The magical effect of two Jewish souls joining for a unified journey forward

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lami Mentorship, a division of Olami, the global outreach organization, partners young Jewish students or professionals who are embarking on their initial foray into Judaism with senior professionals who are longtime members of the frum community.

Operated by the dynamic Rabbi Shlomo Landau, the organization has effected transformational change in the lives of both mentees and mentors.

A story that took place two weeks ago depicts, somewhat literally, the magical effect of two Jewish souls joining for a unified journey forward.

Shortly before Purim, a young man named David Gliklich, who worked in the snack industry, signed up for a mentor. Rabbi Landau thought of the perfect “shidduch” — Aaron Zutler, cofounder of the wildly popular Popinsanity Gourmet Popcorn, was in a similar line of business and he figured the two would click.

Aaron and David began learning together and the relationship soon blossomed beyond the study sessions, with their conversations spanning business concerns, personal matters and, of course, spiritual aspirations. Aaron even made the necessary arrangements to have David’s line of snacks officially certified as kosher by the OU.

At one point, David told Aaron that he had begun donning tefillin and shared that he would love to own a pair of his own. Aaron immediately knew that this would be his next undertaking. He reached out to a philanthropist in the Five Towns who generously donates tefillin to any Jew seeking to return to his heritage, complete with a beautiful leather pouch with the recipient’s Hebrew name in elegantly embossed lettering.

As things had it, the Sweets and Snacks Expo, a major snack convention based out of Indianapolis, was set to take place just a few days later, running from May 13th to May 15th. Aaron, who was planning to attend, sponsored David’s attendance as well. Once at the convention, both he and David worked the floor, networking with the many participants. But with certain attendees, Aaron discussed more than business. Whenever he encountered a frum Jew, he asked, “What are you eating for supper?” The answers were remarkably similar: “A tuna fish sandwich,” “a salami sandwich,” etc. Each time, Aaron smiled in return and shared that he had arranged for a catered kosher meal to be served, giving the men the time and location.

Later that evening, once the group of frum men had gathered together for the meal, Aaron rose and made an announcement. “We are now going to be entertained by a magician!” he said. On cue, in walked a man carrying a large crate.

“Okay!” said the magician. “I am going to pick out someone in the crowd and read his mind. I will perceive something that this person really, really wants, and I will then pull that thing out of this box!”

Turning to look at David, he stared at him with a penetrating glare, then extended his hand into the box and withdrew… the tefillin pouch, with David’s Hebrew name. David reached out to accept his gift, and all in attendance, deeply moved, soon joined in an impromptu kumzitz. Aaron then delivered a speech where he shared his thoughts and feelings about the journey he and David had undergone together, growing as they taught, learned, shared, and discovered.

One of the attendees, a chassidish man named Yoili Laufer, expressed a concern. “David has tefillin,” he pointed out, “but what about a siddur?” And so he ordered a leather-bound siddur from ArtScroll with an English transliteration. A few weeks later, at an Olami Mentorship gathering, he presented this gift to David.

Rabbi Landau rose to speak.

“You know,” he said, “we have this amazing donor in the Five Towns who gives out pairs of tefillin. But we really need to be able to distribute siddurim along with them, just as Yoili did now.”

On the spot, Yoili committed to sponsoring another 60 siddurim.

A connection jumpstarted from a common business interest led to a relationship forged in a common heritage, mission, and destiny.

Bonus Round

When the Yeshiva of Cherry Hill, NJ realized that their planned crowdfunding campaign would overlap with a fundraiser for the Yeshiva of Rochester, which is led by the father of one of their own roshei yeshivah, Rabbi Yisrael Davidowitz, the hanhalah didn’t hesitate. Despite having already run ads and publicizing the dates, they quietly pushed everything off. Not out of strategy and not as a gimmick — just raw kibbud av taking precedence over any financial consideration for a yeshivah whose essence is adherence to Torah and mitzvos.

Happening in... Trenton, New Jersey

Last week, Trenton’s CURE Insurance Arena was filled to its 10,000-seat capacity for back-to-back events hosted by TAG for girls enrolled in its Hineini program — a yearlong curriculum that teaches future mothers in Klal Yisrael how to deal with the challenges of technology. Attendees heard chizuk and guidance from gedolim.

Lakewood Rosh Yeshivah Rav Dovid Schustal noted that just 18 months had elapsed since the passing of the venerated Mashgiach Rav Mattisyahu Solomon, who devoted so much of his energy in the last years of his life to this very battle. Rav Schustal reminded the attendees that when Rav Mattisyahu proposed the idea of the very first Internet asifah at Citi Field, he was met with skepticism, even from the majority of gedolei Yisrael at the time, for fear that the event would be a colossal failure. Yet together with the Skulener Rebbe, the Mashgiach insisted that it go forward.

Not only was that asifah not the failure some feared it would be, but it put the challenges of responsible tech use at the forefront of public consciousness. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Trenton’s arena — usually filled with rowdy fans hollering for their favorite athletes — where 10,000 bnos Yisrael sat dignified and refined, and hearing the words of our gedolim yet again.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1064)