Thursday, May 18, was a very exciting morning at Shevach High School! An Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan “Kumsitz ‘n Kugel” event was greatly enhanced by a presentation from a very special woman, Mrs. Molly Resnick.
Shevach Menaheles Mrs. Shulamith Insel introduced Mrs. Resnick with a beautiful thought that was particularly apropos. Mrs. Insel spoke about one of the miracles in the Beis HaMikdash, explaining that the geshem, the rain, did not extinguish the fire of the Mizbei’ach. This, she shared, is a message for us all. The geshem, which is the root word of gashmiyus, materialism, should never extinguish our passion and fire for ruchniyus. We should not allow the outside pulls and glitter of the streets to overpower the flame that lies within us. She described Mrs. Resnick as someone who personifies this ideal.
Mrs. Resnick then shared her background with the students. Mrs. Resnick was a producer at NBC Studios for many years. She had seen the world and followed the latest trends in society. She had interacted with big names like Rosalind Carter and John Travolta. Yet, she consistently noticed the lack of character and depth of the big stars and was searching for more.
Then, on an assignment in Rio de Janeiro, she met a frum young lady and got a glimpse of the beauty of Judaism. It was at that time that Mrs. Resnick began to feel pride in Yiddishkeit. She realized that the charge of the Jewish people is to bring morality and light to the world. She also realized she would have to sacrifice to be a part of that formula.
With perseverance, education, and even humor, she connected to that ideal. One year, she was offered to cover the Winter Olympics. It was not easy, but in a display of commitment to keeping Shabbos, she turned it down. It was a watershed event in her life, as that year President Carter ended up having the American athletes boycott the Olympics. Therefore, NBC did not even cover the event. Mrs. Resnick saw that as providential, and she has never looked back since.
These days, Mrs. Resnick has a family that she is proud of, and is on a mission to spread her enthusiasm to young ladies today. She impresses on them that they are princesses – born into royalty. And the appreciation of that status should impel their actions day to day.
Mrs. Resnick’s words were very well received by the girls. Her words underscored Mrs. Insel’s message of keeping our flame aglow. The morning’s program made a huge impact on the Shevach students, as they approach Shavuos with a deeper appreciation of who they are and what they have.