One thing stood out for her, and until today, it holds a special place in her heart

Ask anyone involved in the business of politics and they’ll let you in on a secret: It’s nice — even important — to have your photo taken with a congressman, governor, or president, but that’s not where the real work happens. It’s the gatekeepers, legislative aides and staffers that are the keys to getting things done. The elected official sets the high-level political tone, but it’s largely the team behind the scenes that deals with the nitty-gritty details of policy.

That’s why a recent exchange between Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director for Government Affairs at the Illinois Agudah, and a high-level staffer was all the more gratifying. Rabbi Soroka reached out to schedule a meeting with a powerful rising politician from the Chicago area to discuss a particular issue of concern to the frum community. This official’s office was not too familiar with Orthodox Jews, and Rabbi Soroka was hoping to be able to impress upon them his community’s needs. The chief of staff originally wanted to schedule a meeting for Saturday, to which Rabbi Soroka replied that he’d love to meet any day, night, or weekend, but, as an Orthodox Jew, he was unable to meet on Shabbos. The message that came back from her was apologetic — the chief of staff was sorry about her blunder, as she knew a rabbi can’t meet on Shabbos, and she explained why: Her aunt worked as a housekeeper for an Orthodox family, and as a young girl she would often accompany her to help out on the Jewish holidays.

She then related that while she enjoyed the holiday food, one thing stood out for her, and until today, it holds a special place in her heart: The respect every single member of the family had for the holiness of the day.

For Rabbi Soroka, the personal memory she shared was a powerful lesson as to just how much impact all of us can have, even if we don’t realize people are watching. Some four decades after she had last experienced a Yom Tov seudah, a now-influential political player was eager to help out a community she knew was serious about its beliefs, thanks to the sincerity of a frum family she observed so long ago.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 889)