Efrat and Max Godet
Montevideo, Uruguay
Rabbi Max and Efrat are the chief rabbi and rebbetzin of Uruguay. Max also serves as the rabbi of the Ashkenazi community and Efrat directs the activities of the women in that community. The couple has been in the position for 3 years, and on shlichut for almost 10. Previous positions include being Bnei Akiva emissaries and teachers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (4 years), and serving as the rabbinical couple in Quito, Ecuador (3 years)
Children:
Aryeh, 9
Levi, 7
Sarah, 5
Tamar, 3
Tell us about the position you’re in:
The Chief Rabbinate is responsible for the community’s burial, kashrut, marriage and divorce, conversions and clarification of Judaism. The rabbi and rebbetzin also organize weekly classes and activities for men and women of all ages.
What did you receive from the Straus-Amiel Educational Emissary Training Progam and the Claudia Cohen Women Educator Institute?
Over and above the motivation and inspiration we received in preparation for our shlichut, we learned a great deal from the vast world experience of the programs’ staff and from encounters with emissaries in the field.
What message would you like to impart regarding shlichut?
Many say that we have given ten years to the communities in which we served, but that we have denied our children the opportunity to grow up in Israel and receive a high level of Jewish education. This is of course not true. We learned and grew very much, as Jews and as human beings, in each community in which we served. We received much more than we gave. Our children developed immense pride in being shlichim, and they are well acquainted with the reality of Diaspora Jews. Undoubtedly, these years of shlichut brought us all closer to the people of Israel and filled us spiritually, brought a sense of satisfaction and gave us a sense of great pride in our work.
