IT WAS MAYBE 8 OR 10 YEARS AGO AND I HAD NEVER BEEN INSIDE A JEWISH TEMPLE. I ASKED A PERSON AT MY WORKPLACE WHERE I COULD GO TO CHECK OUT A TEMPLE. MY CO-WORKER TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A TEMPLE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FROM WORK AND ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS THEY HAVE A SECTION OF THE TEMPLE SCHOOL WHERE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT SPEAKERS. SO I TOLD MY WIFE AND SHE SAID THAT I SHOULD GO. SO AFTER WORK ON THE NEXT WEDNESDAY I WALKED TO VALLEY BETH SHALOM BY MYSELF WITH A YALMEKE THAT I GOT FROM A FUNERAL SERVICE OR MAYBE FROM MY FATHER IN LAW. THERE WERE JUST A FEW PEOPLE WAITING OUTSIDE A LARGE ROOM OF A LARGE COMPLEX THAT WAS ALSO A SCHOOL. I WAS EARLY. I DID NOT KNOW ANYONE. THERE WAS A NICE GENTLEMAN WAITING ALSO SO I STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION AND EXPLAINED WHY I WAS THERE. HE LISTENED TO ME ATTENTIVELY AND I EXPRESSED THAT I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS AND I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. HE EXPLAINED THIS WAS NOT THE BIG TEMPLE AND TONIGHT WAS INFORMAL AND TO JUST “GO WITH THE FLOW”. I COULD HEAR A CHOIR THAT WAS INCREDIBLE AND I MADE A COMMENT TO HIM. HE SAID THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A CHOIR BUT THAT TONIGHT WAS A SPECIAL NIGHT! THERE WERE 6 OR 7 CANTORS THAT WOULD BE SPEAKING AND SINGING TONIGHT ! THEY SOUNDED INCREDIBLE. I WAS BROUGHT UP AS A CHRISTIAN AND WAS TAUGHT THAT THE JEWS WERE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD. I TOLD MY FATHER IN LAW THAT ONCE AND HE EXPLAINED THAT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED….. SOME JEWS WISHED GOD HAD CHOSEN SOMEBODY ELSE.

SO WHY WAS I THERE ? MY FATHER WAS ADOPTED OR MY LAST NAME WOULD HAVE BEEN “YETKE”. I DID NOT KNOW THAT GROWING UP. IT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN POLISH OR EVEN TURKISH. WHILE LOOKING UP SOME GENEOLOGY ON MY WIFES MAIDEN NAME, I SEARCHED A WEBSITE CALLED “JEWISH GEN.” I DID FIND THE NAME YETKE IN SOME OF THE GERMAN NECROLOGY LISTS IN POLAND. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING THAT IN A NUMBER OF NECROLOGY LISTS, MY WIFES MAIDEN NAME AND MY “TRUE” LAST NAME WERE LISTED IN THE SAME STEDTELS. ( VILLAGES ) SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. THAT IS WHY I WAS THERE…… THE DOORS OPEN AND WE ENTER AND I TOOK A SEAT AND I WAS VERY NERVOUS. RABBI FEINSTEIN SPOKE AND WELCOMED EVERYONE VERY NICELY. I BECAME STRANGELY COMFORTABLE VERY QUICKLY. THE RABBI EXPLAINED THAT THE CANTORS WOULD SPEAK INDIVIDUALLY AND SING INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HARMONY. I REMEMBER 6 MEN CANTORS AND 1 WOMAN CANTOR. IT WAS…”MOVING”. THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL IT IS THEIR PRIVLEDGE TO SING AND LIFT THE PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION TOWARDS HEAVEN AND TO THE ALMIGHTY. HEARING THAT AND HEARING THEM SING REALLY KNOCKED ME FOR A LOOP. IT WAS POWERFUL AND INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL.

SO THEY FINISH AFTER MAYBE AN HOUR OR 90 MINUTES. THERE WERE MANY ELDER LADIES WEARING VERY NICE PERFUMES AND THE MELANGE OF THESE SCENTS WAS INTOXICATING IN A WONDERFUL WAY. RABBI FEINSTEIN TELLS EVERYONE THAT REFRESHMENTS AND PASTRIES WOULD BE SERVED IN THE NEXT ROOM. I WENT TO THANK THE RABBI FOR THE EVENING AND INTRODUCE MYSELF AND HEAD FOR HOME. HE ASKED ME SOME QUESTIONS SO I TOLD HIM THE SAME STORY I JUST TOLD YOU. THE RABBI HAD ALOT OF PEOPLE STANDING ON LINE TO SPEAK TO HIM. I WAS GOING TO LEAVE. HE SPUN ME AROUND AND POINTED OUT A ELDERLY WHITE HAIRED GENTELMAN. HE TOLD ME HIS NAME WAS RABBI SCHULWEIS. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO GO TO THE RABBI SCHULWEIS AND TELL HIM EXACTLY WHAT I HAD JUST TOLD RABBI FEINSTEIN. SO…. I DID. THE ELDERLY RABBI SCHULWEISS GRABBED ME BY THE ARM AND DRAGS ME ACROSS THE ROOM AND HE GRABS A CANTOR AND SAYS “COME WITH ME”. SO WE ARE GOING UP THESE STAIRS TO THIS BIG BEAUTIFUL WOODEN “ARK” “IF THAT IS THE RIGHT WORD”. I AM SAYING THAT I DON’T THINK WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS ! THE CANTOR SAYS, RELAX ! HE IS A RABBI ! SO HE OPENS THE DOORS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL WOODEN ARK WITH THESE BIG OLD BEAUTIFUL SCROLLS (TORAHS). RABBI SCHULWEIS PULLS MY LAPELS AND PULLS MY HEAD DOWN AND LAYS HIS HANDS ON MY HEAD AND STARTS PRAYING AND THE CANTOR IS SINGING. IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL SPIRITUAL HIGH ! AS THE RABBI WAS CLOSING THE ARK, THE CANTOR ASKED ME IF I HAD EVER SEEN THESE BIG SCROLLS BEFORE. I HAD NOT, EXCEPT FOR THE SMALL SCROLL THAT GENE WILDER BROUGHT FROM POLAND IN THE MOVIE “THE FRISCO KID”. THE CANTOR STARTED TO SMILE AND TOLD ME TO TELL THE RABBI ! I TOLD HIM AND HE SMILED. THE CANTOR THEN EXPLAINED TO ME THAT RABBI SCHULWEIS WAS GENE WILDERS ADVISOR ON THAT MOVIE !!! WOW ! TALK ABOUT A HEAD RUSH ! I KNEW I WAS WHERE I NEEDED TO BE BUT WOW !! THE RABBI ASKED ME HOW I FELT. I TOLD HIM I FELT SOMETHING WONDERFUL AND NEW THAT I HAD NEVER FELT BEFORE. HE ASKED ME, ” WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NOW ? I ANSWERED THAT I JUST WANTED TO GO HOME AND TELL MY WIFE EVERYTHING!

HE JUST SAID….. THEN GO !! SO I WENT !……THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE THAT I GOT FROM THOSE PEOPLE I HAD NEVER MET BEFORE WAS..AMAZING !

A TRUE BLESSING !!! IT IS A BLESSING TO LIVE WHERE WE HAVE A VOICE AND A VOTE ! VOTE FOR BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD. VOTE FOR RIGHT VS. WRONG ! VOTE FOR TOLERANCE NOT HATRED.

DO NOT VOTE FOR VAIN AND ARROGANT MEN THAT DO NOT FEAR GOD

VOTE FOR UNITY, MUTUAL RESPECT, AND LOVE FOR ALL OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. AND YES… ESPECIALLY THE LOST SHEEP THAT HAVE GONE ASTRAY. OUR COUNTRY IS CHOKING ON HATRED AND LIES DAILY. WE NEED TRUTH AND JUSTICE NOT LIES AND INEQUALITY !

marc

SO SING AMERICA ! VOTE AMERICA ! I HAVE FAITH IN YOU ALL !

UNITED WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE WILL FALL !! UNITE US ALL !

PLEASE !

marc