In the issue of December 12, 2019, Rabbi Mordechai and Nina Glick wrote an article on “Lessons Learned From Mr. Rogers.” Despite the benign title of the article, this piece was powerful and gutsy. The authors describe the rejection of a niece by a family because she chose a gay lifestyle. As the article states, “Where is the sanity in the world when it comes to things that we have the ability to control and we let pass us by?” It must have taken a great deal of reflection for the authors to deal with this issue that was both highly personal and obviously painful. They have performed quite a service for their loyal readers (who very likely share my wonder about how they can come up with such a diverse array of interesting issues on a weekly basis).

For a number of years, I attended conferences of the Young Israel movement. At one session, a rabbi by the name of Eliezer Cohen from Greater Detroit discussed dealing with intermarried family members. The rabbi shared how his sister had intermarried. Thereafter, for many years, the siblings did not communicate. The Cohen sister ultimately had a child. When the child was ready for preschool, Rabbi Cohen decided to break the silence and talk with her about the child’s Jewish education. He told the audience that he began by saying “Hi, this is your brother Larry.” He asked the audience what they think happened next. The audience all agreed: “She hung up on you.” That was correct. And Rabbi Cohen then wondered aloud about whether his “principle” of non-contact had truly accomplished anything meaningful or positive.

The Glicks talk to all of us. Do you have a “principle” that inspires non-contact with a family member? Think about what your actions may lead to. Then think of Mr. Rogers. Think too of the Glicks who gave us so much to think about. Indeed, where is the sanity in such behavior? Thank you both for sharing your story so others may learn from your experience and wisdom.