Yesterday we visited Reuben in Cidra, PR. He is a very special man who has had a lot of trouble with his health over the past few years. He celebrated the past Shabbat with us in San Juan. In exchange, he begged us to visit him at his mountaintop home, an hour and a half drive south.
We made the trek up windy roads and dangerous cliffs, and at long last, arrived at the beautiful home which he had built. The house is decorated with classic judaica, including a menorah, and Jewish art. He was overjoyed to be able to offer us produce from his garden. The emotion was palpable as Reuben showed us the tefillin which he wears every morning.
Talk about isolation, Reuben tells us that he is the only Jew for an hour's drive in every direction. Can you imagine? When he lights his menorah, there is probably not another one within a hundred miles. Quite a far cry from the Midwestern suburbs where we grew up among kosher butcheries and bagel shops!
