Mentchlikeit I

Last week I had the pleasure of talking to C. in my study about his interest in conversion. C. has been coming to shul off an on for the last few years. I did not know this, but when C. first came to Beth Shalom, Martin Samuels z“l appointed himself the younger man’s mentor. He made sure C. knew where we were in the siddur and taught him the Shema.

C. has been away from Beth Shalom for a while. Sadly, on his return he learned that Martin passed away. It was clear to me that Martin’s caring had touched C. deeply and that Martin had significantly helped him along his path. Martin’s mentchlikeit still lives in this man, who knows in his soul that Judaism is a path of compassion, not because of anything he has read or been taught, but because of what he himself has experienced in shul. This is how it should work.