My Coffee

I’d like to share with you an experience I had this week. As I was sitting in a coffee shop preparing the weekly class, I noticed a strange phenomenon: a number of customers walked into the shop one at a time, chatted with the Barista and then all sat down at a table together without having placed an order. When a manager joined them, it was clear that they were trainees. The principal message imparted to the trainees was that customers coming in to get coffee, should get more then just receiving a drink. It should be, and I quote, ‘The Experience’.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that from everything that one sees or hears, one should try to learn a lesson. What could I learn from seeing this? Why did Divine Providence arrange for this to be shown to me while I was preparing a class? I realized that as a new Chabad rabbi, I am like a barista. I, too, serve a product, namely, “Torah Classes”, “Prayer Services,” etc. This incident taught me that I need to provide “The Jewish Experience”, not just to provide the product/service, but to offer each person the Jewish experience that warms the heart, makes the week go better, and gives inspiration. 

Henry Ford once said "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." They would have underestimated what was possible. I would like to ask you to think outside the box and share with me how Chabad can enhance your Jewish experience. Would you like more classes? What day and time works for you? Would you like a lunch and learn? More hands on activities? Do you want something totally different? What is it that you would like? Click here to send us your feedback, so we can give you a Jewish Experience. 

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman