Respect

Dear Rebbe, I have a story for you (page 2)

That first Christmas, there was no celebration of Hanukkah. No gifts, no lights and no cards even to her family. The second Christmas was no different.

The third Christmas was. On Thanksgiving day, we were walking on 65th Street all the way to the end of the West Side. We found ourselves in front of Lincoln Square Synagogue, and suddenly Susan wanted to go inside. For no reason at all, she insisted we go inside. It was a fateful step for her, for us. We walked into a small hall where there was a lecture in progress. I remember vividly a woman named Blu Greenberg who spoke about traditional values, and then another woman, Bronya Shaffer, who spoke about the quest for a holy life in a wonderful material world. She was a follower of yours, and she changed the course of our lives.

Susan and I spoke with Mrs. Shaffer for a long time, mostly asking questions about the spiritual avenues open for Jewish women. I had never met as compassionate and caring a person as Mrs. Shaffer, and in a very short time we were openly and honestly telling her about our love and our plans for the future, including someday getting married in a church. Mrs. Shaffer acknowledged my religion with respect, and even acknowledged Sue's desire to convert, but she insisted on one thing. She told Susan that if she were seriously contemplating such a drastic change in her life, it would have to be done in honesty, as a Jew.