{"id":272085,"date":"2026-02-03T16:31:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/272085\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:31:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:31:09","slug":"i-traveled-from-israel-to-spain-to-convert-new-jews-a-single-sababa-made-me-feel-safer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/272085\/","title":{"rendered":"I traveled from Israel to Spain to convert new Jews. A single ‘Sababa’ made me feel safer."},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been to Madrid twice, both times to perform ritual circumcisions, and both trips overlapped with some of the saddest yearly Jewish commemorations: Tisha B\u2019av and, this year, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The timing gave both visits a somewhat somber tone.<\/p>\n

On my outbound journey last week, I was stopped by Israeli security to check the contents of my bag. My Brit Milah tools often raise questions. \u201cI\u2019m a mohel,\u201d I informed the security personnel, although the additional information seemed to have little effect.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve had one of these inspections. I developed a system through experience that usually averts complications \u2014 don\u2019t try to hide them, take the tool boxes out so they\u2019re visible on the conveyor belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t be opened because they\u2019re sterilized,\u201d I warned the guard who paced, frantically searching for his superior.<\/p>\n

When the manager arrived, I began to show him cell phone images to ensure none of the contents were sharp. \u201cI don\u2019t need that,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cWhat\u2019s the purpose of your trip?\u201d I explained that two families needed brises in Spain.<\/p>\n

I wondered if this was the beginning of a longer interrogation. I was subject to such scrutiny once in Bulgaria when purchasing a last-minute return ticket. Airline security didn\u2019t see a traveler; they saw a red flag.<\/p>\n

However, on my way to Madrid, the conversation took a different turn. \u201cWhat an amazing mitzvah you\u2019re doing!\u201d he exclaimed. I thanked him, even though I was still unsure where all this was headed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere were you born?\u201d he continued. \u201cPhiladelphia,\u201d I told him. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing to see people like you, who\u2019ve chosen to live in Israel. Best of luck,\u201d he said as he handed me my tools. I finally exhaled, knowing I was on my way.<\/p>\n

It felt strange being cheered on while headed toward a political lion\u2019s den hostile to the Jewish State. This past September, diplomatic tension reached a surreal fever pitch when Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez \u2014 while announcing a suite of sanctions against Israel \u2014 lamented that his country lacked the nuclear leverage necessary to halt the offensive in Gaza. \u201cSpain, as you know, doesn\u2019t have nuclear bombs,\u201d he said<\/a>. The retort<\/a> from Jerusalem was swift: \u201cApparently the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews of Spain, and the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust are not enough for S\u00e1nchez.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a profound irony in the timing. While some European leaders speak of Israel as a problem that needs solving, others are still choosing to bind their fate with Am Yisrael. Both of these brises were for conversion. Since neither was bound to the traditional eighth day, a troubling question arose: Was International Holocaust Remembrance Day an appropriate time for such an occasion? I once asked a colleague a similar question regarding Yom Hashoah. His response was unwavering: \u201cI can\u2019t think of a better day to make another Jew.\u201d<\/p>\n

As beautiful as the Spain brises were, they were held in private residences. It gave them a subdued feeling, as if being hidden from public view. It was much like the warning I received from close friends in the area. \u201cDo you have a hat?\u201d the couple checked as I left their home. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most frustrating parts of living here, but it\u2019s necessary.\u201d Although in my heart I only donned the hat for rain protection, it still made me feel like a hiding Jew.<\/p>\n

Later, when speaking to the hotel concierge, I realized I had taken the hat off. \u201cDoes he know I\u2019m Jewish? Does he care?\u201d I wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re on the fifth floor,\u201d he instructed me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n

He leaned in with a smile. \u201cSababa.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the most impactful word of my trip. This tiny interaction didn\u2019t repair the Spanish government\u2019s hostility, but it shattered the isolation. It was a reminder that even in the most unfriendly places, there are individuals who wish to bridge the gap \u2014 even if their leadership is intent on widening it.<\/p>\n

No matter how unjustly countries treat Israel and their local Jewish populations, we traveling mohalim must make the journey to ensure our most sacred tradition continues \u2014 even on the hardest days, even to the coldest locations.<\/p>\n

As I headed to the airport, Madrid\u2019s rare January snow \u2014 the first signs of Storm Kristin \u2014 began to fall. I was able to escape just before the worst of the blizzard hit, shutting down the city behind me.<\/p>\n

Tractate Yoma describes how, during the Temple period, a crimson thread was used in the Yom Kippur service. If it turned white like snow, it was a sign that the nation\u2019s sins were forgiven. The snowfall in Spain did not serve this ancient purpose; there\u2019s still a long way to go. But I pray that it\u2019s an indication of things changing \u2014 that all of Europe will finally learn from its past and embrace the Jewish community, both at home and abroad, so we can soon see a better day.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\tis a rabbi, a wedding officiant, and a mohel who performs britot (ritual circumcisions) and conversions in Israel and worldwide. Based in Efrat, he is the founder of Magen HaBrit, an organization protecting the practice of brit milah and the children who undergo it.\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve been to Madrid twice, both times to perform ritual circumcisions, and both trips overlapped with some of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":272086,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52762,85,46,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-272085","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-circumcision","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=272085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=272085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}