Rachel Leah Fry was just a child when her mother converted to Christianity. Many decades later, she connected with Rabbi Yosef and Bina Goldwasser, her local Chabad emissaries in Mobile, Alabama, and started finding her way back to her heritage.
Along the way, she began to chronicle her journey back to her roots. Emunah, a fellow Jewish woman living on the opposite end of Alabama, chanced upon one of her articles.
Emunah, then known as Constance, grew up with parents who did not know they were Jewish. After several moves, the family settled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when Emunah was 11 years old. With the advent of the internet, her parents began to research their history and discovered that they were Jewish. The family put aside their Christian traditions in exchange for Jewish ones.
As she grew into a teen and then an adult, Emunah began her own ongoing investigation into what it means to be Jewish—a journey that has now stretched over 30 years.
As she became more observant, Constance chose the name Emunah, faith, because it reflects her journey and faith in G‑d.
While there is no synagogue or Jewish community in the small town where Emunah and her family live, there is a Chabad House for the students at a nearby university led by Rabbi Kussi and Rosie Lipskier. “The rabbi and his wife are fantastic,” says Emunah. “We join them for some of the holiday celebrations they hold for the students.”
When she came across Rachel Leah’s article in the summer of 2020, she felt compelled to leave a comment. Little did she know this would be the beginning of a rich and meaningful friendship.
“When I first read Rachel Leah’s article, it was like I was reading my own story,” explains Emunah. “Her experiences resonated in my heart. I wanted to leave a comment as gratitude for inspiring me. I was so excited when she reached out and we connected.”
At first, the two women spoke through email, text, and phone calls. Then, they began learning Tanya over Zoom with Rabbi Goldwasser. After studying together for five years, they completed Tanya and moved on to Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers.
“Learning together has helped me immeasurably in my growth and understanding of Judaism,” Emunah told me. “Just having the opportunity to connect to my soul sister with Rabbi Goldwasser guiding us has truly enhanced my understanding and observance of the Torah and mitzvot. Learning Tanya together was a fantastic experience. We learned about the intricacies of being the benoni, how G‑d accepts us, loves us, and always welcomes us back.”
This past Chanukah, the two women finally met in person when Emunah and her husband visited Rachel Leah’s family.
“Emunah and I live at opposite ends of Alabama, she in the north and I in the south,” explains Rachel Leah, “so we had never met in person. Emunah and her husband traveled to my home to spend a Shabbat together. What a joyous occasion that was, lighting Shabbat and Chanukah candles and praying together! Our connection as friends was cemented during that visit. We made challah, celebrated the Friday evening meal with a beautiful brisket and prayers, and the Shabbat day meal with a lovely cholent. It was my first Shabbat celebration in my own home.”
“It was like meeting my best friend who I had never actually met in person,” Emunah recalls. “Spending time together felt so special. Even though we live four hours apart, we can still talk like there is no distance and it’s fantastic. We are each other’s lifeline.”
One of the concepts they studied in Tanya is that even a single lone mitzvah has eternal significance. “This is the purpose of His creation and of the creation of all the worlds, both sublime and lowly, to make for G‑d a dwelling in the physical world,” the Alter Rebbe writes.1
Together, Rachel Leah and Emunah have seen this idea come to life first-hand. Through Torah learning, friendship, and shared growth, two Jewish women living hours apart created a dwelling of holiness in their small corner of the world.
Reflecting on their years of study, Rabbi Goldwasser points to the particular significance of a fundamental principle explored in chapter 41. “We are encouraged to meditate on G‑d’s constant involvement in our lives. This reminds us of the privilege and responsibility we bear to do more good in this world and fulfill His purpose of bringing Moshiach,” the rabbi reflects. “Jewish people are part of one collective destiny and regardless of our journeys and backgrounds, we are always welcomed back home to our people as inherent members of the family.”
The story of Emunah and Rachel Leah, two incredible women living on opposite sides of Alabama, connected by their love and deep commitment to their shared heritage, reminds us that no Jew is ever alone or forgotten.
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