"The story I’m about to share with you about Joe Biden is special — in fact, I’m fairly certain I’m the only living person left who actually witnessed it firsthand.
It was about 16 years ago, and I was a young rabbi, brand-new to Delaware, on my way to lead a shiva minyan — a worship service following the death of a Jewish person. I was from California. Back then, I didn’t know Claymont, Delaware from Scranton, Pennsylvania.
A quick bit of background: When someone passes away in the Jewish faith, we observe seven days of mourning, called shiva. We gather a group of ten Jewish adults together — a minyan — to say the Mourners’ Kaddish.
It usually happens in a person’s home — somewhere intimate.
In this case, the deceased individual — her name was Mrs. Greenhouse, of blessed memory — had not been a person of means. She had lived in rent-controlled senior housing in a tall high-rise building off of Namaans Road. Her apartment had been too small to fit everyone into, so we conducted our worship service in the building’s communal laundry room, in the basement of the high-rise.
We assembled the ten elders together, and it was in this most humble of places that I began to lead the kaddish.
Toward the end of the service, a door at the back of the laundry room opened, and who walks in but Senator Joe Biden, his head lowered, all by himself.
I nearly dropped my prayer book in shock.
Senator Biden stood quietly in the back of the room for the duration of the service.
At the close of the kaddish, I walked over to him and asked the same question that must have been on everyone else’s mind: “Senator Biden — what are you doing here?”
And he said to me: “Listen, back in 1972, when I first ran for Senate, Mrs. Greenhouse gave $18 to my first campaign. Because that’s what she could afford. And every six years, when I’d run for reelection, she’d give another $18. She did it her whole life. I’m here to show my respect and gratitude.”
Now, the number 18 is significant in the Jewish faith — its numbers spell out the Hebrew word chai, as in “to life, to life, l’chayim!”
But it’s also a humble amount. Joe Biden knew that. And he respected that.
There were no news outlets at our service that day — no Jewish reporters or important dignitaries.
Just a few elderly mourners in a basement laundry room.
Joe Biden didn’t come to that service for political gain. He came to that service because he has character. He came to that service because he’s a mensch.
And if we need anything right now when it comes to the leadership of our country — we need a mensch.
I know this is such a simple, small story. But I tell it to as many people as will listen to me.
Because I think that, in their heart of hearts, when people are trying to think about the decision they’ll make this year — this is the kind of story that matters.
Joe Biden is a mensch. We need a mensch.
Thanks for reading.
— Rabbi Michael Beals of Delaware
68
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32 comments (26 - 32)
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.No link was posted and it first struck me as kind of predictable political season feel-good stuff, but also as sappy and maybe false. When I went to look around though, so far it seems ok, and I think if true, it's really not a bad story. This link from 2019 provides not the text itself, but some reasonably-credible-looking context.
Joe Biden fundraising letter features rabbi’s story about the candidate
Biden explained that Greenhouse had sent his campaign $18 every Senate election since his first in 1972.
By RON KAMPEAS/JTA SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 02:08
[jpost.com]
kmaz
Level 7
June 29, 2020
2
Simplistic as it may sound, political parties and the individual politicians within them defend well entrenched class interests even though they disagree how to do so. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans defend the interests of the vast majority of Americans. Indeed these two parties are part and parcel of the system they defend. The specific qualities of an individual politician have little, if anything, to do with the substance of the political strategies used to keep the system viable. There will be fairly obvious differences in style and form. Slogans and rhetoric will flourish, fade away and then revamped to meet new contexts. Democrats and many others are now "discovering" the old problem of racist policing and killings of blacks by the police. Obama and Biden ignored such a dramatic problem even though the killings never stopped when Obama was president.
Rabbis and priests and other religious officials want us to believe that "good men and women " are needed to run the USA. It is implicit that God prefers and helps "good" people. In reality, the crucial requirements are policies that promote the best interests of the vast majority of the population. Such polices are never adopted by politicians, whether good or bad, because they would challenge and eventually destroy the supremacy of the class that controls the economy. This class finances the politicians.
Klodzan
Level 5
June 30, 2020
1
Wow!
This unverified anecdote makes Joe Biden sound like a really great, compassionate guy!
Unfortunately for him, his voting record for his decades in government sharply contradicts any notion that he cares at all about the plight of the average citizen. Uncle Joe would rather listen to the sweet nothings being whispered in his hear from his corporate donors.
Buyer beware.
Kaiser_Soze
Level 3
June 30, 2020
3
Joe Biden has many flawed aspects to his past life. It's nice to read about the other side. I think that he has always been well intentioned, but like all of us, his views evolve over time. His desire to do good, though, seems to be a constant in his political life. Thanks for your story.
NightSerf
Level 4
July 5, 2020
5
Thank you for sharing this story. (I don't know what a mensch is, but it sounds like a compliment.) I really like the humility and gratitude shown by Biden.
DevraisA1
Level 7
July 6, 2020
3
Biden is a stopgap. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jinx5555555
Level 6
July 7, 2020
2
May surprise you
@bobwjr For the country's sake, I hope so. But I doubt it. He is way too dedicated to the status quo and corporate interests. This county will not survive for long if we don't change a few things radically.
@Jinx5555555 know him personally he is a good person check out the presentation of presidential medal of freedom I posted recently
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