LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Business And Shlichus In Dallas Texas

I recently exhibited my company’s knitwear collection at The Dallas World Trade Center . After I made appointments in advance of the show, I thought about taking several Chabad Lubavitch publications like L’Chaim Weekly, The Scroll, and My Story to give out to Jewish people that I would encounter. This trade show has people coming from all across the U.S.A. as well as Mexico and the Caribbean Islands. Between my appointments I walked around the Dallas Mart hoping to encounter Jewish people to give out the Chabad Lubavitch publications.

I went to the food court where hundreds of people gathered for lunch and met other buyers before going back to my showroom to work on appointments. It is now 3:00 p.m. and I still have not met anyone whom I could give out these publications to. I am now walking the halls for about five or six minutes and lo and behold I see two women walking towards me. The name tag on one of the women had a Jewish last name. The other woman did not. I greeted her with, “Shalom Aleichem,” and wished her a shanah tovah. She jumps up in excitement saying, “ You are Jewish I see you have on a kippah. We started to talk and I happened to mention Chabad Lubavitch. She says , “My son loves the Chabad Rabbi in Tenafly, N.J as do my husband and I.” Then she tells me that her grandfather passed away recently and is buried at The Old Montefiore Cemetery in Cambria Heights. Since she showed appreciation for Chabad I took out the L’Chaim Weekly Publication and gave it to her. “Wow, this is for me,” “Yes, I said.” A few minutes later we parted ways as I wished her a Shabbat Shalom. Back in my showroom, I went through my personal bag to find some more photo brochures that I brought for the show.

There in my bag I see the Shabbat candle set that has been laying in my bag for over a year. “I must take these candles and give them to the Jewish lady I had just met,” I thought.

Scanning the outside of my showroom to find this woman, I could not believe my eyes as I took notice of the other woman who was with the Jewish woman walking towards me.

I approached her right there and asked her to give over the Shabbos Candles to her friend. She gladly took them with a promise to fulfill the mission.

May we all continue to be inspired and empowered by the Rebbe’s vision in igniting Jewish souls however far they may be from the path of Judaism.

By Yosef Mordechai George Gati