This week's issue features a conversation with Rabbi Heshy Weinreb the executive vice president emeritus of the Orthodox Union. Like in every interview with a fascinating person word counts and space constraints meant that some of the best and most interesting things that the good rabbi shared with me didn't find their way in or were cut down to fit. 

I think back to the day we met- a gorgeous summer morning on the scenic Monsey grounds adjoining his daughter's home- and remember one of the wonderful things about Rabbi Weinreb: the way he fuses so many roles international rabbi and lecturer with the sensitivities and approachability of the out of town rabbi his role for so long.

Among the stories and insights he shared with me was how he paid a visit to a small Jewish community in the Midwest one cold and wintry day. The rabbi of the local synagogue invited him to join him for mincha.

As Rabbi Weinreb recalled.

 “Because of the time of year the day was short and sunset was shortly after 4:00 PM. I told them that even in the larger Jewish community in which I lived then it was difficult to put together a minyan of ten adult men at that time of day. He assured me that there would be a minyan and said "Just come and see."

“We both arrived in shul where there were six or seven elderly men all retired so that they had the leisure to gather in shul so early in the afternoon. I told the rabbi that I still feared that we would not reach the required quorum of ten. He motioned to the rear door of the synagogue and said "Just watch."

“With about thirty seconds to go until the announced time for mincha I could see two bicycles pull up to the rear of the shul with two young boys dashing into the small shul. It seems that the rabbi had an arrangement with the local day school that they would send several students of bar mitzvah age each day to guarantee the minyan.”

 And he concluded. “I will never forget the enthusiastic welcome those two boys received. I will especially never forget the look on their faces when they realized how much they were appreciated how much they really counted.”

 Rabbi Weinreb shared with me that in his experience children raised in out of town environments had a stronger clearer sense of self while children raised in the larger Jewish community hubs were sometimes 'cynical and anonymous.”

As someone who lives out of town his words were especially meaningful to me. The story highlights the experience of Jews who live in smaller communities where no one is taken for granted and everyone has a significant role to play. In short everyone counts.

 So yes the trip in and out of New York can be a pain and you can't order cholent and overnight kugel at the local takeout place here on a Tuesday (even on Friday it's not so simple) like you can in Boro Park. New books and cd's and even Mishpacha Magazine comes here after the rest of the world has already read it: so it was nice to be reminded of the values of the life we've chosen.