My name is Gerardo. I am from Argentina, and together with my wife, who is from Russia, we had the pleasure of sharing the Shabbat Friday night meal at the Vogels.

I happened to meet Rabbi Vogel at the shul, and with his huge heart, he invited us to his house for a Shabbat meal. It was an unforgettable experience. I remember the huge table, with people from all over the world who, prior to that, most of them didn’t know each other. At one point, we felt like we were all one big family, and everyone was singing.

My wife and I met all these incredible people, and we were just blown away by the experience.

At the time, we were very new to Shabbat, and meeting Rabbi Vogel felt like finding a new family. I learned about all the work he and his wife do, and it's just amazing how they help so many people. I want to thank you enormously, Rabbi, for your kindness.