A STORY

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Hirshy for receiving his Certificate of Bachelor of Science in Nursing! Michayil el Chayil Hirshy!

I heard a nice story this week which I think has a message to us for the 9 Days and Tisha BeAv, which I would like to share.

The story was about a New Yorker and an Israeli who were travelling together on an 11 hour flight, and the story was told over by the New Yorker.

The New Yorker was a middle- aged businessman, clean shaven, modern dressed and wearing a baseball cap over a kapel.

The Israeli had a shaven head and was wearing ear-rings, and had served in an elite army unit.

They had seats next to each other on an El Al flight.

So as the New Yorker boards and takes off his cap to reveal his Yarmulka, the Israeli says with a typical Israeli chutzpa "Just my luck - I always land up sitting next to some religious fanatic!"

And the New Yorker replies "And I always land up sitting next to some jerk - you got yours, and I got mine!"

After they settled into their places, the New Yorker says " Look we have an 11 hour flight in front of us. It is either going to be very unpleasant, or we can try and make something of it. I would prefer to make it pleasant."

And so they agreed and got talking.

They spoke for the whole trip, non stop, except for when the New Yorker got up to daven shacharit!

It turned out that the Israeli had some business where the New Yorker could help out with part of it, and the Israeli was keen to partner with him in that area.

At the end of the trip the Israeli said to him "I have gained from this trip, but how about you?"

So the New Yorker replied "You know what, maybe you can do me a small favour. When last did you put on Tefillin?" and he answered "30 years ago at my Barmitzvah."

"Could I therefore ask you to put on Tefillin now and just say the short Shema prayer. You are probably familiar with it because your unit says it before going out on some of their missions."

He agreed, put on the Tefillin and said Shema, and he then asked "I can understand what I have gained from this trip, but what have you gained from my putting on Tefillin?"

And the New Yorker answered "For me to see a Jew in Tefillin means a lot."

0ne year later the New Yorker visited his new partner in Israel to see how the business was doing.

The New Yorker told over, in a voice filled with tears, that the Israeli told him "I put on Tefillin every day, every single day!"

When 2 Jews get together, something starts to happen, especially when the hearts meet!

Gut Shabbos to all