JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Instagram account “Smiling Soldiers” published a photo of Chabad campus emissary Rabbi Liraz Zeira, who was seriously wounded in Syria, putting tefillin on a man in the street. The special photo was taken by photographer Menachem Geisinsky, who captured the moment near the Chabad House managed by Rabbi Zeira.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Alongside the image, a post was published that garnered strong reactions on social media. It read:
“Even after losing both his legs in a landmine explosion in southern Syria while serving as a reserve major in the IDF, Rabbi Liraz Zeira refuses to surrender to darkness. As a devoted Chabad rabbi on the Jerusalem college campuses, he continues to encourage students and spread joy, Torah, and Hasidic warmth to everyone around him.
A father of five, a combat soldier, and a true messenger of goodness, he shows the world that no challenge can stop a burning soul with a purpose. He still dances with his heart and leads with courage, inspiring all of us to bring more light into the world. A true hero.”
Major (res.) Rabbi Liraz Zeira, 42, was seriously wounded in a landmine explosion in southern Syria and lost both his legs after hundreds of reserve duty days during the war. He underwent a long rehabilitation process, and throughout it all, he continued his emissary work, to which he returned full-time several months ago.
What an inspiration!
A living Kidsush’Ha’Shem