This Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, I’d like to take the opportunity to take a more contemplative approach and share memories of some of the great people I’ve been fortunate to meet.

With Rav Shmuel after a film shoot

One of the best things about what I do is that in the ten years since I started, I’ve had the privilege to interview thousands of people, among them some of Klal Yisrael’s most esteemed and influential.

“Who’s the most impressive person you’ve met?” is a question I get a lot.

To be honest, it’s a tough one. The people I speak to range from the ziknei roshei yeshivah to industry leaders, from rising stars with bright futures ahead of them to venerable elders with rich and glorious pasts. How do you quantify greatness? I’m not qualified to make that determination!

I usually sidestep the question by sharing stories of people I’ve met who have made the biggest impression on me; there’s something about being exposed to greatness in the actions of real people that has a powerful impact.

This Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, I’d like to take the opportunity to take a more contemplative approach and share memories of some of the great people I’ve been fortunate to meet.

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky

One of the first times I was asked to go to record divrei brachah at the home of the rosh yeshivah of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia was a hot summer day in mid-August 2018. The Rebbetzin was alive then, and I remember seeing her when we walked in; she was sitting and knitting by the light from the window. The room was dimly lit, and the Rebbetzin turned on all the lights and the air conditioning only after we entered — she wouldn’t use it just for herself.

When Rav Shmuel arrived home from yeshivah, he was extremely solicitous, asking multiple times what he could do to help. He didn’t feel it beneath him to assist us in setting up our equipment. When I asked him where I could find an available electrical outlet, he immediately began clearing space to allow for easier access.

What stands out the most in my mind is the moment when we realized the old-fashioned air conditioning window unit was making too much noise and would interfere with our audio quality.

“Can we turn off the air conditioner?” I asked.

Rav Shmuel agreed, but then he immediately began apologizing to me and my non-Jewish crew that the house was uncomfortably warm. He and the Rebbetzin were fine without it, but they were not happy that the crew would not be as cool as they were used to — even though we had asked that it be turned off for our sake.

Rav Shmuel also made sure — in his unassuming fashion — to get the name of the cinematographer, and he even recognized him on subsequent visits.

The selflessness and level of caring for others made a profound impact on me. I interact with many people from all walks of life on a daily basis, and the way Rav Shmuel and his Rebbetzin treated everyone as their equals is something I try to emulate.