Australia, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Israel . . . these are some of the places the guests at our international Seder in the Dan Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia, hailed from. We had over 130 attendees, mostly tourists and backpackers.
Sunday before the Seder, we traversed the old city of Cartagena with one goal of mind: The Rebbe, of righteous memory, had taught that there is a fifth son in the Haggadah—the child who is conspicuous by his absence, who has no interest in Torah and mitzvahs and is not even aware of the Seder. We were determined to find these Jews and bring them home.
We met many people and invited them to join us. Two girls that we bumped into were delighted to see us. “We heard there is a Seder at the Dan Hotel, but we don’t know any more details about it.” We gave them all the information they needed, and sure enough, they showed up at the Seder. Afterwards, they told us how happy they were to be here, at a Seder with the same traditions of their parents and grandparents back at home.
We were reminded once again of the Rebbe’s incredible vision and care for every Jew, directing our steps to make certain that Judaism is accessible to all—even in Cartagena, Colombia.
