Anatoly was born in 1935 in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, and lived there for most of his life. He survived World War II and the infamous Leningrad hunger blockade as a child. Even though both his parents were Jewish, religion played no part in Anatoly’s upbringing. He never put on tefillin or celebrated his bar mitzvah at the age of 13. Such was the reality of his generation. Most people born in the former Soviet Union were not familiar with Jewish milestones, even such important ones.
Years went by and in 1963, Anatoly married Raisa and had two daughters, Yulia and Irina. Eventually, the family immigrated to the United States. In 2002, after Raisa passed away, Anatoly found joy in his five grandchildren.
While living in Philadelphia, Irina’s children (Anatoly’s grandchildren) became involved with the Jewish Relief Agency, a local food packing and distribution organization, through which they met Chabad Rabbi Chaim Shemtov and were slowly introduced to their heritage.
Irina recalls, “Rabbi Shemtov asked Ryan, our oldest son, if his grandfather ever put on tefillin. When the answer was no, Chaim came to visit Anatoly with a mission and purpose. Two of Anatoly’s grandchildren witnessed their 87-year-old grandfather put on tefillin for the very first time. Since my father only speaks Russian, Ryan and Liza helped translate Chaim’s explanation of the meaning of this bar mitzvah celebration.
“After saying all the prayers, the children said that their grandfather’s eyes were filled with a special light. Ryan and Chaim danced around the bar mitzvah ‘boy,’ rejoicing in this incredible moment.”
“Putting on tefillin with Anatoly was a very special moment,” shared Chaim. “I was particularly inspired by the ‘reverse’ intergenerational education; the children inspiring and guiding the older generation. Even though Anatoly had minimal knowledge of his heritage, he was very proud. And despite a language barrier, I could tell that his soul was glowing in its light, and this was a special moment for him.”
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the younger generation made a brave decision to introduce their own children to Judaism, despite having no knowledge of Torah wisdom. Thus, it is common that grandchildren are more familiar with Jewish traditions than their grandparents.
The Talmud teaches that “all of Israel are the sons of royalty.” Anatoly’s return demonstrates that our soul’s connection to its source transcends time. The door is always open for returning home, even if it takes seven decades to open it.
Grandchildren Celebrate Grandfather’s Bar Mitzvah – Tefillin (chabad.org)