Hey, I Know You!

So as most of you may know, when traveling to and in Israel, it is inevitable that you will see people you haven't seen in ages and didn't even know would be there. The world begins to feel like a tiny place, you're walking down a street with only 4 other people around you and sure enough you know the person walking towards you - what are the chances?! 


As I expect this will happen many a time this year, I have decided to document it in posts titled "Hey, I Know You!" When a blog appears with this title it might contain a story, but it might also simply have a name. This post is the context for all of the sort that follow.


HEY, I KNOW YOU!


I'm sitting at Pearson waiting to board my flight and I take out my aspirin that I have to take when flying to prevent clotting because of other medication that I am on. As I open my pill bottle, a little boy wanders over to me and asks me what I'm doing. He is followed by his older brother and younger sister. I explain what I am doing in as simple terms as possible and, satisfied with my answer, they return to their seats across from me. I then notice their father - he looks very familiar - "are you Jason?" I ask, "Yes" he responds. This is Rabbi Jason Leib and his familly and they are flying to Israel with me. I met Jason at Engagement Institute in the summer of 2008 while working for Hillel. Jason was in the first year of a shlichut to Cornell University. That shlichut was now done and Jason and his family were returning home.


To make this "Hey, I know you!" moment even better, I made a comment about the infant he was holding possibly being the infant I knew I was sitting near on the plan and sure enough she was. I spent the entire flight with 2 seats to myself sitting across from the Leib family. The children were wonderful, they let me sleep but were great conversationalists when I was awake.