* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
“Shalom, Sivan. I’m writing to you from far-off New Zealand. Recently you published a story about a small Jewish village that consisted of ten families. Every morning there was a minyan in the village because a man from each family felt responsible to ensure that there would be a minyan that day. But then another family moved to the village—family #11—and the next morning, there was no minyan. Everyone felt less responsibility towards the community…
The opposite situation occurred in our community this past Pesach. Even though we have a small community, there is a minyan, thank God, every Shabbat. But on the last day of Pesach, there was a huge rain storm. I was worried that there wouldn’t be a minyan that day.
Arnold is a 101-year-old member of our community. In just a few weeks, we will be celebrating his 102nd birthday. On the last day of Pesach, he woke up, noticed the weather outside, and said to his wife: “I’m worried that there won’t be a minyan today because of the weather.” So he walked in the rain to join our minyan.
When he arrived at shul, he told me what had happened to him that morning. I was amazed and moved by his story. Over the course of the prayer service, more and more people kept coming. Apparently, many people had worried about the weather so they had decided to come—specifically today—to ensure that there would be a minyan.
My wish is that each one of us should always feel as if he or she is the 'tenth person for the minyan'—important, precious, and special.’
With warm regards, Netanel Kaszovitz, rabbi of the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, New Zealand".
