A few days ago, i went to a local 7/11 for a midnight snack; it was about 1:30am. To my shock, i saw a kid, couldn’t have been older than 13, alone, on an electric scooter, schmoozing with the clerk.
He didn’t look jewish at all, but i overheard him telling the clerk, who is muslim, about his hebrew birthday. He also shared that he had begun smoking marijuana.
When the kid left, i asked the clerk what the story was, and he said that the kid comes from a home with a father who dresses like i do, and has been kicked out of every school, program, and even boot camp that the family has tried to put him in. The father routinely comes to the 7/11 to look for his son, who gallavants around the area at all hours of the night. The kid has committed crimes, stolen things and obtained $2,000 in cash, in ways “you don’t want to know,” the kid said to the clerk.
He had just turned 12.
It was the most gut wrenching story i had not only seen, but heard kf in our community.