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Avrum Rosensweig, founding director of Canada's 'Ve'Ahavta' Jewish humanitarian organization. Last update - 15:09 29/07/2008 Jewish World / I'm so proud of my rabbinical family By Avrum Rosensweig Tags: Jewish World  My father believed that actualizing one's Judaism required a Jew to be out in the world, in the front lines of Ve'ahavta le rayecha kemocha- loving thy neighbor. I was born into an Orthodox rabbinical home, and I am the only son of five children. My childhood was unique. It was because my father, of blessed memory, Shragah Phyvle Rosensweig, was one of those originals, a Jewish cleric in a small community in Kitchener, Ontario Canada, who believed that actualizing ones Judaism required a Jew to be out in the world, in the front lines ofVe'ahavta le rayecha kemocha- loving thy neighbor. My four sisters and I were shown early on that the outside world beckons us, and when the needy, the poor and the marginalized reach out it was our job, regardless of our age, to respond to them. We were taught that when we saw a beggar in the street, to kneel down, look in her eyes and ask them their welfare. Those whom others called 'stray dogs' or 'strange people' were human beings who needed a hand or a place to nap in our home. Advertisement My father had a love affair with the Jewish people and Torah and committed his life to tending to the Jewish flock the way great men do. His accomplishments were vast, his pioneering spirit was intense. My father died in 1989 at 61 years of age. I am lucky to be proud of my father. Not everyone is. When my sisters and I were young we would often accompany my father on his weekly visits to a minimum security jail near our home, in a smaller city called Guelph. As children, we were not allowed to go into the jail cell area. Instead we would sit in the hallway on an uncomfortable, old rickety chair terrified we would be abducted by a jailbird trying to break out. (Great story - 'Rabbi's son Kidnapped in Daring Jail Break'. I have a Huckleberry Finn sort of imagination. It works even better when I was hanging from a branch over a creek.) In my mind's eyes I can see my little legs dangling over the chair inches away from the aged tiles, and kicking back and forth a tad more aggressively when a prisoner would walk by, his hands cuffed behind him, and legs shackled. I remember my nine-year-old body quivering and thinking, "those guys look so young, and so terribly sad." By virtue of love, my mother, Gitel Rosensweig, was/is a Rebbetzin. What I mean is: my father worked long and hard for his rabbinic ordination, studying the laws of 'milk and meat' and doing endless rabbinic gigs in small venues. My mother, however, secured her title of Rebbetzin through love and accepted this title when my father smashed the glass under the chuppah, in accordance with Jewish law. My mother had five children in six and a half years, she was a teacher, a councilor, a speaker and wore many hats as a rebbetzin in small community, and did it so well. So when the phone would ring in our home at 3 a.m. and the voice on the other end would say "Rabbi come quickly, my child is missing", both my parents jumped out of bed. My Mother would pull a suit out of the closet for my Father to wear, and my Father would prepare himself for the ordeal. She would walk with him to the door, no doubt with her arm slipped through his, asking him to call her at regular intervals. I don't know if he did or not. I recall waking one night, I was seven years, old and hearing boisterous singing in our living room. Tiredly, I moseyed out into the hall, peered into the living room and saw a jovial bearded man sitting on the couch, playing guitar, eyes turned heavenwards as he so sweetly, so passionately, sang a most pleasant and stirring song. My mother told me his name was Shlomo Carlebach, as she hurried off to ensure all the university students sitting around Shlomo and my Father were made to feel comfortable. My parents as a rabbinical team were the real deal. There was certain invincibility to the way they peddled their spiritual wares and a purity of spirit which allowed them to see the big picture yet act as spiritual leaders to the 'regular folk'. I once read about Vincent van Gogh's time as a minister in a coal mining town prior to his pursuit of painting: "He had given his clothes to the needy...he lived in a tumbledown hut. In van Gogh's view, 'loving one's neighbor could know no limits'". In van Gogh's world there were no ivory towers. He had a "self-sacrificing spirit." Such were my parents. Rarely did they have time to roll down their sleeves; barely did they find time for themselves. They worked hard. A sturdy rabbi is a warrior. A first-rate rebbetzin is a champion. Embrace your rabbi and rebbetzin as their commitment and connection to you and your community is likely a powerful one. This was the grandest lesson my parents could have taught us. I once heard about a study determining why righteous gentiles honored by Yad Vashem for saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust risked being killed, or having their family murdered to save Jews. Across the board, those courageous people responded they had been taught by their parents, as youngsters to get their finger nails dirty when someone needed help, regardless of who they were; to look at all humankind as being created equal. That was us, the Rosensweig clan. Our lesson on chesed (kindness) was magnificent, one I hope to duplicate with my two year old son, Noah River. Avrum Rosensweig is the founding director of Ve'ahavta: The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian & Relief Committee. Ve'ahavta is Canada's only Jewish organization dedicated to ensuring a Jewish response to world humanitarian disasters. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Calling it quits Beleaguered prime minister announces he will not run in Kadima party primaries. Obama's hunch Report: Obama 'gets the feeling' Israel to strike Iran if sanctions fail.   1.   Don`t have to be out in the world. love your neighbor in Israel 16:23  |  Starts at home 29/07/08   2.   jewish world 19:02  |  keren 29/07/08   3.   What a family! 20:26  |  Miransky 29/07/08   4.   To Avrum Rosensweig 22:52  |  Jose Marcio 29/07/08   5.   Like a beautiful song 15:41  |  king of Israel 30/07/08   6.   Rabbinical Family 17:52  |  Avrum Rosensweig 30/07/08   7.   Prophecy Fulfilled 19:51  |  Isaiah 30/07/08   8.   JEWISH VALUES BROUGHT CIVILITY TO A BARBARIC WORLD. 15:02  |  PETRA 31/07/08

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