Parshat Shemot: How I Became an Ambassador for Israel - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

[Music] I remember the day some 30 years ago now that I decided I wanted to wear a kippah in public I was living in New York City and I'd been going to shul to synagogue on a pretty regular basis one morning I left the shul and instead of turning left to my apartment I turned right and headed in the opposite direction I found myself in a couple of minutes in a Jewish bookstore at the end of the counter there was a carousel I went up to the carousel and started to turn it slowly in front of my eyes they revolved the entire gamut of Orthodox Jewish headgear I was amazed at the range of choice there were white ones and green ones black ones knitted ones leather ones velvet ones cloth ones and those that look they just come off the head of an Afghan Shepherd I thought which one do I choose little did I realize I was about to step into a political minefield so without thinking too much about it I picked up this large black velvet couple and plunked it on the top of my head I paid the cashier walked out into the street and stopped in my tracks the world had changed everything had changed I said to myself you've become an ambassador you've become an ambassador for the Jewish people everything you do now will be judged through the lens of your Jewishness if you push in line people won't say who's this guy pushing a line they'll say who's this jewel pushing in line and if I give up my seat to an old lady on the subway if you indeed old ladies still venture onto the subway I look sanctified the name of heaven little do we realize that the good name of the Jewish people and the good name of L okay's rail the god of the Jewish people rests on a small piece of cloth perched precariously on the top of our head we are all ambassadors for our nation and often to our nation [Music] you [Applause]