As they entered the store, Rabbi Tropp and his family met the owner, an African American woman in her forties who greeted them warmly and professionally.

Wanting to verify that the store was indeed kosher certified, they respectfully asked to see the certification.

"It's right over here," she said proudly. "We're very happy to be certified. We very much want to accommodate the Jewish community."

Curious about her enthusiasm, Rabbi Tropp asked what made the certification so meaningful to her.

Her answer surprised them.

She explained that she had grown up in a rough neighborhood in Baltimore. As a teenager, her first job was working for a Jewish couple, Yaakov and Chava Drebin, who owned a kosher bagel store in Baltimore called Goldberg’s New York Bagels.

The experience left a lasting impression on her.

She recalled that every time she looked at her paycheck, there seemed to be a little more money than expected. Without her asking for a raise, the owners would occasionally increase her pay as a way of showing appreciation for her hard work.

More than the money itself, she remembered the respect, kindness, and dignity with which they treated her.

Years later, those memories remained vivid.

The positive experience not only shaped her view of the Jewish community, but seemed to play a meaningful role in her own personal growth and success. Being trusted, respected, and valued at a young age gave her confidence and motivation as she charted her future.

From humble beginnings in Baltimore, she went on to build a successful career in corporate America, later serving as a chief financial officer for a nonprofit organization. Today, she is opening three Rita's locations throughout the Cincinnati area.

Now, as the owner of Cincinnati's first Rita's location, she considers it a privilege to ensure that her business is kosher certified and welcoming to Jewish customers.

As Rabbi Tropp listened to her story, he was struck by how simple acts of menschlichkeit performed years earlier by a Jewish couple in Baltimore continued to bear fruit decades later.

The kindness they had shown a young employee had not been forgotten.

Their willingness to recognize her efforts, treat her with dignity, and make her feel valued helped shape the trajectory of a young woman's life and created a lasting Kiddush Hashem that crossed generations and communities.

(This story should be a zechus for a refuah sheleima for Esther Yael bas Batsheva. Please have her in mind in your tefilos.)

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