With “Shalom ol!” Play4’s ten-part series on Antwerp’s Jewish community, Diederik van den Apel single-handedly shattered all clichés about orthodox Jews. But meanwhile, the series offered more than that: one scene, according to devout Jews, led to a miraculous healing. “It seems unlikely,” explains Van den Abeele. “But it really is.”
The clip in question shows how jewelry designer Caroline Schreiber had her mezuzah examined by Rabbi Menachem Hertz. The mazuza are text tubes containing a piece of paper on which two parts of the Torah are handwritten. “They hang on the doorposts of Jewish homes, and it is very important for the community that they are in perfect condition,” explains reporter Diederik van den Abel. “If the mezze is damaged, it can have a negative impact on the lives of the residents.”
This scene, from Episode VII, then rings the bell with an orthodox Jewish lady in Antwerp. It had been some time since the mezuzah had been examined in her home, so I called Rabbi Hertz to inspect it. He was traveling, so his assistant, Rabbi Lipschitz, took over. Several of the mezuzahs were found to be damaged, including one over the word “eye.” Immediately by rewriting all the faulty words.”
And with that, the rabbi immediately did more than that. “This lady’s husband has recently lost sight in his right eye,” says Van den Abeele. “An operation had to be performed to remedy this problem. But a few days after that mezuzah was restored, his eyesight also gradually returned. The day before the operation was actually done, the husband and wife visited the doctor – for a final check-up. It turned out that she was no longer there. an eye problem, which left the doctor with a medical mystery. Did the restored mezuza actually play a part in this? I dare not say it, but for the Jewish community this is a modern miracle anyway.”
Story – Courtesy of “Shalom All!” – also selected by Inch, a Jewish site in English with millions of readers around the world. Anyone who wants to (re)watch the relevant episode of the documentary series can visit go play.
Read also
Caroline Schreiber from Shalom All! He ignores hundreds of Jewish teachings: “I follow only one law: be a good person” (+)
Diederik Van den Abeele, the brain behind ‘Shalom all!’: ‘It shouldn’t be a Jewish version of ‘De Verhulstjes’ (+)
Paul ‘Boogie Boy’ Ambach (75) visits in ‘Shalom All!’ Auschwitz for the first time: “I was only now ready to face that catastrophe” (+)
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