Dobrudja town hosts one of the largest and most venerated complexes of Hebrew rituals outside Israel – the tomb of Rabbi Eliezer Papo, also known under the name of Pele Yoats. For the religious Jews his grave is saint. Every year, thousands of believers gather here because they believe God hears their prayers.
Before dying, Rabbi Papo said that anyone who came to his grave with the heart mourning, endured a lot of suffering and asked the Lord through him, will have its prayers answered. Anything he prays for will become reality. There are many stories about the answered prayers of the Jews which come before the day of his death, which is the feast of Sukkot in September. Dozens of planes land in Varna. Therefore, every year this holly place attracts hundreds of believers. One day before a ritual is performed for physical and spiritual cleansing.
Rabbi Eliezer Papo was the main exponent of musarska tradition. He was born in Sarajevo in 1785. He began studying to become a rabbi, being deeply devoted to piety and spirituality. He lives and works in Bucharest as chief rabbi, physician, philosopher and writer.
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1829, in the Russian army camp in Silistra a cholera outbreak occurs. Rabbi Papo created quarantine zones and infirmaries for the sick people and thus he saved the local population from the disease. However, he gets infected and dies at the age of 41 in 1826. He was buried near the Danube. The population of the city built a monument in his memory but it was destroyed by the Turks. The religious memorial complex was built only in 2003 by private individuals.
Eliezer Papo is among the 12 most admired Hebrew rabbis. His tomb is visited by believers from Israel, USA, Canada and other countries.