Israeli Soldier Matan Shefler Receives Hero’s Welcome at Beth Tfiloh

November 17, 2023 JMORE Staff

Matan and Shani Shefler are shown in Pikesville with their four children and a gathering of friends and supporters. (Photo courtesy of Beth Tfiloh)

So how do you greet a real-life action hero returning home from a war? In the case of students, staff and faculty at Pikesville’s Beth Tfiloh Congregation & Community School, you do it in a very loud manner.

Clergy, students, faculty and others were on hand this week to show their appreciation and love for Matan Shefler, a Beth Tfiloh teacher who recently returned to Baltimore after serving in the Israel Defense Forces over the past six weeks.

In the fall of 2021, Shefler and his wife, Shani Rotem-Shefler, both of whom come from the the Israeli community of Efrat, joined Beth Tfiloh as shlichim, or Israel emissaries. They live in Pikesville and have four children.

While Shefler teaches Hebrew language and Jewish history in Beth Tfiloh’s high school, Rotem-Shefler teaches Hebrew language in the middle school.

The day after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, Shefler flew home to Israel to fight as an officer in the IDF’s Magen Ha’aretz paratroopers unit.

Beth Tfiloh officially welcomed Shefler home today, Nov. 17, with a school-wide celebration rally, which included students and teachers lining hallways from pre-school to upper school to surprise him with songs, signs and Israeli flags.

Beth Tfiloh, which is the nation’s largest modern Orthodox synagogue, recently created the Beth Tfiloh Machzikei Torah Charity Fund to benefit needs in Israel identified by Shefler while serving in the Jewish state. In addition, one student is selling “Stand With Israel” bracelets to benefit Shefler’s family during the crisis, as well as for equipment and necessities for his unit and military base.