On Sunday morning I, along with 22 other men and women, signed my name to the Articles of Declaration for B’ney Yosef North America.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought, when Dean spoke those words over me that they even had an ice cube’s chance of being fulfilled, yet they were.  While it remains to be seen how significant and how enduring that document will be, I know one thing:  The Presence was in that room all weekend brooding over us, and it was so palpable that at times it was hard to stand.  Particularly as we worshipped in the minutes before signing.  I found myself up front on my knees on the floor engulfed in holy awe.

Even now, my tears flow.  I am humbled.  Even overwhelmed.  Why me?

The gravity of this moment is not lost on us.

As we stood in line to sign, I was near the end of the line and walked around to capture part of the moment on my phone.  It was holy awe.

After the Articles were signed, someone invited Hanoch Young to come to the front of the room to lead us in Hatikvah, the Israel National Anthem.  Listen to the tone and hear the weeping in the background.  So very heavy emotionally!!

Just amazing!!

B’ney Yosef North America