Robert Davis (name changed) is a secular Jew who lives near the chassidish neighborhood in Montreal. He is a left-wing filmmaker who has produced films portraying Orthodox Jews in a very negative light. A chassid from Montreal once met him in a supermarket looking for a yahrtzeit candle, and they developed a relationship. Although he is far from frum, he has changed his view of religious Jews.
One day, Davis sent his chassidish friend an article by a Modern Orthodox Jew who had moved to Williamsburg. When he first arrived, the author was afraid to go to shul on Shabbos, fearing he would be judged, denigrated, and branded an outsider. He had read so many horror stories. But when he arrived, he was warmly welcomed and given an aliyah. He joined the kiddush after davening.
“They redefined for me what hachnassas orchim should look and feel like,” the writer declared. “With small and intentional gestures, the divide between us seemed insignificant.” He noted that they had reminded him of the Baal Shem Tov: “Be careful when you pass judgment on another; it is yourself whom you may be judging.”
Davis noted to his friend: “Great story. Very similar to what I experienced with you!”
Robert Davis’s next documentary about Orthodox Jews is likely to be a source of kiddush Hashem. And there is no question that his new friend, along with the members of the shul in Williamsburg, deserve the credit for that.
Reproduced from A Life Worth Living by Rabbi Shraga Freedman with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.
