What Our Shuls and Communities can Learn from Disney

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With my youngest child approaching his teenage years I thought my Disney days were over, but when my grandchildren came to me asking, "Zayda, can you come with us to Disney," I couldn’t say no. And so, I spent two days this week at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. As usual, I brought a baseball cap so that nobody would be able to tell that I am Jewish.

As we pulled into the park, though, I decided not to wear it.

In a time when too many are trying to scare us, attempting to intimidate us into removing our symbols, hiding our practices or being ashamed of our identity, it is more important than ever to proudly wear our yarmulkas, show our tzitzis, or necklaces displaying Jewish stars, maps of Israel, or solidarity with hostages, and not cower from practices that are appropriate in public.

A woman and her family came over to me at one of the parks to say how happy she was to see Jewish people not afraid to wear their yarmulka in public. When I asked if she was Jewish, she told me she was and that she went to a Jewish school in Minneapolis as a child. A man walking by stopped to say, "Shalom." I responded "Shalom" and asked if he was Jewish. He told me he is a pastor from Alabama and that he and his congregation regularly pray for Israel and the Jewish people. His wife quickly added, "and we have been praying constantly for the hostages."

We got a "boker tov" (good morning) from one of the Disney employees and a few more "shaloms" and, I’m happy to report, no negativity or hostility. The truth is, I would expect nothing more at the "Happiest Place on Earth." It is hard to think of another place where such a large quantity of people all seem so courteous, kind, pleasant, and polite.

Generally speaking, one doesn’t find pushing or shoving, short tempers, a culture of criticism, or impolite and impatient people at Disney, despite having to wait on long lines, pay large fees, endure the hot sun, and spend hours on one’s feet.

As we observed the throngs of people with smiles on their faces and extraordinary consideration towards one another, I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t it be amazing if our shuls were like Disney? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people thought of our campuses and communities as the happiest places on Earth, places that even if they had to stand for long periods, sometimes wait on lines, endure imperfect temperatures, it would not only be well worth it, they would be clamoring and counting down to coming back.

How does Disney do it and what could we learn regarding creating a culture of happiness?

Many years ago, I participated in a behind-the-scenes tour of Disney to explore that very question. The design and layouts of the parks, the placement of vendors, and the timing of the shows are all meticulously and brilliantly strategized and arranged. But what struck me most from the tour was the culture and how the attitude of the Disney’s tens of thousands of workers impacts each and every one of their guests.

In every employee only area, there are signs highlighting the Disney credo, including: "I project a positive image and energy. I am courteous and respectful to all guests including children. I go above and beyond." Disney understands a fundamental psychological principle supported by extensive research – happiness and joy are contagious. Just as if one person yawns others will follow suit, so too, if a person smiles, others around him will start smiling as well. A happy disposition, a positive spirit, and a pleasant countenance are quite literally contagious.

Whose responsibility is it to spread the smiles? Whose job is it to maintain the happiness effect? There are roughly 77,000 employees at Disney World in Orlando. All members of the staff, from custodial and maintenance, to the ride operators and people who wear the Mickey costumes, are all referred to as "cast members." How many of the 77,000 cast members do you think are responsible for picking up the garbage? The answer is all 77,000. How many are responsible for helping someone with directions or return a lost child to their parents? 77,000. How many are required to smile and spread the happiness? That’s right, all 77,000. At Disney, the cast members know that they each have different tasks, but they are taught that they all have the same purpose: spreading happiness.

Disney has a regular contest among the employees to identify and reward "great service fanatics." These individuals are nominated by their peers and are celebrated for going above and beyond in being kind, helpful, and spreading happiness and joy.

How do we go from a culture of complaining and criticism to creating the happiest place on Earth? Perhaps we can create a culture in which every single Jew, every participant of the community is a member of the "cast." We must go from consumers, from members with entitlements and privileges, to stakeholders, cast members who feel a sense of personal responsibility, duty and obligation.

If we want to be a place that attracts all, that inspires non-observant and disaffected Jews, that makes teens and youth excited about their Judaism, we ALL need to be leaders in making happiness, joy and meaning contagious in our institutions and homes.

When speaking with a child, Disney cast members are trained to bend down and meet them at eye level. I saw firsthand the subtle but powerful impact of speaking to someone, even a child, at eye level instead of making them look up at you while feeling small. We need to speak to all the members and participants in our community at their eye level. Sometimes that will mean bending down, ensuring nobody feels small, no matter what their Jewish education or level of observance.

In complementing and blessing the biblical Judah, Jacob says, "His teeth are whiter than milk." Of all virtues, why is Jacob highlighting Judah’s teeth? The Talmud (Kesubos 111b) explains that Jacob saw a quality in Judah he greatly admired and benefited from. Judah had a habit of smiling, of flashing the white of his teeth when seeing others. Indeed, the Talmud concludes when a person shows the white of his teeth to another by smiling widely, it is more beneficial than giving a cup of milk to drink. Why the comparison to milk?

Rav Shlomo Wolbe ( d. 2005) explains that milk nourishes and nurtures growth. What milk does for the body, a smile does for the heart and soul. He writes that just as plants require sunshine to live, converting the rays of the sun into nutrients, people convert smiles into energy and strength, and without it they wilt and perish. Dogs and cats can’t smile. Smiling at one another is part of what differentiates us as humans.

Make an effort to always have a smile. Let’s all be active members of the Jewish people’s cast and convert our shuls and communities into the happiest places on Earth.

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the spiritual leader of the Boca Raton Synagogue.