People The Week In News
JANUARY 9, 2020 | The Jewish Home
only to gentiles, but also to unaffiliated Jews. “The world judges God by watching the Jews,” Glaser reminds us that, and we bring glory to God’s name by loving each other. DTG: You play to all walks of Jewish life and have fans in every sector. This can be challenging, I imagine. How have you managed this? SG: Of my peers who play this circuit I am on, I don’t know of others who are shomer Shabbat. I can’t go from place to place on Shabbos. I have to explain to them my davening is acapella. There are some potential clients who can’t wrap their brains around it, these synagogues don’t feel they can reach people without the live music [which is so common now]. There are Saturday night challenges also, of course. And I need kosher food. It’s interesting what some people consider kosher! I try to make it as easy as possible. A lot of time I am buying what I need, like tuna and bagels in a supermarket. When there are no homes or hotels close to the synagogue, I have stayed on air mattresses in rabbis’ studies. Like Shlomo Carlebach, who would be out there wherever he needed to go, my motto is “Wherever there are Jews you’ll find me.” There are still some connecting today in this “velvet genocide.” Let’s get in there and do what we can. DTG: What is your goal?
SG: Our beautiful brothers and sisters tend to farm out the heavy lifting to clergy, thinking the rabbi will pray for them, the cantor will sing for them. I teach that we don’t have to rewrite the manual. We have incredible instructions for living. We just need to reread our notes! I encourage growth through mitzvot. Taking baby steps is the best way to go. Take it on and it will lead to more, mitzvot gererot mitzovt. Also, you can’t tear yourself away from community. Everyone has challenges where they live but that doesn’t mean they are off the hook; they have to learn
how to connect on their own, to learn and daven. I say: Take a chance with Hashem, act as if this G-d thing is real. Try it! I believe the chukkim are “emunah pellets” we can take. People think they are ancient and irrelevant, but by performing Hashem’s will when we don’t understand it, it launches you! If you have a balloon with holes it won’t fly. Patch up the holes, the excuses, and you have a balloon that can take you to the stratosphere. DTG: What was your greatest struggle in becoming observant? SG: One of my struggles was worrying that I would become a clone. I didn’t want to be a freak. I wanted to walk a fine line between “You-ish” and Jewish; I wanted to fully invest in Judaism, but I didn’t want to lose my uniqueness. I know many people who were completely disassociating from their past. That never resonated with me. Hashem gave us our unique past to get us where we are now. I believe all of us have something crucial to add. DTG: What was your greatest thrill in becoming observant? SG: A relationship with the Creator of Heaven and Earth is so powerful. I have always had a sense of wonder for the natural world, spending so much time in the outdoors, skiing and surfing, biking, etc. I see life as one big organic whole, and I’m able to take the natural experience
and connect it to G-d. I have always felt gratitude for what I have, and davening gave me a channel for my enthusiasm. I love being part of the frum world, getting grabbed for a minyan by the lockers at Disneyland. I can go to any shul, I love it! I can barely contain my excitement! DTG: What advice would you give someone becoming more observant? SG: You have to relax, start with what you already do, you just do it better, with more kavanah. Slow down, particularly when davening. It’s not just Breslovers who need to talk to Hashem: we need to have an openness and bring G-d our issues and make our relationship real. We all could use simchah. The verse says: “Ivdu es Hashem b’simchah—serve Hashem with joy.” The klallot (curses) come because we don’t serve Him with joy. We have to remember that. Sam’s joy is contagious; when reading the book, his enthusiasm shines through, while the friendly tone and personal stories allow the reader get to know Sam well. This would be a great gift for any Jew on the spectrum of observance, from unaffiliated to Orthodox. Any Jewish reader—with their mind and heart open—will be inspired by The Joy of Judaism. To purchase The Joy of Judaism, go to www.joyofjudasim.com or amazon.com. For more on Sam Glaser, see www.samglaser.com.
BY WYNDHAM
JERUSALEM
What makes this night different from all other nights?
This Passover we’re at the Ramada!
ותקין
ותקין
בוטיק
בוטיק
Spacious and fully accessorized guest rooms | Kosher LeMehadrin | Lavish holiday menu Fun Family Activities | Kids Club | Scolar in Residence Rabbi Shmuel Hershler
Wide range of attractive holiday packages
Reserve Now For reservations call: 02-6599950 | reservations@herzlhotel.com | www.jerusalemramadahotel.com
11