The Rebetzen

Spanish saying: “No hay mal que por bien no venga” (Something good comes out of something bad).

The Saga of the Border
Chaya Mushka, the Rebetzen (Part One)

As such were the circumstances in Tijuana, a very warm-hearted, culinary adept Rebetzen, pregnant in her nineth month, (wife of Rabbi Ephraim from Chabad), both from the Centro Social Israelita of Tijuana, several Rabinim ago, was crossing the border from Tijuana to the U. S. with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Adina. She was using an English passport needing an additional visa which had expired three days previously of which she was unaware. The inspecting officer stopped her but allowed her husband and daughter to return to TIjuana. The officer also asked her to show him her Mexican visa in order to check her status in Tijuana, Mexico. She did have a 180 days visa. But, at the time it was stamped, it only showed the number 18 and not the 0. The officer informed her that her Mexican visa was also overdue and she coudn’t return to Tijuana, Mexico. She was then given the option to go back to England or to Israel, but not to Tijuana where her husband and daughter were. As she could not accept either of those two options, she was detained at 3:00 P. M.

When the community of Tijuana became aware of the Rebetzen’s predicament, they got in touch with the Israeli Consul in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Rebetzen stayed in detention the whole night suffering the inconveniences because of her situation. She was finally released next day at 6:00 A. M. and allowed to return to Tijuana. However, she had to sign a paper of ‘’voluntary departure’’ from the U. S. disallowing her to re-enter the U. S. at a future date.

A few days later, in the Tijuana hospital ‘’Angeles’’, the Rebetzen gave birth to Ruth, a beautiful litte girl, now a Mexican citizen, having been born in Tijuana. And Adina had a little sister.