30 September, 1-2 October | 22,23 & 24 Tishrei 5771

Special Shemini Atzeret, Simhat Torah & Shabbat
“With Only a Palm and a Fruit”

On Sunday, I received a text message from my brother.  It read as follows:

Two Hasidic Jews just approached me in the street with a large palm and a fruit.  I said happy Sukkot and they gave me the palm and fruit, put a kippah on my head, had me say two prayers with them and wished me a sweet year!  Oh New York!! Happy Sukkot to you!

I called him a few days later to follow up and got the whole story.  Apparently, James was on a photo shoot on Ellis Island and was walking towards Battery Park from his hotel when he was approached by a young Hasidic boy carrying a lulav and etrog (Or as my brother so aptly put it –a palm and a fruit).  The young man arousing James from his deep thought and slowing his usual brisk pace, asking him, “Are you Jewish?”  James, assuming that the boy was trying to sell him something and not wanting to be bothered, quickly responded, “I sure am!” and kept on walking.  By the time he was a few lengths away the boy yelled out, “Happy Sukkot!”   Immediately, James had a heavy, sinking feeling of guilt as the boy disappeared into the crowd.  He realized that this boy wasn’t trying to sell anything.  Instead he was just trying to connect with another Jewish soul. 

Later that day after his photo shoot, James made his way back through Battery Park returning to his hotel when he saw two older Hasidic men approaching people on the street.  Just as the boy earlier in the day, they were being passed by and ignored.  This is where the story took an amazing turn.  My brother James yells to the men, “Happy Sukkot!”  As their faces lit up they anxiously inquired, “Are you Jewish?”  James responded, “I sure am!” and the rest is … text-message history.

I kept trying to visualize how bizarre this scene must have appeared to onlookers.  In the middle of Wall Street, with all the gray and black of the concrete and skyscrapers, there is my brother shaking a lulav and etrog.  It is reasonable to assume that these were the only objects around with such vibrant colors of green and yellow.  As my brother is retelling this story to me he continued to return to the core of the experience – Connection.  He noted how connected he felt to these two men who not only facilitated his doing a mitzvah but they shared in the learning and spiritual connection of this experience as well.  James mentioned a connection he had with the environment.  The smell of the four species that were placed in his hands along with their vibrant colors reminded him of the seasons.  In the streets of Manhattan, where temperature is often the sole indicator of a shift in the season, these ritual objects connected him to the environmental shift that was quickly taking place; namely the end of summer and beginning of fall. And finally, James described a connection to his heritage; his Jewish-ness.   Although he often describes himself as a non-practicing Jew, for just a few moments, James became a practicing one. 

I loved getting this text from my brother and I enjoyed hearing the story over the phone even more.  And although we, in Atlanta, do not feel the same hustle and bustle of life as if we were standing at a New York street corner, our lives move very much like James’s experience.  We have our work and our play; our families and our friends and it is often difficult to find time for our Jewish-ness.  We at Ahavath Achim are constantly trying to get your attention through e-blasts, AA-Family News, Beineinu news-letter, Facebook, twitter, the list goes on and on.  We try to offer classes, services and other opportunities that are exciting and engaging.  In essence, we are like the Hasidic Jews on the street corner trying to get you to do a mitzvah.  However, at the end of the day, the only way you are going to be engaged is if you slow your brisk pace, look up from your busy thoughts and ENGAGE.  If you do, I promise we will put more in your hands than just a palm and a fruit.

Shabbat Shalom