With a long flight ahead of us, we stopped first to grab a bite to eat. The line at the restaurant was extremely long, and we had a flight to catch, so we went to a patisserie instead.
While we waited to order, a mother and her two sons walked in and stood behind us.
“My name is Claude*,” the little boy said. “Do you like my haircut? I just got it!”
“It’s very nice!” I complimented him. He was such a cute, engaging child, it soon felt like we were best of friends.
“Are they enrolled in a Jewish school?” I asked his mother, Aimee*.
“No,” she answered. “It’s just too confusing. I don’t know where it is, what it would entail, and I’m sure it’s much too expensive!”
“It just so happens,” I said, “That we’re in the middle of a campaign to get every Jewish child enrolled in a Jewish school. Please, let me take down your information, and I’ll send you everything you need to know. You’re welcome to check out the school anytime you like!”
We soon had to leave for the airport, but Claude’s mother eventually did drop by the school. She was impressed with what she saw, and signed up both of her boys.
Claude is now our son’s classmate, and his older brother, who will be attending our yeshiva high school next year, was the star of the end-of-the-year performance.
Aimee regularly attends Torah Cafe, a morning program for women, created and led by my wife. Mothers drop off their children in school, and then join the program to daven, learn, and sing together, so that they, too, can deepen their Jewish knowledge.
A trip to nourish our bodies turned into a feast for the soul!
