Reaching the roof of Africa for good

Great Park Synagogue Rabbi Dovid Hazdan put reaching the Roof of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, on his bucket list many years ago. But it took finding a broader mission to help children with special needs to spur him on.

He’s now in full training to master Kilimanjaro along with a local Friendship Circle group that he was invited to join recently. Friendship Circle is an international Chabad project in South Africa under the leadership of Rabbi Levi and Leah Lipskar.

“We all have mountains to climb and goals to reach – some have unique and extreme challenges,” says Hazdan. “By embracing differences and volunteering our love, we can make a powerful difference.”

This minyan of climbers will begin hiking in the last week of February, taking a Torah with them. “We will read from it and please G-d, conclude a tractate of Talmud on the mountain to commemorate the yahrzeit of my beloved father – Rabbi Yisroel Hazdan.”

Training has begun and Hazdan can be seen hiking with a loaded backpack up Munro Drive in Johannesburg at sunrise, and taking on the arduous Westcliff stairs.

• See how you can help by visiting: https://www.teamfriendship.org/kilimanjaro/DovidHazdan