In Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, Argentinean president Javier Milei found a mentor — and the perfect ambassador to Israel
However, on this momentous day for the country, that wouldn’t be Milei’s only nod to the Jewish community. In his inaugural speech, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, the new president of a country where Jews make up less than 0.5 percent of the population declared: “It’s not a coincidence that this presidential inauguration occurs during the Chanukah festival, the festival of light, as it celebrates the true essence of freedom. The Maccabean war is a symbol of the triumph of the weak over the powerful, the few over the many, light over darkness, and above all, truth over lies, because you know I prefer to tell you an uncomfortable truth than a comfortable lie.”
Although Milei’s speech was significant, for Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, the best was yet to come.
Despite not having had an Orthodox upbringing, Shimon Axel Wahnish found himself drawn to the study of Torah from a young age. With effort and dedication, he was accepted into Yeshivat HaNegev in Netivot, the institution then led by Rav Yissachar Meir ztz”l. He forged a close bond to the Rosh Yeshivah and also joined the shiur of Rav Aryeh Leib Levy, the current rosh yeshivah. However, his stay in Israel was briefer than he would have wanted, and he soon returned to Buenos Aires, where he went on to earn a degree in educational psychology. Once he was married, he focused primarily on kiruv.
“Axel always made me feel like part of his family,” says former student Rabbi Ariel Hansani, currently a maggid shiur. “I spent many Shabbatot at his home, and we talked a lot. He’s someone who, on the one hand, presented study in a very engaging way. But at the same time, in personal interaction, he listened, was interested in helping you, put himself in your shoes, and tried to understand. Studying with him gave me the push to dedicate my life to Torah study.”
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