GUEST RAMBLERS
JOSH KIDERMAN AND ETHAN WEISS
Belonging to JFX
by Josh Kiderman
Before I started JFX I was an outsider from Broadview Heights, and before that I grew up in Richmond Heights. I didn't know many people in the community besides some people from Friendship Circle and Yachad. JFX really connected me and helped me expand to the Jewish community.
Before JFX, I had trouble socializing, communicating, making friends, and understanding what it meant to be Jewish. I attended Workmen's Circle on Sundays for two years for Sunday school. I had my bar mitzvah right after September 11 on October 19. My Torah portion was Noah's Ark from Genesis. It was nice to meet family whom I had never met before who came from Tel Aviv, Toronto, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York City, Washington DC, Boston, Fredericksburg, Hartford, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh.
JFX feels like my bar mitzvah all over again, connecting people from all aspects of Judaism who are one big happy family from all over the world, and reconnecting people from Judaism in every place of the world.
I spoke to people in New York and other places and they’re all familiar with Ruchi's women's trip to Israel because they know someone who has been on the trip and said it was an amazing experience and life changer for them and how amazing JFX is.
Shabbat shalom,
Josh
Office Holiday Party
by Ethan Weiss
Last week I went to St. Louis for my team’s holiday party. When I travel for one night, I pack enough snacks to make it work food-wise. Two nights, I know I’ll need food and I start to research my options with the objective of keeping kosher. This was a two night trip with the party right in between two days of meetings.
I had recently seen my chavrusa (Torah study partner) with whom I study Emunah (faith). In the book we learn from, we had just reviewed the verse “shomer mitzvah lo yiday davar ra” - when a person performs a mitzvah, no harm will come of it. Our chapter further taught that not only is G-d sure to repay you, He can also sometimes give you more to gain.
With that teaching in mind, in the merit of honoring kashrut, I approached my boss. He knows I keep kosher, but again, I pretty much just take care of my eating myself and people are used to me not eating much when we’re out. I respected that he had worked with a caterer to open his home and host us. I wanted to participate, engage, have a couple of drinks with everyone, and certainly be part of the party.
They had a fantastic menu of heavy appetizers. When I said I’d be comfortable eating the basil cherry tomatoes and was looking forward to it, he couldn’t apologize quickly enough. “Ethan,” he said, “you need a protein.”
Thanks to an assist from JFX brother Drew Barnholtz, I was ready with the info for Kohn’s Kosher, St. Louis’ finest and best for me. We had a full day of meetings before the party and Mapquest showed them 20 minutes away; could I have them Uber me some food or somehow get to them?
I was actually a little nervous. Although people were used to my kippah and snacks, I’m sure I had never stood up for my kosher needs this overtly. And what he said next was something I had never heard in 20 years of corporate America:
“Why don’t you just text me some things you’d like for dinner. Because that does not take care of you for lunch. I would like to call and cater lunch for all of us from there, and ask them to bring a dinner for you as well.” I was so blown away with gratitude that I’m still thanking him.
I’ve been thinking since then, not only did no harm come out of my performing the mitzvah, I gained by having even more of my needs taken care of. And I felt proud that I had done what I really needed to do to honor my commitment, and sincerely take care of myself.
Lunch was so delicious. Everyone raved about the deli meat and salads. Eyes were now on my triple-wrapped cellophane plate of chicken tenders, kugel, and Israeli salad. I had plenty to share now, and they backed off for the moment when I promised they could see it again later.
Over the night I fielded my share of kosher questions as my team exhausted their curiosity and fantastic questions on me, while we sat around a house beautifully decorated albeit for a different holiday. Best of all, I wasn’t “that guy” at the party since my full belly - and more so, my pride - kept other good decision making intact. I enjoyed a couple of local St. Louis beers and stayed present.
One mitzvah opens a door and enables an opportunity for another mitzvah. You’ll never lose by doing what is right. And sometimes your dinner can also get you lunch and a whole lot more. As the days start to get longer, let our mitzvahs continue to spark, inspire, and grow brighter. “Shomer mitzvah lo yiday davar ra.”
Shabbat shalom,
Ethan
