Megillah, Summer 2003

Editorial

One day when we were little, my sister and I were each given 3 cents by an aunt. We ran to the candy store around the corner and each bought a Hershey candy bar. We went back to the steps of our row house and sat down to enjoy our purchase. My sister tore the wrapping off her candy bar and ate the delicious, smooth candy as quickly as she could, enjoying it in one burst of chewing and swallowing. I, on the other hand, deliberately nibbled my bar in measured bites, making it last as long as possible. She could not stand the way I ate my bar, and I thought she ate her candy so fast that she couldn't possibly enjoy it properly. We both had the same amount of candy; we both enjoyed it in our own fashion, but each of us was certain that the other was going about eating her bar the wrong way. But, in the final analysis, we both enjoyed our candy very much, and the enjoyment was more important than how we ate the candy bar.

We members of Nevey Shalom find ourselves in a similar situation. We are sharing our building with a sister synagogue. We find that each of our organizations has its own way of doing things. Do we agree with each other as to how things should be done? No. Are we each frustrated by the other synagogue's methods? Yes. Often. But, both synagogues get things done in their own way. And in this case, what we accomplish is certainly more important than how we get there.

My point is that we must learn to be more tolerant of each other's ways. Usually, I believe in the saying, "It's the journey that counts, not the destination." However, in our case, I believe it is the destination, not the way we get there, that counts. Our services and our joint affairs always end up being pleasant and enjoyable. Certainly, our prayers are for a common goal, and, we hope, reach HaShem as one voice. Couldn't we each try, then, to be a little more tolerant of each other and see, in the larger picture, what wonderful things we are accomplishing together, rather than looking at the differences?

Shalom.

~Bernice Cohen