Be an Influencer by Being Yourself

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The Harvard Business Review recently reported that 27 million Americans, and 300 million people globally, consider themselves online content creators. There is no escaping that in today's day and age, influencer marketing is a very profitable business.

At the end of 2023 the global industry was worth $21 billion. Surveys from Nielsen, Reuters, and others conclude that, "People trust influencers; social media users get news from influencers more often than from journalists; people believe that brands are better positioned than governments to solve social problems; and becoming an influencer is a top career aspiration for many young people."

With all the growth of influence online, we should never underestimate the influence we can have offline, just by being ourselves.

Recently, our community went on our annual Mevakshim fly-in to the New York area to meet with diverse rabbinic sages, and community leaders. In an effort to maximize our time, a few amazing participants flew ahead of the rest of us to pick up the vans we would use for transportation. We had it all orchestrated and coordinated to perfection. Nobody checked luggage, so the plan was once we landed at JFK, everyone would move expeditiously off the plane to the baggage area so we could be picked up seamlessly by our "advance team" and head out to our first stop.

We had it all figured out but He had other plans. Despite the reservation, the rental car company didn't have one of the vans. It took time to find another company nearby that had a van in stock and available. Instead of essentially walking off the plane into our vans and setting off, we were waiting at baggage claim, delayed, a little frustrated and irritated.

Nearly two dozen guys had taken two days off of work, woken up early in an effort to grow and be inspired. Why would the Lord introduce a delay, wouldn't He want us to hit the ground running?

We soon found out why. As we stood there waiting, a young guy in a baseball cap approached us and said, "Shalom." Enrique shared that he was a student at West Point Academy and would be entering the army, but had recently become more interested in exploring and engaging with his Judaism. He mentioned that his background was so devoid of Judaism that he had never even had a bar mitzvah. Within seconds, one of our participants, Mordy Goldenberg, asked him if he would like to put on Tefillin, and he enthusiastically agreed.

Mordy helped Enrique put on Tefillin and say the foundational Shema prayer for the first time in his life and we spontaneously began to sing and dance in a circle. Others at baggage claim were looking on with big smiles, some taking pictures or video as we celebrated an impromptu Bar Mitzvah at JFK baggage claim, all orchestrated from Above by delaying our exit from the airport. Mordy and Enrique traded numbers as we made our way on our journey.

As I was reflecting on the beautiful scene that unfolded, it occurred to me how much influence Mordy had on a young person's life, not by standing in the airport with a sign or megaphone, simply by being himself.

Someone I know was on our flight that morning. He has a complicated relationship with his Judaism, doesn't generally wear a yarmulka in public, and wasn't wearing one that day. I saw him after we both returned from New York and he said, "Rabbi, I need to share something with you. You know I don't generally wear a yarmulka, but when I got off the plane and I saw your group of guys assembled, all standing as Torah-observant Jews proudly wearing their yarmulkas, I felt jealous. And so I decided right then that even if I am not ready to wear it all the time, I am going to at least wear it for this entire trip. I want to be like the guys in this group, a proud Jew, unafraid, unapologetic, proud to display my Jewishness. Rabbi, I wore a yarmulka for the rest of the trip because I saw your guys."

I was so happy to have seen him and that he shared what happened with me. And yet again I realized, wow, our guys had influence over a fellow Jew, not by preaching or proselytizing, not by posting or optimizing, just by being themselves.

On the way back, we were walking through the airport when a "random" secular Israeli woman came up and said, "Thank you for wearing your kippa in public, it gives me strength." Gives strength? We weren't waving a flag, running a rally, facing down protestors… or even doing anything at all. We were simply being us, walking with kippas, and apparently that had an influence on her.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells the story of a Conservative Jew walking into an Orthodox shul in Dallas, Texas. The man introduces himself to the rabbi and presents a large, unsolicited donation. The rabbi was stunned by the unexpected gift and explained that the shul had a great need to renovate an educational wing but didn't have the startup money. "Your donation," he said, "is going to turn this project into a reality, but I am very curious about who you are and why you chose to make a large gift to our shul?"

The man explained that he made his first trip to Israel a few months back and ended up at the Western Wall . He said, "As I took in the sights around me, I noticed a Jew standing and davening in silent devotion. I had never witnessed someone praying so fervently or with such meaning. I was mesmerized and entranced. But even more, I was inspired. I determined right then and there that when I got home, I was going to make a donation to a shul in honor of that Jew. When I returned I thought to myself, if that Jew were here in Dallas, where would he be comfortable praying, and I looked in the Yellow Pages for an Orthodox shul and came up with yours." That man ultimately became more observant and continued his generosity in building the Torah institutions of the community.

Reflecting on the story, Rabbi Krohn invites us to imagine what happens when the fervently-Orthodox Jew at the Wall that day comes before the Heavenly court after 120 years in this world. He will be greeted enthusiastically with a hero's welcome. He will be rewarded for transforming Judaism in Dallas, Texas, and for all the Torah learned by thousands of people there, and by all the praaying that took place in the Shul that he supported. He will undoubtedly turn to the Heavenly Judge and say, "There must be a mistake, I have never even been to Dallas, Texas. I don't know where that is. I don't even speak English." He will only then learn the impact of the impression and inspiration he unknowingly spread when he davened so sincerely and fervently at the Wall that fateful day.

Every day, twice a day in the kedusha prayer we pledge, "Nekadeish es shimcha ba'olam, we will sanctify Your name in this world." We affirm our mission, our purpose, our mandate to elevate Hashem's brand, to draw others closer to His Torah, to represent His vision for this world.

As the war continues in Israel, as antisemitism rises in America, there are many large and grand actions we are called upon for like Psalms recitations, contributions, rallies, letter-writing, and more. We can influence the people and circumstances around us, but not only by doing large and active things, but we can be critical sources of influence and make a difference by simply being ourselves: proud, practicing, and proper Jews.

Among all the things you are doing, proudly display your Judaism in public. Let antisemites see and know that we aren't afraid. Let fellow Jews see, gain strength and maybe even be inspired to join.

Be an influencer just by being yourself.

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