I’ve gotten to meet and converse with some remarkable folks along my way…..
Met this Rabbi back in the day, and was just re-reading his book on Jewish literacy today! Very helpful and earnest book. And I always wanted to work in a synagogue for performing arts!

Funny fellow as well. Humor is necessary for inter-faith dialogue at the very least! Works between races and generations as well, i think!

“An Orthodox rabbi by training, Telushkin serves as a spiritual leader of the Los Angeles Synagogue for the Performing Arts, founded in 1972 by Rabbi Jerome Cutler. He is an associate of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership and a former director of education at the non-denominational Brandeis-Bardin Institute. Telushkin is also a Senior Associate with CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and is a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Book Council. He has been on the Newsweek list of the 50 most influential rabbis in America since 1997.”

Here’s what we talked about:
With I met the famous Rabbi Telushkin (a nice man who wrote a great book on “Jewish Literacy”) back in the day, when hosting him for a book fair at a local book shop i worked at, i asked only one question: what empowers or allows you to live out, your ethics? What causes you to be kind, at the end of the day? What empowers the fruits of the Spirit—gentleness, patience kindness etc?
It led to a mighty night of discussion, as they say. I was privileged to get to dialogue with the Rabbi, but i think i was also able to challenge him. Love meeting teachers, and treating them like people!
His book is still one of the best introductions to basic Judaism I’ve read. But a solid Jewish perspective on the Holy Spirit is what i felt like talking about that night!
My other question to him, then, was: “By what spirit were the prophets speaking?” It’s still an interesting question to me. By what Spirit are you speaking….the Rabbi was kind in answering. He put up with my 38 year old self’s questions and desire to dialogue!
Again, it’s always good to have your heart’s questions ready, especially when questioning a Rabbi. And get your jokes ready as well!