|
I want to add this story about one of my friends. When he was in college and going through rush, the fraternity that he felt most comfortable with was historically Jewish. He was Christian, educated by the Sisters of Mercy and Jesuits.
After attending a couple of parties, many of the brothers were quite enthusiastic about him joining their fraternity. Quite late in the process. the brothers learned that my friend wasn't Jewish. While some of the brothers promoted him, he knew that the possibility of him joining this fraternity was fading fast.
When one of the brothers who was skeptical about him asked why should a Jewish fraternity offer a bid to a gentile, he said "Well, you guys might have need of a shabbos goy."
A lot of skeptics were won over when they realized that he knew a shabbos goy was, especially since a number of members had never heard the term (A shabbos goy, for those of you unfamilar with the term, is a Gentile employee of a Jewish household who job is to do those tasks that a observant Jew cannot do on the Sabbath; in some observant households, such tasks could be as mundane as turning on the lights.)
Needless to say, he got a bid and was a very active member. He married a Jewish woman, although neither ever converted to the other's religion. He and his wife will soon celebrate their silver wedding anniversary
|