Stepping Up

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail announcing this year’s honoree at the annual NEFESH conference for Jewish mental health professionals. The e-mail brought a smile to my face as it did no doubt to countless other recipients. This year’s honoree is none other than Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald beloved director of Camp Sternberg not to mention his countless other contributions to Klal Yisrael.

I was privileged to do a profile piece on Rabbi Greenwald a couple of years ago. I interviewed him for many hours spellbound by his stories especially accounts of the courageous pidyon shvuyim (freeing captives) coups he undertook — all related with signature dry humor and a self-deprecating smile. To know Ronnie Greenwald is to be in awe of this great man and I felt fortunate to be able to portray him to the Mishpacha readership up close and personal.

Amazing people like Ronnie Greenwald regularly fill the pages of the magazine. So much so that I wonder if readers ever wonder how it is that these people come to tell their stories and share their inspiration. Truth is most of the people I wind up interviewing are naturally reticent when first approached (possessing that wonderful rare quality called modesty!) and they must be persuaded — often vociferously and incessantly — to bare their lives to the general public.

“Why should I be interviewed?” they inevitably ask. “I’m not the type. I don’t want my name and picture splashed around. And anyway” comes the classic line “It’s not like my life is anything that interesting or special.” There are those who beg off for reasons of perceived ayin hara or because they — or their spouse! — feel uncomfortable being thrust into the public eye. Still others decline right off the bat without citing any excuse at all murmuring a polite but firm “No.” In fact I can probably name only a couple of people who immediately agreed — or actually requested! — to be interviewed for an article and they were seeking the exposure for publicity purposes. But it’s the other 98 percent that all you readers out there really want to hear about!