Question:
Can I ask you a personal question? Knowing you as a young boy, I never would have expected you would become a rabbi. What attracted you to Judaism? Why did you change your lifestyle from the happy Jewish upbringing you had? Was there a particular event that made you see the light?
Answer:
Spirituality is in again. There is a trend back towards tradition in the young Jewish world. And there are many different paths back to Judaism. Some people find comfort in Judaism after going through a tragedy. Others just feel there's an emptiness and void inside that Judaism fills. There are those that are turned on by a book written by a great Jewish thinker or an inspirational lecture from a brilliant rabbi. For me, my inspiration to explore Judaism came from the mouth of a four year old kid.
I was the son of a wonderful Jewish family. I was happy with my life, and had no reason to search for anything more than I had. Up until the age of thirteen, Judaism had meant to me a few quaint traditions, some childish holidays and a vague connection to a scattered people. I had never seen anyone who actually lived Judaism. That was to change when I met a family who were a part of a unique Jewish group - the Lubavitchers.
My brother was studying for his bar mitzvah, and his teacher invited us to his home for one of the holidays. In their home, I found a Judaism so different from anything I knew. They were religious but fun. They were fervent but open. They had clear values and beliefs, but were accepting of others. They had a passion for G-d and a sensitivity to man. There was something infectious about their enthusiasm and purity, and I felt that I wanted to hang around them.
My choice to identify with their lifestyle and take it on myself was not made overnight. Over time, the more I learnt, the more I liked, and whatever Jewish practices I tried - tefillin, Shabbos, Torah study - I simply enjoyed. No one missionised me or tried to "convert" me to their ways. They didn't have to. Observing their way of life was enough to attract me to it.
I can remember one particular event that stands out. Nothing dramatic, just one of those little moments of life that open our eyes and make us think.
On one of my visits, I had brought a bag of sweets for the children. I gave them to one of their sons, aged four at the time. Now, any healthy four year old is in heaven with a bag of lollies in his hand. I expected him to open them and start gobbling them down before his mother tells him to save them for later, or his brothers and sisters ask to share them. But he didn?t. What this little four year old did next will stay with me forever.
He took the bag of sweets to his mother, and asked, ?Mummy, are these kosher??. Having received a positive reply, he then opened the bag, took out a sweet and said a line in Hebrew ? a blessing thanking G-d for the food. Only then did he gobble it down.
This simple act struck me as astounding. A child who has been taught to control his cravings long enough to check with his mother and thank G-d - what greater basis for a moral life is there? There was something truly deep and special about this family. They had a spiritual drive and focus that had to come from somewhere. I wondered where they drew their inspiration from. I soon found out.
I noticed a painting on their wall of an old bearded rabbi. The kids told me, ?That?s the Rebbe?.
I asked, "Is he your grandfather?"
"No," answered their mother. "He is our inspiration. It was his teachings that brought me back to Judaism."
One man's vision - to bring vibrant and living Judaism to every corner of the world - had made it possible for this family and many others to create a haven of spirituality even here in Sydney.
Somewhere in my soul, I realised then that this Rebbe would become my inspiration, too.
Can I ask you a personal question? Knowing you as a young boy, I never would have expected you would become a rabbi. What attracted you to Judaism? Why did you change your lifestyle from the happy Jewish upbringing you had? Was there a particular event that made you see the light?
Answer:
Spirituality is in again. There is a trend back towards tradition in the young Jewish world. And there are many different paths back to Judaism. Some people find comfort in Judaism after going through a tragedy. Others just feel there's an emptiness and void inside that Judaism fills. There are those that are turned on by a book written by a great Jewish thinker or an inspirational lecture from a brilliant rabbi. For me, my inspiration to explore Judaism came from the mouth of a four year old kid.
I was the son of a wonderful Jewish family. I was happy with my life, and had no reason to search for anything more than I had. Up until the age of thirteen, Judaism had meant to me a few quaint traditions, some childish holidays and a vague connection to a scattered people. I had never seen anyone who actually lived Judaism. That was to change when I met a family who were a part of a unique Jewish group - the Lubavitchers.
My brother was studying for his bar mitzvah, and his teacher invited us to his home for one of the holidays. In their home, I found a Judaism so different from anything I knew. They were religious but fun. They were fervent but open. They had clear values and beliefs, but were accepting of others. They had a passion for G-d and a sensitivity to man. There was something infectious about their enthusiasm and purity, and I felt that I wanted to hang around them.
My choice to identify with their lifestyle and take it on myself was not made overnight. Over time, the more I learnt, the more I liked, and whatever Jewish practices I tried - tefillin, Shabbos, Torah study - I simply enjoyed. No one missionised me or tried to "convert" me to their ways. They didn't have to. Observing their way of life was enough to attract me to it.
I can remember one particular event that stands out. Nothing dramatic, just one of those little moments of life that open our eyes and make us think.
On one of my visits, I had brought a bag of sweets for the children. I gave them to one of their sons, aged four at the time. Now, any healthy four year old is in heaven with a bag of lollies in his hand. I expected him to open them and start gobbling them down before his mother tells him to save them for later, or his brothers and sisters ask to share them. But he didn?t. What this little four year old did next will stay with me forever.
He took the bag of sweets to his mother, and asked, ?Mummy, are these kosher??. Having received a positive reply, he then opened the bag, took out a sweet and said a line in Hebrew ? a blessing thanking G-d for the food. Only then did he gobble it down.
This simple act struck me as astounding. A child who has been taught to control his cravings long enough to check with his mother and thank G-d - what greater basis for a moral life is there? There was something truly deep and special about this family. They had a spiritual drive and focus that had to come from somewhere. I wondered where they drew their inspiration from. I soon found out.
I noticed a painting on their wall of an old bearded rabbi. The kids told me, ?That?s the Rebbe?.
I asked, "Is he your grandfather?"
"No," answered their mother. "He is our inspiration. It was his teachings that brought me back to Judaism."
One man's vision - to bring vibrant and living Judaism to every corner of the world - had made it possible for this family and many others to create a haven of spirituality even here in Sydney.
Somewhere in my soul, I realised then that this Rebbe would become my inspiration, too.