Sunday, May 15, 2011

Rishona Campbell on My Grandfather

My friend Rishona Campbell finally completed her Orthodox Jewish conversion. This took her a number of years. I amazed at her patience at the amount of junk she put up with, putting her life on hold for several years. I wish her best of luck as a Jew. Her post on her conversion story is password attached, but she was kind enough to let me  put up her statements about my grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak (Irvin) Chinn of blessed memory. (See "Eulogy for My Grandfather.")

In January, 2008 I came across an old newspaper in my Grandparents' home. I was from right before Christmas and it had a picture of Rabbi Irvin Chinn, z'tl, donating blood. It wasn't a news story or article. There was just a simple caption that McKeesport Hospital was having a blood drive and here is the rabbi from Gemilas Chesed giving blood (so you should too). It was noteworthy to me because for sure, Rabbi Chinn looked like a frum man. However the congregation was in White Oak...and area that was adjacent to my high school, so I knew it. And it wasn't very Jewish to my knowledge. But I kept the name in mind...in the back of my head.


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Well my first visit to Gemilas Chesed was in July of 2008. Rabbi Chinn was nifter (deceased) the previous Purim. While I never met him, I met his progeny. No, not his natural children, they didn't live in the community (although I did eventually meet them through visits)...but his kehilla. A kehilla that he led for 50 years; who he taught to treat everyone (Jew and non-Jew) with kindness and greet them with a smile. He showed countless people the beauty of Torah observance and those people were eager to pass that on (no doubt in part to how admirable Rabbi Chinn was in how he led a Torah observant life). In spite of my personal struggle and shortcomings, how could I ever sit back and declare that there is no such thing as G-d (chas v'shalom) and that he has no involvement in our lives? Looking back, rarely did I understand what was happening to me or why certain things happened. I still don't understand...but I can see the amazing handiwork of a divine plan (in there somewhere).

4 comments:

Rishona said...

Thank you for posting! Also, I just wanted to mention that one of the reasons why I password-protected the article was because I used real names of the people who were involved. Since all of them have not reviewed it, the least I could do was not make the article accessible for the entire world to see. But if anyone would like the password, send me an email at Rishona@gmail.com.

Pink Carnation Maryann said...

Welcome! As a recent convert, I am happy that you kicked butt and got to the other side. I don't want to pressure you to identify any which way, but as a Jew of color of Jamaican decent I am excited the klal has someone like you! I love your kind words about Izgad's grandfather. I've looked at your blog. I hope that you will find me kind enough to let me meet you one day.

Rishona said...

Thank you! If you would like the password to read the entire story, feel free to email me at Rishona AT gmail . c0m

Anon said...

Would love to read it! As a convert I have been through a lot too. My email is mariapiano88@yahoo.com