The Day Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ Kippah Blew Off by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
After I finished university, I was teaching philosophy. At the time most of my colleagues were Marxists, some were Jewish, most not, but almost all were irreligious or anti-religious. In those days I had no thought of eventually becoming a rabbi, but I did continue wearing my yarmulka at all times.
One particularly windy day, as I was crossing the playing fields, it blew off and instead of putting it back, I carried it until I reached the lecture room.
The next day the head of the department summoned me, “Is everything alright, Jonathan?” he asked.
“Yes” I replied, puzzled by his question. “it’s just that I saw you yesterday crossing the playing field not wearing your skullcap, and I wondered whether anything had happened”
It was an astonishing moment. I suddenly realized that though he wasn’t Jewish, he was deeply troubled at the thought that I might be losing my faith – whether out of philosophical doubt or the sheer isolation of being the only religious Jew on campus. I don’t know if even now I fully understand his reaction, but I think it meant that my being true to my faith was part of the security of his world. He wasn’t religious, nor Jewish, but in some obscure way it helped him know that there were people who were both, and if I give up, something larger was giving way.
Since then I have encountered these phenomena so many times, that I am tempted to assert them in the form of two principles. Which, if not always true, are true more often than not.
Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism, and they are embarrassed by Jews who are embarrassed by Judaism.
Non-Jews respect you when you say “You are you, and I am I. And I am a Jew.”