Many Diaspora fathers have dreamed of having their sons celebrate their bar mitzvahs at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, whose ancient stones have stood firm for centuries as a retaining wall for the Temple Mount.
On Thursday, a rabbi working hard to secure the foundations of his community in Indonesia succeeded in realizing this aspiration. Indonesian Rabbi Yaakov Baruch shared with The Jerusalem Post the challenges in coming to Israel and obtaining vital religious items for his community and the role that the wider Jewish people have in helping his family and his congregation achieve their dreams.
“I never expected to be in Israel; I expected my bar mitzvah to be in Indonesia,” said bar mitzvah boy Levi Yitzhak Baruch. “It’s like a dream.”
It was Levi’s first time in Israel. He enjoyed exploring the country with his family and made special note of all the kosher food that was freely available. The rabbi has been to Israel several times before, but the trip has never been easy, and bringing his family would have been impossible without the kindness of various Jewish communities.
Baruch credits Australian Ian Neubauer for his firstborn son’s bar mitzvah in Israel. Neubauer had visited the congregation and saw Levi practicing his Torah reading and resolved to help the boy make the journey. Neubauer’s family set up a fundraiser to help the Baruch family celebrate in Jerusalem, raising over A$2,300 on GoFundMe.
The greater Jewish community’s support for the about three-dozen-strong Tondano congregation has proven invaluable as Baruch has worked to ensure its future.
The synagogue received prayer books from the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam, which Baruch said serves as a kind of mother synagogue. A New York City rabbi aided in the building of a kosher mikveh (ritual bath), though Baruch noted that there are also many natural springs and pools in Indonesia. A special knife for Kosher ritual slaughter had to be sourced from Canada.
Yet, while the Diaspora has contributed greatly to the community, Baruch’s tireless endeavors are what has planted the seed of Judaism in the Muslim-majority country.
“My main goal is to establish the Jewish community,” said Baruch.
Baruch serves not only as the congregation’s rabbi but also as a Kosher butcher, museum curator, educator, and interfaith leader. As a shochet, he slaughters chickens and occasional lamb for holidays, but the community mostly eats a lot of fish and vegetables. The shores of Indonesia are teeming with delicious fish, the rabbi explained.
He also noted with a grin that he makes the tomato sauce poached egg dish shakshuka but that Israeli travelers and visitors shouldn’t expect hummus.
Overcoming mistrust and prejudice
IN 2022, the congregation opened a Holocaust museum to facilitate education about that event in the country. The move was met with harsh opposition across the country, including from leading Muslim organizations.
Baruch has had to overcome mistrust and prejudice to educate local religious and political leaders about Judaism, to explain that it is much more than just their association with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He maintains dialogue with the government and the Indonesian people to foster acceptance of the Jewish religion.
“I stay away from the politics,” Baruch said.
After the October 7 massacre, he led a multi-faith prayer for victims on both sides of the conflict. No flags were allowed in the synagogue, a rule that has continued to stand.
Sometimes, discussion of the conflict is unavoidable – Baruch is working on his PhD and is teaching international relations at a university. Baruch welcomes the discussions but doesn’t tell his students what to think.
“As an educator, I want to teach my students to have an open mind,” said the rabbi.
The Internet has opened Indonesians to a greater understanding of followers of the Jewish faith, and many have met traveling Israelis, spurring interest in the Jewish people, according to the rabbi.
Levi attends a Christian private school, where he enjoys math and physical education, and said that many of the students were curious about Jewish practices.
“I don’t feel unaccepted,” said the bar mitzvah boy.
Baruch is a man of many dreams and goals, and creating a Jewish school for the community is one of them. To achieve this, he is seeking donors for Jewish educational texts.
“All Jews are responsible for one another,” said Baruch, adding that since October 7, it is important to remember that “We are one people, one faith.”
Israel is not the only one that has suffered as of late, with rising antisemitism battering Jewish communities across the world. Baruch has visited the US several times to speak to Jewish communities about his work. It was relatively easy to practice Judaism in America or Israel, and while in some countries it was difficult, Baruch assured remote or struggling congregations that “If you need help, there will be other communities that will come to your aid.”
The rabbi’s optimism also extended to the future of diplomatic relations between Israel and Indonesia, which would make it easier for the Jewish community to source items like Kosher for Passover foods. The opening of diplomatic relations would benefit both countries, he said, creating new business opportunities and cultural exchanges.
“There is hope for normalization,” said Baruch. “It is time for every country to know one another.”