Echuca and its neighbouring town of Moama sit on opposite sides of the Murray River, around 220 kilometres north of Melbourne. Known for its historic paddle steamers, vineyards and rich farming country, it's a beautiful part of regional Australia, but not somewhere most people would expect to find Jewish outreach taking place.
When Rabbi Mordechai and Ruth Szmerling decided to spend part of their winter break in Echuca, they contacted Rabbi Menachem Aron to ask whether there were any Jewish people in the area they could visit.
Several introductions were made, leading to a number of meaningful visits throughout the week. One connection, however, proved especially difficult.
Rabbi Aron had introduced the Szmerlings to Kron, a long-time Moama resident whose maternal family traces back to the renowned Menuhin family, while his paternal family has been part of Australian history for generations. A retired Qantas pilot, farmer and passionate advocate for the local environment, Kron has maintained a strong awareness of his Jewish heritage through family stories, visits to relatives in Israel and his lifelong connection to his Jewish ancestry.
Despite several attempts, the Szmerlings and Kron kept missing each other.
As they were preparing to leave for Melbourne on Friday morning, hoping to arrive home before Shabbat, the phone rang.
It was Kron.
He invited them to stop by for what everyone expected would be a brief visit before they continued the journey home. Instead, they spent the next hour talking about family history, Jewish identity, Australia, Israel and the remarkable journeys that had brought their families to this moment.
Towards the end of the visit, Rabbi Szmerling asked Kron whether he would consider putting on tefillin. Having never done so before, Kron was initially hesitant. After some conversation about its significance and a little gentle encouragement, he agreed, wrapping tefillin for the first time in his life and connecting with a mitzvah that has united Jewish men across generations for thousands of years.
Following the visit, Kron wrote to Rabbi Menachem Aron:
"I now appreciate the pastoral reasons you represent and run... I certainly identify with my Jewish heritage through stories of my mother and visits to Israel to see family... Because of this latest connection and what I now understand [about] the tribal connectiveness, I thank you for the interest... Continue to leave me on your calling list."
Opportunities for Jewish connection can be few and far between, for those living in Australia's regional communities. Sometimes, it takes persistence, a few missed phone calls and one final stop before the journey home for a meaningful connection to be made.
