Visiting Shuls While on Vacation

Many people tell me they like to visit synagogues when they are out of town or on vacation. I encourage you to do so. It is a great way to meet people and to see how much Jews have in common with each other, regardless of where we live.

While on vacation in Puerto Rico, I attended Friday night services at the Chabad synagogue and at the Conservative shul on Saturday morning. After Friday night services, we had a Shabbat dinner at the shul catered by the Rabbi’s wife. It gave us the chance to meet people from the Island and to enjoy the conversation afterwards. At the Kiddush after Saturday morning services, I met and schmoozed with and many nice people.

The Jewish journey is such that it has carried us through many lands throughout many ages. Some of the people I met told me that they had immigrated to Puerto Rico from Cuba in the 1960’s. Their families had originally come to Cuba as refugees from Turkey, and the Turkish migration was prompted by the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. It is amazing how Jews manage to preserve our identity despite all our travels and travails.

Not only did I enjoy services, have a couple of good meals, learn some history and meet some interesting people, but there was another benefit as well. That night my wife and I went to a local restaurant for dinner. As we were sitting there, in walked some of the folks I had met earlier in the day in shul. They warmly greeted us like old friends. Suddenly, because of going to Shabbat services while on vacation, I no longer felt as if I was a stranger who knew no one in a strange city. I felt connected to both some specific people and to being a part of the Jewish people.

The question, though, is if someone from out of town came and visited our synagogue, would they find you among the “locals” they would meet?

While Having Lunch with my Son

Sitting in a restaurant having lunch with my son recently, near a Metro stop, I noticed that most people walked by and ignored the Green Peace activists who were attempting to hand out their literature. I told my son that after we finished eating lunch, I was going to go and speak with them since it seemed that no one was giving them the time of day.

He told me that I shouldn’t waste my time on this, but instead could use my time better by studying Torah.

I explained that just that morning I had taught in our Wednesday morning Pirke Avot class the verse which says, “Always greet your fellow human beings with a friendly countenance.” By speaking to them, I was going to fulfill the mitzvah I had just taught earlier in the day.

A Child’s Question

When I was leading the services for our religious school, a child raised her hand and told me that her parents had told her that Jews constitute less than one percent of the world’s population. She told me she did not believe her parents since it seemed that there were a lot more Jews in the world than that.

Indeed, it is amazing how few Jews there are in the world in light of our impact on society relative to our numbers. The most recent issue of Vogue magazine listed the hundred most influential people in the United States. Rather than the one to three as one would expect based on our percentage of the population, a full 50%, one half of the 100 are Jewish.

So, what did I respond to the little girl? I told her that even though it may not seem that her parents are correct, they are. I also told her how important it is for us to be sure, since we are such a very small minority and we do have such a positive impact on the world, to make sure that the Jewish people continue to survive and thrive.

In a Mall in Virginia

I happened to be wearing my kippah recently when I was in a shopping mall. A young girl working at one of the cart-like booths in the mall approached and asked me if I speak Hebrew. I told her I did but did not have any time to speak with her about whatever product it was that she was selling and that I wasn’t interested in buying anything from her.

She immediately reassured me that she was not interested in selling me anything.

She then proceeded to ask me in Hebrew, what time Shabbat begins, since it was Thursday.

After I told her, she explained to me that since she is inside the mall, she cannot know what time sunset is and when Shabbat begins. It was important to her to know since she does not smoke on Shabbat. This young Israeli girl, far away from home who violates Shabbat by working, selling and handling money on Shabbat, nevertheless knows that there are certain observances she maintains. Since the prohibition against making fire on Shabbat is such a fundamental one, it is her means of staying connected to her faith, heritage and family.

As I have always said, something is better than nothing.

An Unusual Funeral

I was recently asked to officiate at the graveside internment of an elderly Jewish woman who had been married to a non Jew for over 65 years. Living in a remote area far away from the Jewish community, her children had not been raised as Jews.

I knew I would not be able to say kaddish since the only two Jews at the cemetery were myself and the deceased.

This is unfortunately not the first time I have officiated at a service where the individual who was being buried was the last in a line of Jews for that family. It is so easy for the link in the chain of tradition to be broken, which is one of the reasons I am so obsessed with Jewish continuity and Jewish survival.

The story could end here, but it turns out that her niece had officiated at the earlier part of the service, since she is a minister. I asked the niece how it was that she was related to the deceased, and she told me it was her mother’s sister – meaning that in reality, she was also Jewish.

As we left the cemetery, I turned to her and said, “I bet you would make a wonderful rabbi. I hope you will consider coming home.” I have since received an email asking me for resources. I guess it’s never too late to come home.