Standing in the catering hall of the synagogue a man, who wears a yarmulke and tzitzis (bound tassels) outside of his pants, patiently waits for the next service.
Ofir, 37, was not always a religious man. In fact, he wears his bound tassels outside of his pants to have a constant reminder of his religious commitment and faith.
No one would guess this man worked as a paramedic directly for Pope John Paul II when the Pope took his historic pilgrimage to Israel in spring 2000. He spent three days with him and thought the Pope was “pleasant”.
Ofir was agnostic back then. It was ten years ago and he had a lot of inner angst. His work as a paramedic in Israel caused him to see immoral things on a daily basis.
As the son of a faithful, practicing Orthodox Jew, Ofir grew up in a religious household. However, the rest of his family has never been religious. Ofir was born Tiberias, Israel in a house that “had views of the beautiful bay,” as he described it.
Yet he is currently residing in Miami, FL. He recalled the time that he saw “a 13-year old girl smoking cigarettes” as the moment he realized he needed to leave Israel.
According to Ofir, there is a difference between the old world (what he describes as Europe) and the new world (United States). To him, the new world represents better education and a society with better morals. Ofir wants to send his future children to “religious school. To learn the Torah, gain values, and have a structured way of life,” he said.
That is what religion is to him: A way of life. Yet Ofir was Agnostic until four years ago. He went on a religious retreat in Israel. During a service, the men around him were praying so feverishly that he started to feel the presence of God and he cried in spiritual acceptance.
“I felt so embarrassed to cry. It was like an arrow hit me in the heart. This is what I was looking for all my life,” he said while staring up at the arched ceiling of the synagogue.
He attends an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue whose rabbi speaks primarily Spanish and Arabic. Rabbi Netivezra Avichai entered, wearing a fedora with a round brim, and shook Ofir’s hand in a familiar way. It was clear that Ofir’s commitment to his religion has been unwavering.
His synagogue is in North Miami, FL. Quite a long way from Isreal. Ofir has brought himself to the “new world” as he described it.
Having spent a year in Los Angeles and a month in Miami, Ofir is confident that the east coast is better for him.
His extended family spreads across the United States from LA to MIA and Ofir knew he wanted to settle in this country from an early age.
“I’ve come to Miami almost every year. I always stay for a few weeks. The weather and the people are why I love it here,” Ofir said.
