“You let your son go skydiving in South Africa? You were not worried” I asked Rebbetzen Esther Allouche.
She responded, “Was I supposed to be nervous? That is what they do at the skydiving center. The planes go up, the people jump out and come down. That is their profession, they do this on a daily basis and know what they are doing. What exactly was I supposed to be stressed about?”
I burst out laughing, but not entirely surprised, Esther Allouche is a mom to ten kids, the ultimate optimist and the perfect person to turn to for life advice.
“Happiness is a choice. I wake up every morning and it is a choice I make for myself and my family. Early in my marriage I decided I didn’t want to be a complainer, I want to be grateful for all the good in the world and in my life.” She explained. “And the way I see it, if there is something that happens that is a problem, I try to fix it not complain about it.
Allouche was born in Caracas, Venezuela to parents that became more and more observant over time. They realized that if they moved to the USA, it would provide better opportunities for their children, so despite dealing with professional setbacks they moved to Miami.
In 1998, Allouche was working at a summer camp in Switzerland when she met her husband, Rabbi Pinchas Allouche. They were married soon after and settled in Jerusalem, where they lived for three years. In 2002, they moved to Atlanta and then in October 2006 to Scottsdale, where they started the Sephardic Cultural Center which later dissolved. Four years later, her husband Rabbi Allouche founded Congregation Beth Tefillah in Scottsdale.
Allouche, who plays an integral part of the synagogue’s success , believes that women have abilities to make a difference in a myriad of ways, from social issues to raising the next generation.
“We live in special times where women are very powerful and have a lot to say in our society. We women have to use our power in a positive way and be outspoken about topics that are relevant and bring goodness into the world. She believes.
Judaism is also one of the few religions that brings home many of its practices to the home itself. Allouche, also teaches women’s classes weekly, often focuses on the social impact that women can do which in turn she believes will make an enormous difference for generations to come.
She said, “We really affect our families, a woman has the ability to make or break a home and when we strengthen the family unit it affects the next generation. We want to empower our children to be balanced, healthy and so they too will have the ability to make a difference in the world. Each child is a world of their own and when you think of it that way you need to sacrifice and spend the time with them because it pays off with big dividends. A child can bring so much to others if you raise them properly.”
While Allouche is focused on the future, she explained that many people reached out to her to help them comprehend and deal with the tragedy and aftereffects of October 7.
“It is a time to turn to G-d more than ever, time to remember that G-d runs the world and does things for a reason, even if we can’t understand. We should strengthen our connection with him through prayer and good deeds. This world is G-d’s most precious garden and we are its gardeners is what the Lubavitcher Rebbe told us and it is our task and responsibility to make this world a better place by being kind, loving and understanding.” Allouche explained.
