by Chavi Horowitz
Many years ago, I taught Hebrew
school in Randallstown, Maryland. In my class was a young man from a completely
irreligious background who had a very illustrious last name in Lithuanian
Orthodox circles. Clearly, this young man was a scion of one of the most famous
families of Torah luminaries in the last 200 years. It was painful to see
how ignorant he was of his heritage and neither knew nor cared about Judaism in
any way. Fast forward many years. A young woman came looking for a wedding gown
from my collection. She came with her fiancé, who waited in the living room
while she tried on gowns in the basement. It seemed that both he and she were baalei
teshuva from irreligious families who had found the beauty of Torah life on
their own. As the conversation progressed, it became apparent that the young
man was none other than the brother of the boy I had taught in Hebrew school
years before. He, of course, was also a scion of the same Torah dynasty, and
here he was, a fully committed Torah Jew! I cried when I realized this! Hashem
does not forget, and the tears of parents and grandparents eventually bear
fruit!
Also many years ago, I went to New
York to purchase gowns for me bridal gown gemach. The woman who
owned the bridal shop was very kind and helpful. After I had selected a good
number of gowns to purchase, she lifted up another gown and said, “This gown
has been here for a while and was never worn. I am going to give it to you as a
donation for your gemach.” I thanked her profusely, loaded the car
with my loot, and headed home. The very next day, a girl came to the gemach
and chose that dress that had never been worn in New York. It was not taken in
New York because it was destined to be the wedding gown of a girl who was in
Baltimore! Everything in our lives is bashert!
