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http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
SITTING NEXT TO STRANGERS can prove to be the most interesting of
experiences.
In my case, the conversation began rather routinely. I took my
window seat on the plane and started to exchange pleasantries with the woman
next to me about the weather. Debra was about my age and was traveling with
her husband for a long weekend vacation. They had left their 1-year-old son
at home with his grandmother.
Debra and I continued chatting, though I had in mind that after the
requisite few minutes, I would push my seat back and drift off to sleep on
this early morning flight. But Debra, having overheard the stewardess inform
me that they had my kosher meal, was curious to know whether I was Jewish.
When I answered in the affirmative, she wanted to know "what kind of Jew" I
was. Turns out, Debra, who introduced herself as a Christian, had worked for
a Jewish social service agency and had been exposed to Jews from the Reform
to the Orthodox communities.
Debra explained that she and her husband say whatever comes from the
heart. In this case, they had prayed that G-d give the pilot wisdom to bring
us to our destination safely.
She began to tell me her story. Although she had been reared a
Christian, she always felt "something missing."
"I didn't think much about religion," she explained. "I thought that
if only I had more friends, or got involved in school or other activities,
I'd find some meaning. Of course, that didn't answer the problem, and it was
only during college that I began to seriously think about G-d and the role
of faith in my life."
She began reading the Bible, from start to finish, and realized she had to
answer one fundamental question: "I had to decide whether Jesus died for me
or whether he didn't, and if he did, then I had to live my life
accordingly."
In the end, she found meaning in evangelical Christianity, which
affords her "a direct link to Jesus." She met her husband through a related
social circle, and their life now revolves largely around their church.
Debra was clearly fascinated by my own religious practice, so,
resigned to the fact that I would not get any sleep on this flight, I
decided to "share" my experiences with her. She had plenty of questions
about Orthodox Jewish life, practices, rituals, celebrations, and even
social mores. The latter, she felt, was something she shared with her Jewish
brethren.
What struck me about Debra was that her path to faith -- the factors
that led her to seek out a faith -- mirrors many paths in our own community.
One could have easily substituted the word "Jewish" for "Christian" in her
story (until the part about Jesus, of course). I've often heard newly
affiliated Jews, Jews who grew up without much of a Jewish community, speak
of a void in their lives that they tried filling in a number of ways, all
unsuccessful. When they come to Judaism, in whatever expression, they feel a
certain harmony, as Debra did when she turned to evangelism.
I found myself wondering whether her feeling of kinship to Jews extended
beyond mere affinity, to perhaps a desire to convince me of her "Truth." Did
she sense an opportunity here to share her message? And what was her
message, exactly?
I got my answer at the end of our journey. As the plane landed, she
turned to me with a smile and said, "Looks like G-d answered our prayers."
A simple prayer, a simple message, and a profound Truth that we both
share,
Jewish World Review Nov. 3, 1999 / 22 Mar-Cheshvan, 5760
Plane Truths
By Brigitte Dayan
When I took out my pocket prayer book to recite tefilas haderech, the short
prayer said when going on a journey, Debra chimed in that she and her
husband had also said their prayer for a safe journey right before I boarded
the plane. This, naturally, piqued my curiosity. Do they use a set text, as
Jews do, and what does this prayer say? I had never heard of a Christian
prayer for such an occasion.
"My husband and I were quite chaste during our courtship, and we
believe in getting married early, so we didn't date very long," she said.
"In that sense, I've always felt a certain kinship to Orthodox Jews."
JWR contributor Brigitte Dayan is managing editor of the
JUF News, a monthly published by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Contact the author or the magazine by either clicking here, or calling (312) 444-2853.
