The shofar call that turned a curious Arizona student toward Judaism, marriage and aliyah

Yosef Turtora, born in Safed but raised in Phoenix with limited Jewish observance, began exploring his heritage during college at Arizona State University. A pivotal moment occurred on Rosh Hashanah when he visited the campus Chabad house. Though services had concluded, the rabbi blew the shofar specifically for him, an experience he described as "a very powerful experience, right into my face, right into my neshama, my soul." This encounter sparked his journey into Jewish observance, including keeping Shabbat and putting on tefillin.

• After college, Turtora went on a Birthright trip to Israel, where he reconnected with Safed and met Shoshana, whom he later married.
• They lived in Safed, where Yosef worked as a glassblower and Shoshana managed a gallery, also engaging in community outreach.
• The couple later moved to central Israel, where Yosef is now studying law at Bar-Ilan University and Shoshana works in hi-tech.
• His parents have also reconnected with their Judaism, with his father moving to Israel and his mother planning to follow.