positive story

Hello, Rabbi Jonathan.

I once again have to say "todah!" to you for our conversion. It continues to enrich our lives.

My in-laws are selling their home, and had a garage sale today. We assisted them. Our kids decided to help by building and running a lemonade stand, where they sold lemonade, water, pop, and even some brownies. This attracted a great many folks to my in-laws' garage.

Robbie/Rafael wore his kipah the entire time, of course. :)

The best part is that our kids decided from the very start that all of the proceeds from their sales would go to charity. They decided that the charity should help orphans. They even put on their sign "all sales go to charity." This they decided all on their own, but the idea sprang from their tzedakah efforts.

Our kids have been generous in the past, but never more so as they've been since our conversion. Another great gift of Judaism is our ability to convey to them tikkun olam. They readily understand it when presented in a Jewish context, where before it seemed baseless and thus unnecessary.

The sense of duty our children have adopted - again, without dictate from us - gives me great hope for the future of the world, and the future of the Klal Israel.

Thank you again for a gift that will reverberate for generations to come.