“Ms. Sarah, May I please have one of your scrolls?” asked little Yehuda on that warm, humid summer morning. All tidied up in his Mondays best, I sweat profusely just glancing at this poor little boy stifled by his cardboard-like button down, tucked into his belted stiffly ironed pants adorned with mid-knee length Tzitzis. This get-up along with his 80s style Oakleys (which he never removed in all 2 hours of knowing him) left him looking like a shrunken 35 year old at Disney World…minus the fanny pack. Yet poor Yehuda had unfortunately lost his Yamaca multiple times while completing the crab-walk portion of our relay race, so I wanted nothing more than to please him. This was the day that an orthodox Jewish elementary school came to our fishing program on the west side highway.
Upon hearing his seemingly outlandish request, I wanted to inform him that I am probably the most gentile looking individual on the island on Manhattan, and beyond that, why would I carry an entire golf cart full of Torahs out to a fishing and recreation program? He asked so sincerely and politely though, surely he could not be kidding!
I turned around and realized that he was pointing at fish posters that we gave away to our program participants who make a catch. All tightly wound up and bound by plastic tubing and a rubber band, I tried to contain my overwhelming urge to cackle wildly at this cultural assumption that all rolled papers were scrolls. At least 10 jokes relating to Harry Potter and general wizardry raced through my head as I reluctantly bit my tongue, smiled and passed him a poster without correcting him.
Takeaways?
Never help young Orthodox pick up their Yamacas during recreational activity..it will hugely upset the Rabbis.
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