Was on the subway late on a Friday (read within the 18 minutes) when a 20 something year old boy and girl walk over to me on the subway and smile. I’m definitely gonna get bageled and these people look foreign/european. I’m prepared as I look up from my intense brickbreaker game. Suddenly there is a rapid fire sentence of Hebrew - and if it wasnt for the fact that I was too excited in anticipation the bageling - I would have listened to what they said. Slight problem is, I dont speak a word of hebrew (thanks yeshiva day school). My obvious assumption was they were wondering what time shabbos is. Since chances are they are like me and use the 18 minutes generously. So I guesstimate in my head and say proudly that shabbat starts at around 8:15pm. they look at eachother and then back at me, confused.
The guy responds and clarifies: “eh I ask you does the train stop at 72nd st?” which I respond sadly, “Cain.”
No words needed in the morning. (And if someone does try talking to you in the morning they should be chayiv misa)
No matter how packed the train car is, just break out your pocket siddur (girls), or pocket rashi chumash (guys) and move your lips in that way only Jews and/or crazy people can do.
Occasionally I will walk to shul on shabbos on the boardwalk and take in the beautiful and now infamous ‘Jersey shore’ on a saturday morning, easily it’s most busy day. Because bikes are not allowed after 10AM the drag, from the end of Margate through the Atlantic City casino row, is a mob scene of casual bikers, joggers, runners and walkers.
For those who do not know, Atlantic City/Ventnor is a hot-bed for Jewish retirees mainly from the greater Philadelphia area. The boardwalk has quadruple the Jews on a saturday morning than all the synagogues combined. So as soon as I am off to shul I will get a parade of bagels (easily 5-10 every walk) from guys in spandex jogging with chai necklaces, a minion of bubbies powerwalking, a biker who could pass as my 4th grade rebbe, all of them basking in the shore sun and wishing me a good shabbos/shabbat shalom/ a mah nishma?.
One guy was jogging and noticed it was almost 10AM said to me, “you’re late! The synagogue started an hour ago!” smiled and went back to shukkling his iPod and kept jogging.
A few years ago my wife and I attended a conference in Puerto Rico that lasted over shabbos. What to do on a beautiful shabbos afternoon in PR? We grabbed a few sodas/waters from our room, a couple of novels & headed out to sit by the pool & enjoy a shabbos afternoon relaxing stretch.
No sooner had we gotten comfortable than a few young kids in bathing suits (“kids” seem to be getting older & older these days - they were probably 19-20!) sat down in the chairs next to us. We couldn’t help but overhear the conversation - two of them were trying to convince the third how much of a positive experience he would have if only…he would travel to Israel on a Birthright tour!
Their final word? “Just ask that couple (us) - they’ll tell you the same thing!”
Many years ago my wife and I were vacationing with another couple in the Berkshires and we were enjoying a moment in the sun, just sitting on the grass in a park. An older couple walked by, and, noticing the kippot on the heads of both me and our friend Dov, leaned over and said sympathetically: “You’re going to have a hard time finding a kosher restaurant around here,” before walking on.
My brother-in-law and sister were invited to attend a Yankees game and were privileged to be seated in the Legends Suite area. Apparently, it is but one step removed from Olam Haba if you are a baseball fan. It is for the elite and the opulence is ridiculous. Between one of the innings, my brother-in-law, who was wearing his yarmulke (and has a short beard) went up to the area where the open bar is and all the free food is laid out. Its basically a lounge area. Upon walking in, he noticed someone who looked familiar who was in mid-conversation with someone else. The person noticed my brother-in-law walk in, looked him dead in the eye, stopped his conversations, and said with a big smile “Hello, Bubbeleh!” and then continued his conversation.
My wife and I were in Cozumel as our last stop on a Caribbean cruise. We were checking out jewelry and a salesperson said you’ve got to talk to our manager. I thought, here comes the old fashioned hard core sales technique when the manager comes over and asks in Hebrew if we need a place for Shabbos! We did not but got the location of a new Kosher restaurant for lunch. We then caught a taxi to some Mayan ruins and on the way back shared a ride with an ordinary looking couple from a different cruise line. They complained to us that their cruise had no kosher food so we invited them to join us for lunch (they passed confirming my theory that they never asked for kosher food on their cruise and were just bageling). After a delicious lunch in the top floor of a mall, we went downstairs and right outside on the bench was an elderly religious couple. They were exhausted and asked if we knew any place they could get some kosher refreshment. We of course told them that they happened to be sitting in front of the only Kosher restaurant in Cozumel - triple play bagel!
My brother and I were at the Grand Canyon when we noticed a man wearing black pants and a baseball hat, with 5 boys all wearing baseball caps. His wife had a skirt. We walked over and said “Shalom Alaichem reb yid” He turns to me and said “how can you tell?”
Was on the subway late on a Friday (read within the 18 minutes) when a 20 something year old boy and girl walk over to me on the subway and smile. I’m definitely gonna get bageled and these people look foreign/european. I’m prepared as I look up from my intense brickbreaker game. Suddenly there is a rapid fire sentence of Hebrew - and if it wasnt for the fact that I was too excited in anticipation the bageling - I would have listened to what they said. Slight problem is, I dont speak a word of hebrew (thanks yeshiva day school). My obvious assumption was they were wondering what time shabbos is. Since chances are they are like me and use the 18 minutes generously. So I guesstimate in my head and say proudly that shabbat starts at around 8:15pm. they look at eachother and then back at me, confused.
