A Story to Share
Jo Ann Howard, President
As many of you know, I have several favorite books that I often turn to for inspiration. One of
them is Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, a book filled with stories to open the heart and
rekindle the spirit. I hope you will find it as meaningful as I do and let me know what you think
about its message.
“What It Means to Be a Mensch”
Rabbi Benjamin Levene
Retold by Rabbi Jack Riemer
I learned this story from Rabbi Benji Levene of Gesher, who lives in Jerusalem, Israel. Benji tells
of how, when he was a child, his saintly father, Rabbi Chaim Jacob Levene, tried out for a
position as rabbi in Jersey City, in a synagogue where Rabbi C. Y. Bloch, of blessed memory, had
served for many years. Although there were many other candidates for the position, Benji’s
father was chosen. When the chairman of the search committee called to tell him the news,
Benji’s father thanked him, but said he would need a week before he could give his answer. The
chairman was puzzled but granted the request, and at the end of the week, his father accepted
the position. It was only years later that that he learned the reason for his father’s delay.
“It was my father’s custom,” Benji said, “after we had settled into the community in Jersey City, to
visit the widow of Rabbi Block every Friday morning, and sometimes he would take me along.
We would go up several flights of stairs to her modest apartment, spend a quiet hour with her,
and my father would inform her of what was going on in the community. Once, my father had
an errand to do, so he excused himself and left me with the widow. She gave me cookies and a
soda, and then she said, “I am going to tell you a story, which I don’t want you to ever forget
“’When your father was asked to accept the position of rabbi here, he said he needed a few days
before he could give the committee an answer. Do you know why he did that? It was because
he wanted to come to see me.
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“’When he came in, he said, “I know that for many years you were the first lady of this
congregation, and I understand that it will be difficult for you, after all these years, to take your
husband’s place. The board has offered to make me the next rabbi, but I have not given them
an answer yet. I wanted to see you first, in order to ask your permission. If you want me to take
the position, I will, but if in any way you don’t want me to be here, I will leave right away.”’
“The widow told me that at that moment she started to cry, and she said to my father, ‘Now that
my husband is gone, who is there that cares about me or thinks what I feel is important? I am so
touched you came here today to ask my permission.’ And then she paused, ‘I told him, not only
do I want you to stay and be the rabbi, but now I feel as if my own son was taking the position.’
“Then, wiping her eyes behind her round granny glasses, she continued, ‘Only then did your
father do back and accept the position. And for the first year, he did not sit in the rabbi’s seat
on the pulpit in the synagogue, in deference to my husband’s memory. And he never told
anyone what I have just told you.’”
Benji Levene said that this story made more of an impression on him and taught him more
about what real piety is, than reading ten books of ethical instruction. “I learned,” he said, “that
sensitivity to the feelings of another human being is more important than concern for one’s own
status, position or power. My father’s behavior in that incident remains for me the archetype of
how a rabbi should act, of how a Jew should act, in fact, how all human beings should treat one
another.”
And now that you have finished the reading above, here’s some information about a mensch.
Mensch. What does this Jewish compliment actually mean?
There are few greater Jewish compliments than to call someone a mensch … although a
real mensch would of course be too modest to want to receive a compliment.
A mensch is a person on whom one can trust to act with honor and integrity. But the
Yiddish term means more than that: it also suggests someone who is kind and attentive.
Rabbi Neil Kurshan, author of the book ‘Raising Your Child to be a Mensch‘, characterizes it
as “responsibility fused with compassion, a feeling that one’s own personal needs and
desires are limited by the needs and desires of other people. A mensch acts with selfcontrol and humility, always sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others“.
TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM