It's impossible, no matter how many years the rabbis come, to start anywhere but at their appearance: the long beards and yarmulkes and the black pants in the summer heat. They are so … not Wyoming.

There is also the fact of their appearance - Avraham Varnai and Mendel Sirota are here in Wyoming, in Casper on Wednesday, and Riverton and Lander Thursday, eyeing every town of 10 on Highway 20-26, wondering if there is a Jew there who has not seen a rabbi in years.

They get lost all the time.

"This happens every day," said Sirota after one wrong turn in Casper. They ascribe it to Divine Providence and say they find Jews whether they take the right exit or not.

Varnai, a 21-year-old from Vancouver, Canada, and 22-year-old Sirota from New Jersey, are members of the Lubavitcher sect and are part of Chabad, an organization of Hasidic Jews committed to spiritual and humanitarian aid.

Hundreds of Chabadnik rabbinical students like Varnai and Sirota every summer go around the world seeking out Jews who live in places without large Jewish communities, such as Wyoming and southern Colorado.

On Wednesday, they sought out Larry Pastor, a community manager at Affordable Residential Communities, a self-described "secular" Jew who wanted to connect with his culture.

When they arrived at his work, Pastor was busy meeting with people. Once he took them into a back room the words came tumbling out of the rabbis' mouths, so much learning and just a few minutes to impart it.

Half explaining and half apologizing, Pastor said he is not religious.

"I'm not either, but I'm learning," Varnai replied, not for the last time that day.

Varnai wrapped Pastor in Tefillin, leather straps attached to a small box containing scrolls of the Torah. Varnai and Pastor then recited Shema, a declaration of faith that commands Jews to bind the words to their head and arms.

It was the first time Pastor had laid Tefillin, though he recalled how his grandfather once did.

Afterward they put a Mezuzah, a scroll bearing the Shema prayer, on Pastor's doorpost.

None of this means that Pastor will go to Temple Beth-El in Casper every Friday, nor do the rabbis expect him to.

"You want to do something to give meaning to your life," Pastor said.

Next, the rabbis sought out a Jew from a list of names from the temple. The address was wrong so they asked a passing stranger for help. They are, at times, as much detectives as rabbis

Knock, knock on the door and McKinnon Wilkes, 22, answered. Actually the rabbis were looking for his mother Shar, but Varnai reasoned, "If your mom is Jewish, then you're Jewish."

Wilkes, however, did not want to lay Tefillin. He said he was not religious.

"It sort of seems sort of absurd," he said of the ritual.

The rabbis explained they do not seek to convert, only to encourage people to grow in their faith. So they began a debate, where McKinnon, who said he does not identify with religion and feels that it is often a divisive force, contended with the rabbis who argued the truth of revelation and God's laws.

It was a polite discussion, which probably would never be resolved. The rabbis said they felt invigorated by the talk.

McKinnon later complimented Varnai: "Your beard is so cool, I'd never shave a beard like that."

Varnai smiled. There was still lots of time left in the day to find Jews.