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    Comment of the Week: Mensch Makes a Minyan

    January 9, 2022 | 10:47 AM
    in COLUMNS
    15

    Shy Yellin says:

    I am the president of The Carlebach Shul, off West End Avenue. With many of our members and leadership out with Covid symptoms, this past Saturday, we were struggling for a quorum (minyan) of 10 men for our afternoon service. Around 4:30 I saw our honorable Congressman, Jerrold Nadler, walking down West End and asked him if he would like to help complete the quorum. Without missing a beat, he said yes and spent the next hour with us, and even was attentive as we discussed the relevance of the Biblical narrative of the Ten Plagues! It is rare that you have a civil servant so willing to pitch in without alternative motives. A real mensch. Thank you Congressman!

    Clip art by bitterjug.

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    Please limit comments to 150 words and keep them civil and relevant to the article at hand. Comments are closed after six days. Our primary goal is to create a safe and respectful space where a broad spectrum of voices can be heard. We welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage readers to engage critically with one another’s ideas, but never at the expense of civility. Disagreement is expected—even encouraged—but it must be expressed with care and consideration. Comments that take cheap shots, escalate conflict, or veer into ideological warfare detract from the constructive spirit we aim to cultivate. A detailed statement on comments and WSR policy can be read here.

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    15 Comments
    LL
    LL
    4 years ago

    Oh my gosh. Amazing. Very cool.

    0
    Reply
    Bob Lamm
    Bob Lamm
    4 years ago

    Great story. Thanks, Shy Yellin, for posting this.

    0
    Reply
    Bill S.
    Bill S.
    4 years ago

    Great story. Thx for posting. Jerry is the best.

    0
    Reply
    babrarus
    babrarus
    4 years ago

    And once Nadler retires (the sooner the better) he’ll have plenty of free time to spend in the shul.
    Term limits – now!

    0
    Reply
    NYYgirl
    NYYgirl
    4 years ago
    Reply to  babrarus

    Was it really necessary to comment on such a nice story with negativity? It wasn’t about politics, duh. Just a lovely recounting of local act of kindness.

    0
    Reply
    Jay
    Jay
    4 years ago
    Reply to  NYYgirl

    Well, he did/does push that ugly fact free Russiagate extremism, which is basically not different than McCarthyism and the still existent John Bircher garbage.

    And I’m someone who votes for Rep. Nadler, he’s far better than the people who’ve run against him in the last 20 years.

    0
    Reply
    NGE
    NGE
    4 years ago

    Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.

    0
    Reply
    Adrian K.
    Adrian K.
    4 years ago

    I don’t like Nadler’s policies and never voted for him. That being said he’s a real mensch and thanks for posting this great story. We need to all support our neighbors, especially now, even they have differing views…

    0
    Reply
    JJ
    JJ
    4 years ago

    Just the other day I told a friend that so many people think they are too busy or important to make time to help someone without reward, take a phone call from a nobody, etc. But so many genuinely successful people (this friend is a busy, important and gifted artist and professor, who I was thanking for his insights)always seem to have enough time to “give away.” A lesson in there somewhere!

    0
    Reply
    Ira kellman
    Ira kellman
    4 years ago

    He did attend yeshiva in his youth

    0
    Reply
    Alan Flacks
    Alan Flacks
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Ira kellman

    Crown Heights Yeshiva.
    And, yes, he is a mensch.
    Postscriptum:
    A minyan? Of ten men? Shall we “get modern” and why not a minyan of ten men AND women nowadays?

    0
    Reply
    Jay Schnapp
    Jay Schnapp
    4 years ago
    Reply to  Alan Flacks

    I don’t think you should be telling other people how to practice their religion.

    Most Orthodox minyons do not count women. (One of the payers thanks G-d for not making me a woman!)

    0
    Reply
    Leslie Rupert
    Leslie Rupert
    4 years ago

    I wouldn’t expect any less from Jerry Nadler.

    0
    Reply
    Someone else
    Someone else
    4 years ago

    Mr Yellin: I’m sure your intentions are good but I wondered why you shared this story naming Mr. Nadler. Isn’t he entitled to privacy? He is a public figure but he was doing a mitzvah not campaigning. Maybe for some reason he prefers to keep his worship private. I have been called to complete a minyan too and I don’t expect or want publicity.
    I agree that this story is heartwarming, but maybe it would have been so even without naming the person.Just my opinion.

    0
    Reply
    josilv
    josilv
    4 years ago

    Enough already. Good job and thank you Mr. Nadler

    0
    Reply

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