(Courtesy of JIB) Some people move through the world with quiet resilience, inspiring others simply by the way they live. Dani Shachar is one of those rare individuals, a man who defies expectations, teaches through action, and radiates unwavering positivity.
Born in Morocco, Shachar lost his sight at the age of 10. When his family moved to Israel, he became a student at the Jewish Institute for the Blind in Jerusalem, (www.jewishblind.org) where he now serves as a teacher, mentor and master craftsman. Despite his blindness, Shachar possesses an extraordinary ability to fix things — bicycles, guitars, even kitchens — using his hands as his eyes. His philosophy is simple yet profound: “I never let my blindness lead me. I always make sure to lead my blindness.”
Shachar’s message isn’t just about overcoming obstacles, it’s about embracing life’s possibilities. In a series of speeches so far at local yeshiva day schools: Moriah, Yavneh, Noam and He’Atid, he spoke to nearly 1,000 children, teaching them a powerful lesson in resilience. Using a simple analogy, he explained: If someone gives you a bag with five pieces of candy and one is bad, you don’t throw away the whole bag — you savor the other four even more. He encouraged the students to apply this mindset to their own challenges, reminding them to focus on their strengths rather than their limitations.
At the private Teaneck workshops that he held on Sunday, May 4, generously hosted by Elad and Abby Cnaan on their front lawn, he not only inspired tens of children with bicycles in tow, but he fixed many problems they had with their bikes, from no brakes to bad gears. One of the young men exclaimed, “When I spend my year learning in Israel, I want to be your assistant!”
His determination started early. At 10 years old, Shachar was told that physical activity for him meant jumping in place or running in place. Unwilling to accept this, he demanded roller skates, and within a week, he was gliding around the campus of the Jewish Institute for the Blind. That same refusal to accept limitations led him to establish a bike fixing workshop at the institute, now open three days a week, where he teaches others how to repair and build with their hands.
Shachar’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity and positivity. He is a living reminder that setbacks don’t define us — our attitude and determination do. More than just a teacher and craftsman, he is an angel among the Jewish community, showing the world that anything is possible when one refuses to let circumstances hold them back.
