Down the street from my apartment sat a small synagogue that supplied one indelible memory among other generally good though less memorable memories. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how much you feel like learning about Judaism, I have to preface this story with some background info for you to understand its significance.

Orthodox Jews are stationed throughout the world to support any Jew or anyone in general that might need help, usually of a spiritual or nourishment-nature, but other times they help with humanitarian aid. These Jews spend all day giving to the needy and studying the Torah (Jewish Bible). It’s an ancient and traditional way of Jewish life.

But there are negatives. Orthodox Jews are extremists, and like any extremist, they are rarely open to discussion on most theological issues as they relate to history, politics, science, and daily life.

As you may know, Jews believe that the Messiah has not yet come. The day he returns is the day when we will all be sent to Heaven or something along those lines. Everything will be great, the tax code will make sense, Texans will be able to buy liquor on Sunday, and no more Bushies will be allowed in politics. Heaven on Earth, basically.

Aside from his death itself, something bad happened when the head Lubavitcher Rabbi (called “The Rebbe”) died in 1994. The issue, as far as I understand it, is that Orthodox Jews thought The Rebbe was the Messiah in disguise. They were just waiting for some kind of announcement that he was indeed the Messiah. When he passed away in 1994, that theory ran into trouble.

I hung out at the Orthodox synagogue down the street a lot because I had little else to do, and the guys there were usually pretty cool. After The Rebbe died, I went to the synagogue to hang out as usual and went upstairs.

This is what I remember: an Orthodox guy standing at the window in full Orthodox garb looking outside at nothing in particular. He said that the Rebbe was the Messiah, and that since he was now dead, the world was going to end – now or very soon. He said that this was not the way things were supposed to happen and that something huge was on the horizon. He said this with as much conviction as you or I would say: “I wish I didn’t have to work to make a living.”

And that’s my shpiel about the synagogue down the street.