I first met Isaac Herzog in Israel around 2018, shortly after he became chair of the board of the Jewish Agency for Israel—an organization dedicated to strengthening both Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. By then, I had already served on the board for several years. From the start, I was struck by Herzog—not just by his intellect or reputation, but by how deeply he seemed to care about every person he met.
In 2019, as chair of the Jewish Agency, Herzog visited several American cities. I was the Agency’s representative in St. Louis at the time, so I served as his liaison during his visit here. He and his aide arrived late one Sunday morning in May. Since his schedule was clear until evening, my wife Adinah and I invited them to our home for brunch.
Over the next three hours, my first impression of him was only deepened. Once again, I saw just how warm and attentive he truly is. His interest in people goes beyond polite conversation—it’s sincere, personal and rooted in genuine curiosity. I told him a story about our wedding, and years later, he brought it up again—proof that he had truly been listening. That same thoughtful interest was evident in how he browsed our bookshelves and asked about what he found there.
He also honored us with a special gift: a newly translated biography (from Hebrew to English) of his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, who once served as Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi.
After that visit, we somehow kept the friendship going. Then, in 2021, Herzog—widely admired and respected—was elected President of Israel, a largely ceremonial post once held by his late father, Chaim Herzog. To mark the occasion, our chapter of the Jewish Agency sent a festive blue-and-white cake to Jerusalem. At its base was a simple message: “Mazel Tov from St. Louis.”
Fast forward four years. Adinah and I, along with several family members, were in Jerusalem to celebrate the bar mitzvah of our grandson, Aaron Raskas—son of our son Mordechai and his wife Jen, who live in Israel.
Mordechai had learned that since becoming President, Herzog had restored a tiny synagogue—seating maybe 30—on the presidential grounds, where he often prayed in the mornings. Knowing of our connection to Herzog, Mordechai inquired about the possibility of attending a service there, just a few days before Aaron’s bar mitzvah on June 7. Permission was granted, and a number of us, including Aaron, were able to join.
What happened next was the most touching part of the entire experience. President Herzog, who usually sits on one side of the front row, gestured for me to take the center seat—and for Aaron to sit beside me. I mentioned it during Aaron’s bar mitzvah celebration: it was more than a kind gesture. It was a quiet, powerful symbol of our family’s enduring connection to the state of Israel.
It’s a connection I’m proud of—and even prouder when Israel is represented by someone of Isaac Herzog’s caliber.
Heschel Raskas is a former board chair of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and a member of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Board of Governors. Raskas has a Ph.D. in biochemistry.
