“Honored Rabbis, Please look at my arm” said a Jewish teenager to the RCE delegation as they entered the Jewish Community center. The boy lifted his sleeve as the Rabbis looked on in astonishment. “Yes” he said, as if reading their minds, “Since my return from The Bar Mitzvah trip to Israel that the RCE arranged for us, my friends and I religiously put on Tefilin every day!”

This was one of the many exhilarating moments experienced during the “Chizuk “Trip to Jewish communities of Spain and Gibraltar, undertaken by the RCE delegation together with Hagaon Harav Avraham Yosef Shlit”a. The Delegation members included: Rabbi Arie Goldberg RCE’s Director General, Rabbi Yosef Bainhaker RCE’s Deputy Director General and Rabbi Avraham Abba Toretzky the Secretary of The Rabbinical Council of Europe.

Numerous communities were strengthened during the 4 day trip. More than 100 children, accompanied by their parents, surprised the delegation as they greeted them and expressed their appreciation. They profusely thanked the Morasha division of RCE for the deep impressions formed from last year’s  Bar/Bat Mitzvah Journey, including  the gift of Tefilin. Boys spoke about their uncompromising ritual of putting their Tefilin on every day. Many arms with Tefilin strip signs were lifted with pride to show the amazed RCE delegation.

The Jewish community center and The Talmud Tora in Barcelona were the first locations paid visit by the delegation. A respectable reception of students, parents and councilmen greeted them. The children surprised the delegation and sang “Shalom Aleichem”, moving all to tears of joy. Upon conclusion of their song, lines of children stood patiently waiting for a Bracha from Hagaon Harav Avraham Yosef, who blessed each and every one with tears in his eyes. Then he spoke: “I have heard about the community and its lifestyle, but one cannot compare hearing to seeing. Hashem should bless all the leaders of the community, all the people and their descendants. They should continue to grow in Tora and Yirat Shamayim”

The” Beit David” community run by Rabbi Shimon Bar-Chen was the next location visited. Next was The Ancient shul in Barcelona that contains a mikvah hundreds of years old, no longer in use. Hagaon Harav Avraham Yosef examined and explored the mikvah at length. Later, the delegation met with Chief Chabad Rabbi David Liberson and other Chabad rabbis from Barcelona, where a panel of question and answers in Halacha and Emuna took place.

Madrid was next on the itinerary. RCE’s delegation met with Rabbi Moshe Dahan, Rabbi of Madrid and was hosted by the Jewish community. As in the other cities visited, boys who participated in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah journey from the previous year, uplifted the RCE delegation with inspiring words of gratitude, adding the fact, that the Journey was their first experience ever to keep Shabbos. Due to the major impact it had on them, the boys have been keeping Shabbos ever since. Any questions the boys have are answered by the local Rabbi who guides them.

On the third day, the delegation flew to Gibraltar and was greeted by the local Rabbi Ron Chassid, member of the Rabbinical Council of Europe and Community leader Mr. Chaim Levi. The delegation toured all the Torah and educational institutions, quite impressed by the considerable amount of Jewish activity. Rabbi Yosef gave a shiur in Hilchos “Hatmana on Shabbos” to the local Kollel. That afternoon, he gave a short lecture to the “Baalei Batim” residents. The topic was “Importance of combining Torah with work”.

A remarkable visit to Ceuta concluded the trip. Ceuta is a small town that can be reached by Ferry only. As soon as the RCE delegation got off the Ferry, Rabbi Yaakov Levi, The Rabbi of Ceuta, expressed his appreciation for the effort made by the delegation to reach Ceuta. An Extended meeting with the governor concluded with promises of obtaining as many privileges and rights as possible for the Jewish community, within his power. Following the meeting with the governor, the delegation met with Rabbi Menachem Attal of the city of Marbella and the Jewish Community residents.