I was sitting on a plane last week. I was headed to Florida to drop my son off at Winter camp. Sitting next to me was a young man and his fiance. He was very polite and we didn't really talk much the entire flight. As we were getting ready to get off the plane he said "can I ask you something?" "Of course" I replied. He continued "I really like Jewish marriage advice, and I'm been listening to a Rabbi online, do you know of any other Rabbis I can listen too?" When I asked if he was Jewish he said simply, "No, I just really like the Jewish perspective on marriage." Of course I was happy to give him some recommendations of colleagues and mentors who post their lectures on social media. But it made me think, why would a young non Jewish man be interested in the Jewish perspective on marriage?
Perhaps it's the low divorce rate among traditional Jews, or maybe he knows Jewish people who have a great relationship. Obviously I don't know what piqued his interest, but it definitely taught me something. We are in a unique moment in history. When the Jewish nation speaks, people listen. We no longer communicate among ourselves as we did in the shtetl. The whole world can and does hear what we say. Whether it's IRL as the kids say, or online, we can have a positive influence. And if we share something from the Jewish perspective, let's make sure it's from an authentic Jewish source.
What do you think is an authentic Jewish marriage tip?
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