In his mind, photographer Meir Alfasi was traveling to Indonesia to document its beautiful landscapes, jungles and wildlife. But Hashem had other plans…
By Anash.org reporter
When Lubavitcher photographer Meir Alfasi planned his trip to Indonesia, he thought it would just be another country to add to his impressive list. He ended up saving a Yid from spiritual ruin.
Alfasi has already visited 104 countries, including North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and other countries many wouldn’t even dream of visiting. In each, he documents their unique culture, the country’s tourist sites, and, if applicable, the local Jewish community.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim county, which has no official relations with Israel, was his 105th country to visit.
During his visit, Alfasi met a dragon – not the mythical, fire-breathing creature, but rather the Komodo dragon, the largest species of lizard, which is only found in that part of the world. He also met sulfur miners who live in a volcano, and other sites that can only be found in Indonesia.
But the most exciting part of the trip was something he could have found right back at home: A fellow Yid. While in the heart of a remote rice field he met a Jewish man, and offered him the chance to don tefillin.
The man agreed, but the story was only starting there.
The second man told Alfasi that he was engaged to marry a non-Jewish woman, but in recent days he had started to second-guess his decision.
“This morning I asked G-d to send me a sign of what I should do, and here you are,” he said excitedly.
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