Today is Passover. I remember exactly what I did tonight 10 years ago. It's a really bizarre incident, but to say the least - ironic and memorable. Let me first say, I am a goy. I say that loosely with humor, because I am not Jewish, but my live in girlfriend of many years (years ago) was jewish - a progresive Jew and taught me many of the mannerisms of Jewish culture...customs through stereotypes. I suppose every disenfranchized culture or religion has it's own way of identifying with marginalization - especially with humor. Oy vay, anyhoo.

It was Passover night back on this day a decade ago. She and I were running embarrassingly late to a passover dinner at a friend's house in Williamsburg part Brooklyn, NYC (for passover and other sabbath - one has to be at attendence or at home before dark). It was dark. It was raining. We were sitting at an intersection in Lower Williamsburg (which is primarilly a heavilly populated Hasidic Orthodox Jewish neighborhood) and the car right in front of us jumped the light...and a car racing to catch the tail end of a yellow light barreled into the car....huge accident. I put our car in park, and jumped out to see if I could help flag down for some help or go to a house there and ask someone to call 911 (because it was obviously a bad accident). I look up...and through the rain, I see about 15 children...all Hasidic jewish kids all pressed up against the glass of the windows watching the drama unfold on the street .

I was screaming up to them and their parents to PLEASE call 911 for help. They gestured down that they could not. (explanation, orthodox jews are forbidden by Jewish law to not use any form of electronics - including the telephone after dark on sabbath...ESPECIALLY on Passover, this is known as "Melacha") . This I knew but thought one could take exception in a possible case of life or death. They said no, cannot and closed all doors and windows. Fortunately, a good samaritan was driving by who happenned to have a cell phone (back then not many people had them) and called for help.

Suffice to say, we were late to the Passover dinner. The Gentile with the cell phone who called for help happened to be Jewish, as were the 3 people who were hurt (and lived) in the accident. Enjoy Passover!

- your goy melacha d'Orysa

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