“O Rei Ta no Campo!” – “The King is in the field!”
With this cry, Rabbi Chovav and Aviya Reichner welcomed in the month of Elul, the month that heralds God’s closeness to us and the upcoming Days of Awe. Emissaries of Beren-Amiel and the Claudia Cohen Women Educators Institute respectively, the Reichners are now serving as shlichei Bnei Akiva in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This past Motzaei Shabbat they held a melave malka for the madrichim (counselors) of Bnei Akiva. “It was important for us to connect with the madrichim, and to help the madrichim connect with the incoming month of Elul and the proceeding High Holidays.”

It was evening filled with song and music, spiritual highs and inspiration – and of course with delicacies befitting such an occasion – with Rabbi Chovav and other madrichim on guitar, and all those present adding their voices and harmonies to the evening. Rabbi Shneor & Naomi Segal, newly arrived Straus-Amiel emissaries to Sao Paulo, also made a guest appearance adding to the atmosphere, particularly when Rabbi Shneor took out his violin and joined in.