Finally someone is admitting that communal standards have been raised not by those who are wealthy, but those who are providing for the poor as if the ani were wealthy
I really enjoyed the article “The Guy in the Back” in the post-Pesach magazine. The description of the dependable but often unnoticed introvert sounded exactly like my husband, and our family is proud of that!
I wanted to comment on the dynamics between introverts and extroverts and how these personalities come together in a community.
Although introverts do not want to constantly be surrounded by people, they still want recognition. They may be sitting in the corner of the shul learning rather than engaging in the latest hock, but many still cherish the greeting they get from the rav or shul president. Introverts may be quieter and seemingly less social, but that does not mean that they don’t want meaningful connections with others in the community.
When we moved, it took time for my introverted spouse to find a shul that was the right fit — one that would allow him to be “the guy in the back” and cherish him for that role. Baruch Hashem we found what we were looking for in a kehillah that recognizes that it takes all kinds to make Klal Yisrael. The members give my husband permission to sit in silence before davening rather than talk about the latest news, but will also give him a happy slap on the back if they come across him in a store.
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