Although the Kingdom of Cambodia is rich in natural resources, decades of war, genocide, and political unrest have left it one of the world's poorest countries. Amid the abject poverty, there is a beacon of light—a beautiful Chabad Jewish Center, in the heart of Phnom Penh, the nation's capital.
This Passover, my friend and I made the 8,000 mile journey from Brooklyn to Cambodia. Our bullet list for this trip was pretty straightforward—to make a meaningful connection with every Jewish person who calls Cambodia home.
David lives in Siem Reap, four hours away from the Chabad Center in Phnom Penh. We travelled there before the holiday to meet with some of our Jewish contacts. When we phoned David and introduced ourselves, his hostility was apparent immediately. "NO, I am not interested," he said curtly, ending the call.
We couldn't be satisfied with that. Without further ado, we pressed redial.
"David, we travelled so far to be here, and all we want to do is give you some matzah, can we please stop by for a few minutes?" Reluctantly, he agreed.
Stop the Car or Turn Left?