Rabbi Analia Bortz said she’s had four moments of “out-of-body experiences in holiness” in her life. One occurred on Feb. 13 when she met Pope Francis at the Vatican for the first time.
The former Atlantan was in Rome for the official launch of the Center for Ethics at the Vatican and the University Abarvanel- Seminario Rabinico LatinoAmericano, of which she is a co-director.
Now living in Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Mario Karpuj, Bortz told Rough Draft that she spoke with the Pope in Spanish during their 10-minute conversation. Both of them were born in Buenos Aires.
“He is incredibly nice and humble,” Bortz said. Through the touch of his hand, “he was able to transmit a moment of peace. There was a very special chemistry and electricity. I had tears in my eyes. He looked at me and he was able to transfer his neshama [Hebrew for soul] in his eyes. It’s hard to describe. I truly felt the presence of G-d. We are from the same national background but two different religions.”
When she told him that she was from Argentina but now lived in Jerusalem, he responded, in Spanish, “my two lovers.”
Bortz, the founding rabbi emeritus of Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, said the other three moments of holiness she experienced were in the Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, Japan, where she “connected with G-d,” when she crossed the Alps on foot and in Laos where she fed breakfast to monks on a Shabbat morning.
She quickly noted that those four moments were in addition to giving birth to her two daughters and the day her grandchild was born.
The Seminario Rabinico LatinoAmericano and Isaac Abarbanel University sponsored the mission in Rome entitled “Human Meanings and Challenges” to “discuss contemporary dilemmas and engage deeply with possible solutions and actions.” It was organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life to focus on human ethics for universal peace.
The summit, held Feb 12-15, brought…
Read the full article here