The purpose of this blog is to find the pintele Yid at the Shabbat table... Please share...
Happy Birthday shoutout to Amy and Happy Anniversary to Amy and Lawrence!
Last week's story was about poor Steve. This week went in the opposite direction.
"Steve" is already taken, so let's call this week's hero Joey.
Joey appeared at my office this week, not to see me but to conduct some repairs. Management had sent him.
Most of these guys are super-friendly. If you ask them about their work, they'll be happy to chat. Like the guy who came to install a new lock - I asked him his opinion about various lock qualities and he had plenty to say, and seemed pleased that someone cared about what he thinks.
But compared to average, Joey was unusually chatty. I merely praised his work and that was enough for him to start telling me about his training and experience. Within minutes he shifted to, "Yeah, I'm Catholic but my wife's Jewish. She does that Hannukah thing and all that, I don't mind, it don't bother me, it's kinda nice."
OK, that was an interesting and unexpected turn of the conversation. Was there even more?
Once the tap was removed, Joey's story came bubbling out. First it was about how the most important thing to him is to be a person of honesty and integrity, "If I make a mistake, I'll fix it, and if someone's a liar or a cheater, I won't have nothin to do with him."
After at least ten minutes, the real story came out: "On my father's side, I'm one part English Puritan, one part Roman Catholic. On my mother's side, I'm one part Episcopalian and one part Ashkenazi."
"What do you mean one part Ashkenazi?"
"Yeah, my grandmother was Polish Ashkenazi. She didn't want to talk about it, because she married my grandfather who was Episcopalian and all, but that's who she was."
Before I could comment, Joey starts showing pictures on his phone, of his grandmother, of his kids, of his DIY remodeling projects, of his hunting trophies. Another ten minutes.
Finally, as he was leaving, I said, "You know Joey, according to the rules, if your grandmother was Jewish, that means that your mother is Jewish. And if your mother is Jewish, that means that you're Jewish."
"I hear what you're saying, but I don't know, maybe it goes after the father - I have all these traditions and things that come from my father."
Question for your table — What would you have said at this point?
This is what I said:
"All that is on the outside. On the outside, you're your father's son. But on the inside you're Jewish. Maybe this Hannukah instead of watching your wife light the candles you can join her!"
Happy Birthday shoutout to Amy and Happy Anniversary to Amy and Lawrence!
"Steve" is already taken, so let's call this week's hero Joey.
Joey appeared at my office this week, not to see me but to conduct some repairs. Management had sent him.
Most of these guys are super-friendly. If you ask them about their work, they'll be happy to chat. Like the guy who came to install a new lock - I asked him his opinion about various lock qualities and he had plenty to say, and seemed pleased that someone cared about what he thinks.
But compared to average, Joey was unusually chatty. I merely praised his work and that was enough for him to start telling me about his training and experience. Within minutes he shifted to, "Yeah, I'm Catholic but my wife's Jewish. She does that Hannukah thing and all that, I don't mind, it don't bother me, it's kinda nice."
OK, that was an interesting and unexpected turn of the conversation. Was there even more?
Once the tap was removed, Joey's story came bubbling out. First it was about how the most important thing to him is to be a person of honesty and integrity, "If I make a mistake, I'll fix it, and if someone's a liar or a cheater, I won't have nothin to do with him."
After at least ten minutes, the real story came out: "On my father's side, I'm one part English Puritan, one part Roman Catholic. On my mother's side, I'm one part Episcopalian and one part Ashkenazi."
"What do you mean one part Ashkenazi?"
"Yeah, my grandmother was Polish Ashkenazi. She didn't want to talk about it, because she married my grandfather who was Episcopalian and all, but that's who she was."
Before I could comment, Joey starts showing pictures on his phone, of his grandmother, of his kids, of his DIY remodeling projects, of his hunting trophies. Another ten minutes.
Finally, as he was leaving, I said, "You know Joey, according to the rules, if your grandmother was Jewish, that means that your mother is Jewish. And if your mother is Jewish, that means that you're Jewish."
"I hear what you're saying, but I don't know, maybe it goes after the father - I have all these traditions and things that come from my father."
Question for your table — What would you have said at this point?
This is what I said:
"All that is on the outside. On the outside, you're your father's son. But on the inside you're Jewish. Maybe this Hannukah instead of watching your wife light the candles you can join her!"
Shabbat Shalom
PS - Do you know how many days til Channukah?
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