Mi K'Amcha Yisrael - In Three Parts

1. Yesterday, Asara B'teves, a fast day, I got up, as usual, at a few minutes after five. Every morning I go to a 6 a.m. shiur and try to give myself enough time to get a big cup of coffee at the local Dunkin' Donuts. On this morning, instead of the usual one or two people in the store, there was a line going out the door..

A whole bunch of Jewish men (most of whom, by the way, looked like they hadn't missed a meal in quite some time) were lined up to beat the fast day rush. I don't think the workers knew what hit them. Never had so many egg-and-cheese-on-a-croisant been ordered before 5:30 a.m.

2. I daven mincha each afternoon at a local investment bank minyan a block from my office. Usually about 25 men attend. Yesterday, because of the fast day, the organizers arranged for a Sefer Torah (the smallest one I have ever seen)and moved the minyan to a larger conference room where about 45 men showed up.

3. The investment bank minyan had an early maariv corresponding with the end of the fast. I decided to leave after the minyan and, on my way to the train, I stopped off at a pizza store to break my fast with some soup. Once again, the place was jammed with Yiddin doing the same.

Mi K'Amcha Yisrael?