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Rabbi Allen Freehling lived in New Orleans with his wife Lori after spending most of his career re-vitalizing University Synagogue in Los Angeles. They had taken up diving in California, and their first dive in Kona took place in 1994.

On one of their first dives with Jack’s Diving Locker, Allen and Lori had an extra-ordinary dive at what is now known as “Rabbi’s Reef”. It is one of our favorite Classic Dive trips.

They had recently made a generous donation to Malama Kai Foundation, the non-profit 501(c)3 Foundation that funds Hawaii’s Day-use Mooring Program. It seemed appropriate to call the newly protected dive site “Rabbi’s Reef”.

Allen made his last dive in 2015, at the age of 83, which likely makes him JDL’s eldest diver. Appropriately, that dive was made at Rabbi’s Reef.

On January 6 of this year, Lori visited this special spot to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of Allen’s passing. Allen’s positive and jovial demeanor will be missed on our boats (and elsewhere on the planet). But he is with us in spirit, especially when we immerse ourselves in the beauty of Rabbi’s Reef.

Learn more about the incredible life of Rabbi Allen, a lifelong human rights activist.