Thank You

To Rabbi Orenstein who taught me that the most important value to live by to treat others with care and respect. I will always remember his sermon about going to the home of someone who invited him to dinner to thank him for a deed he had done. This hosting family was not Jewish or familiar with the rules of kashrut. So despite the fact that Rabbi Orenstein had explained his dietary restrictions, the family eagerly welcomed him and served an ellaborate lobster dinner. Rabbi Orenstein told the story explaining that he knew that this lobster dinner was a huge financial burden for his hosting family—showing how much they hoped to honor him. I remember him explaining his decision to eat the lobster dinner—that it was more important to him to honor his guests and keep them from feeling any embarrassment. To this day, I continue to think about that story as a reminder that living a noble life is to do everything possible to keep for allowing embarrassment or humiliation to another.

By: Jessica Cohen

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