Out Of The Mailbag: Jewish Kindness

The following letter was submitted to YWN via email:

Dear YWN,

I would like to share a personal story with you that highlights some of the best aspects of Klal Yisroel.

This past Sunday, I was driving to Toronto from Brooklyn with my wife and four children. All was going well and we were making good time, until approx 10:30 pm. We were a few miles out of the Clarence Rest Stop on the NYS Thruway, not far from Exit 50 (near Buffalo), when a tar-like smell began to creep into my nostrils. I looked down at the RPM gauge of my minivan, and sure enough, the dial was gesticulating wildly, irrespective of whether I was accelerating or not. It was clearly a transmission problem (I had just had my transmission replaced about two months ago.) The mechanic had assured me that all was fine, however, clearly, all was not fine!

For better or worse, I decided to try and make it to the next service area, which was some 2-3 miles away. My minivan groaned under the strain, and would not go more than 30 mph, but baruch hashem we did make it to the safety of the service area.

As we were pulling in, I noticed another frum family sitting in a minivan. My wife quickly approached them and asked for some assistance. Here we were, hundreds of miles from home, and over 100 miles from our destination, in middle of the night (by this time it was after 11pm), with no way of getting to Toronto!

This kind family, a couple with some teen aged daughters, gladly offered to take two of my children to Toronto where my in-laws would pick them up! We quickly prepared a document for the Canadian border, explaining our predicament and allowing this wonderful family to cross without any hassles.

I know that the two wonderful Toronto families who assisted me would value their privacy, so I will not disclose their names. But I did want to give a public thanks on this forum to two selfless families who embody some of the best middos that Klal Yisrael has. I was so proud to be a frum Jew that night. I truly was.