A lesson from a [gentile]!

goldrose

Sun, Jul 09 2006, 3:54 pm

At the place where my dh works, there is a friendly black janitor who's been there for a while.

Every time I walk into my dh's workplace and this guy sees me he says "hello mrs goldrose! How ya doin'?" (uses my dh's first name in place of goldrose).

I say, "Hi Cili, I'm doing good, how are you?"

And without fail, every single time, this black cleaning man replies, "Baku Shem!"

I always hit myself! This guy knows that a Jew is supposed to answer "boruch hashem" to "how are you?" and I forget, he remembers!!

MMEC123

Sun, Jul 09 2006, 3:58 pm

The Russian (non jewish) janitor at the school where I used to teach also used to say when asked how he was (in a thick Russian accent) "Baruch Hashem, thank you".

chen ↓

Mon, Jul 10 2006, 7:00 am

The nonJewish security guard and caretaker at my sons' yeshiva both answer "baruch Hashem" when you ask them how they are. It's my grin for the day, every time!

DefyGravity

Mon, Jul 10 2006, 7:15 am

My non-Jewish black neigbor in Crown Heights LOVED the Rebbi and felt a strong connection to him, he told me that he would often watch Rebbi videos!

He was a great (probably still is, but I don't live there) neigbor, when my landlord (frequently) left his garage open, which was full of expensive camera equipment, he would close it, no questions asked.

amother

Mon, Jul 10 2006, 5:52 pm

when I was in high school the gym teacher who is not jewish had really caught on in her many yrs there...she said baruch hashem and im yirtzeh hashem and chas veshalom...proper "ch" and all!!

the very best was when she would remind us to say yaleh v'yavo on rosh chodesh, lol!!!

I guess when u spend 15+ yrs in a girls high school u get some of this stuff...

it was bh a very positive experience that we had with a nonjewish lady

ny21 ↓

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 7:22 am

a black man delivered my furniture

I dropped two hundred dollers in my driveway!

that was the money that I was to pay him!!

I went looking for my money!

the man who delivered my furniture handed me my 200 dollers and said you dropped this!

what a nice man !

↑ chen ↓

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 8:05 am

momoftwins wrote:

the man who delivered my furniture handed me my 200 dollers and said you dropped this!

what a nice man !

I hope you gave him a generous tip?

↑ chen

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 8:07 am

I had a nonJewish coworker who used to tell me on Friday pm's in the winter "why are you still here? don't you have to go home?" and wish me a good shabbos.

↑ ny21

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 8:10 am

when he gave me -----my money that I have dropped in my driveway!

I gave him a nice tip -and told him admire his honesty!

Basya

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 8:30 am

When I was about 15, I went with my father to work and he told me that if his non jewish partner would stick out his hand to shake mine, I should shake it to avoid a chilul hashem. Sure enough, he put out his hand. as I shook it he looked at me with a smirk and said "your religion doesn't allow this-right?" I was mortified embarrassed

and I left my father to try to explain it to him.

mali

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 4:19 pm

Hey, where did the rest of this thread disappear to? shock

I think we have to face the issue that was addressed here and try to do something about it, instead of burying it.

shalhevet

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 4:22 pm

Some disappeared and some got changed:

Quote:

there is a friendly black janitor

(bold mine)

I agree with mali. Why shouldn't this issue be discussed? (Maybe in the controversial section)

gryp

Tue, Jul 11 2006, 4:37 pm

didnt we have numerous discussions about this?

people have different "racial" standards, and I really think there's really no use discussing it all again.

those who think "[gentile]" is a rude negative term will need to understand that although they think that way, others do not.
and that's life.

shopaholic

Wed, Jul 12 2006, 9:27 am

I think it was smart to change this thread. Lets stop discussing this subject already.

Andree who started working in Nosh World when it first opened about 15 years ago worked there until a few years ago. By that time he spoke fluent Hebrew - I heard him! It was hysterical.

Last week at the Shuk, the cashier ished me a Good Shabbos! Automatically I said, "You too!" Obviously there's no harm in saying it to her. Just funny!