It Pays to be a Mentch

By Yisroel Pinson – Los Angeles (10 years old)

As a junior Mispallel of the “Rebbes’s Diamond Daveners” – each shabbos we have a chance to receive The “Honorable MENTCHen” award during Kriyas Hatorah by pointing and looking into to the chumash.

If we receive over ten of these special awards we join in for the special annual “Honorable MENTCHen” trip.

This past Motzei Shabbos I and another seven Mispalleim realized that indeed it pays to “be a Mentch!”

The trip began by joining Rabbi S.Z. Munitz’s weekly “dance for the coming of Moshiach,” indeed we danced with great Simcha till our energy knocked us out.

We then headed for an hour of bowling where our skills and behavior made a tremendous Kidush Hashem – one of my fellow Mispallelim insisted that if any of us – bowl a strike– he must make a “kuleh” right there and then!
Indeed there were over a dozen kulehs made.

We then headed to the Pizza shop for a grand Melaveh Malkah with pizza, salad, french-fries, Nachos and trimmings, a beautiful baal Shemtov story was told by our last year’s president Habochur Hatomim Hapresident Mendel Halevi Raichick followed by Nigunim. (And a contest who could eat the most pizza)

Then our senior leader, Rabbi Mendel Duchman explained and honored us with “The “Honorable MENTCHen” award in front of the entire pizza shop where we received a standing ovation. The evening ended by heading to LA’s famous Josh’s gas station where we all sat down and drank LECHAIM to our great accomplishments, on our favorite drinks – SLURPEES.

And as we all were receiving door to door transportation home we were all thinking the same thing – It pays to be a Mentch!

-The theme and motto of Kol Yakov Yehuda – the Rebbe’s Diamond Daveners- Jr. congregation of LA- The Shul for the kids-by the kids.