On the Record with Rabbi Abraham Abraham Part 1
Sometimes, it takes a man of God to push the human body to its limits. Rabbi Abraham Abraham, of Coney Island, is one of these men, and has taken his physical form to a variety of hard-to-fathom extremes, the most recent of which was reclaiming the world record for holding one’s breath.
Rabbi Abraham had held the record for breath-holding (a little more than nine minutes) until magician David Blaine broke it on live television earlier this month. Not one to shy away from a challenge, on Sunday, Rabbi Abraham returned to the icy waters of Coney Island and held his breath under the waves for an astonishing 19 minutes and 18 seconds. It’s an impressive accomplishment for any individual, but Rabbi Abraham is an elderly man. Though he won’t reveal his age, he admitted that he recently became a great-great-great-grandfather.
To prepare for his breath-taking record-breaking, Rabbi Abraham spent two days sitting in a bathtub full of ice to slow his metabolism. While there, did not sleep, ate only ice, and remained in a state of constant movement. “After two days, I went to Brighton Beach, got in the Atlantic Ocean, and broke the record,” he said. After his amazing feat, he recovered by simply relaxing. Speaking with Rabbi Abraham the day after holding he held his breath, he said, “It takes a lot out of you, but I feel great. I feel fantastic.”
Despite his large number or years on this earth, Rabbi Abraham has thrown down the gauntlet, and hopes that Blaine will pick it up. The Rabbi has met the magician, and described him as “ a nice young man.” Rabbi Abraham is hopeful that the two can have a showdown in the shark tank at the Coney Island Aquarium where the can definitively determine once and for all which of the two can hold their breath longer.
On The Record With Rabbi Abraham Abraham, Part 2
In last week’s “On the Record,” we gave you the breakdown on Rabbi Abraham Abraham, who recently took back the world record for holding one’s breath from street-magician David Blaine. After a weekend spent in a bathtub full of ice, Rabbi Abraham, a great-great-great-grandfather, bested Blaine’s breath-holding record and set a new one, holding his own under the waters of Coney Island for an astonishing 19 minutes and 18 seconds. But, that’s not all that this biblical scholar is capable of.
Having started swimming as a young child, Rabbi Abraham joined the Ice Breakers swimming club in what many would call his “middle-age” years. As a member of Brooklyn’s oldest winter swimming team, Rabbi Abraham participates in group swimming events in the middle of New York City’s most frigid temperatures, a feat that would be met with reluctance if not refusal by men half his age.
Adding on to his inimitable tolerance for unbearably cold situations, Rabbi Abraham has also set a record for entombing himself in a coffin of ice. As a survivor of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, he barricaded himself in a small ice tomb for 110 hours, one hour for each floor of the Twin Towers, and set another world record.
In addition to his astounding tolerance for the cold, Rabbi Abraham has proven himself as a firewalker and a skydiver, all in the name of charity and goodwill.
“I visit the sick, the shut-ins, and those in prison,” he said. “Many of these people see me as a hero. I want to make people happy. When a sick person sees me accomplishing these feats, I feel like I can ask the sick to stand up. When I see them smile, I feel like I’m doing God’s work.”
