How One Jew in an Airport Lit Up Dozens of Souls

What began as a chance encounter in the departure line at Ben Gurion Airport has since sparked a ripple effect of renewed Jewish commitment across continents.

A Chicago businessman, Shmuel Mashiach, found himself waiting among hundreds of American teens returning from NCSY’s TJJ program. Many of the teenagers had just experienced their first Shabbos in Eretz Yisrael. One of them, a boy named Eyal, confided to his counselor that while he had managed to keep Shabbos in Israel, he had no idea how to continue once back home, as his family didn’t observe Shabbos or kashrus.

Overhearing the struggle, Mashiach raised his voice so that all could hear. He issued a bold challenge:

“Anyone who keeps four consecutive Shabbosos — starting this week — will receive one thousand dollars from me.”

He laid out the conditions clearly: participants would need to spend Shabbos with a shomer Shabbos family and attend shul at least once. “Shabbos is a gift,” he told them. “Unwrap it, and it will change your life.”

The line moved on. Moments later, airport security stopped Mrs. Mashiach’s carry-on bag, which contained a silver challah knife they had purchased as a gift. The guards informed the couple it would be confiscated — no exceptions.

But then, in a twist of hashgacha pratis, a supervisor stepped forward. He had witnessed Mashiach’s passionate challenge to the teens. Pulling the couple aside, he confided:

“I used to keep Shabbos faithfully, for years. But life took me away. Hearing you today awakened something inside me.”

Moved, the supervisor bent protocol. He arranged for the knife to be checked properly as luggage and returned safely to the couple. Before parting, he asked Mashiach for the very same challenge he had offered the teens — but without the money. “I want my Shabbos back,” he said.

The two exchanged numbers. Days later, Mashiach began receiving texts:

• “First Shabbos kept.”

• “Second week — still going strong.”

Meanwhile, many of the teens from the TJJ program also reached out, reporting they had taken on the challenge and, in some cases, continued beyond the four weeks.

The episode — confirmed and documented by Living Kiddush Hashem, an organization dedicated to recording acts that sanctify Hashem’s name — illustrates the extraordinary ripple effect one public act of faith can have.

What began with a single businessman raising his voice in an airport line has already inspired dozens of Jewish souls — teenagers discovering their roots, and even an Israeli supervisor rediscovering his own.

As Mashiach himself said: “Shabbos is a gift. Unwrap it — and it will change your life.”