LOGICal eMOTIONs

How I Saved The Jewish People

// July 21st, 2007 // Logical Emotions

It just proves that you never know what kind of a situation you’re going to find yourself it, at any given time.

Ok, so I didn’t save the ENTIRE Jewish people, it was more like.. some.. and they were melting..

Colleen and I were walking over to the store to pick up a few things when I noticed this well dressed man across the street looking around for someone. He then spotted me and began to come over to our side of the street. Now, it’s morning, pre-coffee, pre-breakfast, I had been up for a total of 30 minutes so far, I haven’t shaved in a few days, I’m wearing jeans, a long sleeved SCUBA t-shirt, sunglasses, and my black flip-flops.

I noticed that when the man looked down the street to see if he was going to be creamed by an oncoming car, I noticed that he was wearing a Yamika – being a predominantly Jewish neighborhood with synagogues strewn about I figured he was likely going to ask for directions (I get asked all the time!).

When he arrived, the first thing he asked was “I was wondering if you could do me a favour?”, which in my mind immediately reduces the threat of unwanted solicitation for something… yeah, my issue, I know.

I responded with a smiling “Sure!” and he proceeded to tell me how someone forgot to turn on the air conditioning in their synagogue and being that it was the Sabbath, they weren’t allowed to use electricity. He was on the hunt for someone to flip the switch and save them from the heat, which lead him to me.

“You’re not Jewish are you?” he asked. “Um, no. No, I’m not.” I responded which resulted in an extremely relieved “Great! Just ignore ‘them’ and follow me!”.

So how just out of place can one feel in such a situation? Well, for me, I was 100% out of place. Ironically, Colleen was all dressed up because she was leaving soon after we got back for a day on the city with her mother, yet she couldn’t go in!

Well dressed man and I walk in, and whatever one does in a synagogue is in full swing. We stop briefly to ask Herschel where the switch is, and he indicates it’s up on the stage… Yes, that’s right, it is up on the stage which means we have to traverse a fair number of ‘followers’ to access the stage – well dressed man (heck, well dressed crowd!), and disheveled me. We reach the air conditioning control, he points to the switch, and I flick it to ‘Auto’, upon which I hear many sighs of relief from the masses behind me.

We shake hands for a job well done, and I calculate the most direct, unobtrusive path to the exit and book it receiving many a ‘Thank you!’ on my way out.

Now, was I embarrassed to be there? No.
Did I feel completely out of place? Absolutely!

As an atheist I find religion quite odd at the best of times, yet I respect other people’s beliefs, practices (as long as we’re in league with human rights), and places of worship.

I remember thinking as I was approaching the entrance, “Should I be wearing a little hat?”. For the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was called so settled on ‘little hat’ in my brain.

Out of respect for a place of worship (on their holiest day of the week) it was me who felt more uncomfortable than likely anyone else there.

The reality is that they invited me in to simply help them out, they didn’t care how I looked or dressed – so why should I care (in that instance)?

Regardless of how I dressed or felt, I got to meet a very nice individual, I was able to help out a group of people, I received praise for my work, I got that feeling you get when you help someone, and I got to see the inside of a synagogue in full swing without actually being a part of what is going on.

Hey, not bad for a Saturday morning 75′ from the apartment!

Had someone said “Tomorrow morning, because of your lack of faith in religion, you will be the savior to the Jewish people, and it will all be done with the flick of a switch”, I’d say they were joking.

Have a great weekend!

Photo by Hamed Saber

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