A three-week-old Israeli baby made the difficult journey to the heart of Africa with his parents Chabad emissaries and holiday supplies for the Jews in Rwanda
Baby Mandy tested in Kigli // Photo: Courtesy of the family
After a journey of more than 12 hours, with two stopovers on the way, with his parents and hundreds of kilograms of belongings, kosher food and holiday supplies - he landed in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Mandy Bar-Sela, a baby of only three weeks.
Mandy is the son of Rabbi Chaim and Nehama-Dina Bar-Sela, Chabad emissaries to Rwanda and part of the "Chabad in Central Africa" family that operates in several countries in the region under the leadership of Rabbi Shlomo Ben Tolila.
This is the first time the baby, who needed two corona tests to get to the country, came through the gates of his home.
His parents arrived in Israel a few weeks ago, ahead of the expected birth.
Immediately after the birth, they began to organize a return to the place of their mission in preparation for the extensive activities during the Tishrei holidays at the Chabad House, and with the Jewish community that lives there.
Simultaneously with the return of the Bar-Sela family, a new Torah scroll arrived on a separate flight, which is currently being donated to the Chabad House in Kigli, the capital of Rwanda.
Rwanda, which is defined as a "green" country, requires a negative corona test in the 72 hours before the flight, as well as confirmation of a reservation at a local hotel to perform another corona test immediately after landing.
In addition, Israelis were required to remain in solitary confinement for 12 hours until the results were obtained.
"Despite a journey that lasted long hours with stopovers and 12 hours in isolation at a hotel in Kigali with a three-week-old baby on our hands, we managed to get close to Rosh Hashanah and hold the prayers and meals properly while maintaining good health," said his father, Rabbi Chaim Bar- Sela.
"We are now preparing vigorously for Yom Kippur prayers and lively Jewish activity during the rest of the Tishrei holidays with the hundreds of Jews living in the country."
Blowing the shofar in Africa
Rabbi Shlomo Ben Tolila, Chabad emissary to Central African countries and rabbi of the Congo, described the plague situation on the continent. “Central African countries each deal with the corona differently.
"In more than ten countries between Ethiopia in the east and the Ivory Coast in the west, there are active Jewish communities, in which thousands of Jews who also heard a shofar blow this year," he concluded.
