Dear Matzav,
At a time of heightened negativity both from within and without, it is important to publicize this stark reminder of just how special, holy, noble, refined, and wonderful our nation is. Sometimes it takes an “outsider” to say, “Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov” and remind us just what it means to be an “am livadad yishkon” which shines forth a light of decency, morality, and kindness onto the nations of the world.
Read the post of a bus driver for a Jewish camp who “could not have asked for a better behaved, polite and grateful group of boys.”
The following are just some of the comments Sullivan County residents added to the post, showing how far reaching small acts can go when we make a Kiddush Hashem:
Karen Libowsky-Siegel: any of the religious customers I see where I work are very friendly, helpful and their children almost always help with bagging!
Stephanie Bonilla – Thank you for sharing your story, I agree with you those children were not polite by accident obviously they were raised by good parents.
Amanda Magee – Thanks for sharing. I run a summer taxi company and I have never had any issues with the Jewish community. There is so much hate in this world. It needs to stop. There are bad apples in every race/religion. Thank you!!
Heather Mary Engler – Thank you for posting the good! Too many times people ( in any situation) are so quick to post / focus on the negative it is so depressing! Please everyone post more positive experiences. Maybe some people’s eyes will open and they will start seeing more positives as well!!( lol hoping this makes sense)
Linda Zanetti – I drove school bus to a Jewish Day school for years. I was always respectful and the students were fantastic as was the Parents and the Rabbi. ♥️
Kristen Lee – Thanks for this post. Most everyone sees the whole culture as rude. They are most definitely not all rude. Before I moved up here, I worked at Walmart in customer service and they typically were the least disrespectful customers when speaking to me.
Thank you Matzav. This piece is indeed beautiful, refreshing, comforting, validating, and so much more. And besides being pleased with it having been posted, I am certain, as we probably all are, that this is more the rule than it is the exception (as the comment/posts testify). Such behavior is very helpful and should most definitely be expected of all of us.
It is, however, quite unlikely that this constitutes a kiddush HaShem. IF the young Bnei Milachim acted as they did out of a sense, great or small, that HaShem demands such behavior from us, then it would have been a great kiddush HaShem. Not because of the ultimate reaction of the driver, but because of the passengers and counselors and staff. To see Yidden be in a situation where unTorahlike behavior is tempting, and they conquer their own yetzer ha’ras and do what is expected of them by HaShem, a great kiddush HaShem has taken place. To “behave” because we are in public, because we don’t want the non-Jewish driver, or our neighbors to be upset with us, or because it will be better for us as a camp, as residents, or whatever, is NOT a kiddush HaShem. It’s good behavior. It’s prudent behavior. It’s politically correct. But it’s not kiddush HaShem.
But again, this piece is indeed beautiful, refreshing, comforting, validating, and so much more. Thank you Matzav for posting. Perhaps more such articles will help sensitize us to the way things should be. A much more positive outcome than the insensitivity that is cultivated through reading about machlokes, politics, etc.
Actually, I would venture to say, that it’s Matzav’s post that’s the real Kiddush Hashem. Since the accurate meaning of Kiddush Hashem means something that was done in front of Yidden, since Matzav’s primary readership is yidden, Matzav’s posting of this story maybe the real kiddus Hashem…