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Whenever I'm about to step foot into Costco, my wife gives me the same stern warning: Please stick to the list!  

She knows me too well. I am a complete sucker for Costco junk I didn’t know existed five minutes earlier. It's pathetic, but we each have our weaknesses.

A few weeks ago, with the holidays in full swing, I went in determined to behave. But alas, those end-of-aisle marketplace booths with people selling their wares were ever so tempting. I tried the classic Costco maneuver: eyes straight ahead, no eye contact, no engagement, keep walking.

I failed.

A guy selling knives locked eyes with me. It was just me and him. He called me over and asked on his microphone: “Are you interested in buying really sharp knives?”

I weakly responded, “Absolutely not. I do not need any sharp knives.”

He said, “You really don't need really sharp knives?”

Gaining strength I said, “I really don’t. I don’t need any knives.”

Then he leaned in and said, almost whispering even though he was still wearing the headset microphone,

“I’m not really supposed to say this, but these knives are sharp enough to cut a rock.”

I told him, “I don’t usually cut rocks with knives… or really with anything. Why would I need to cut rocks?”

At this point, his eyes drifted up to my yarmulke and he asked, completely seriously, “Do you do animal sacrifices or ritual slaughter?”

I said, “No. I don’t do sacrifices, and I don’t do ritual slaughter.”

The conversation really veered off at this point: “So where do you buy your Jewish meat from?”

I said, “The market. They sell kosher meat there. So no knives needed.”

That’s when I politely said thank you, explained again that I didn’t need extremely sharp knives, and walked away, equal parts amused and confused.

Selling things can be really tough. You can believe deeply in what you’re offering, but if it’s not what the other person needs, or if you’re pitching it the wrong way, it’s just not going to land.

I was reminded of this recently when someone asked me how things are going on campus and I responded that when I visit grad campuses across the country, Jewish students are still showing up in big numbers, and not because we’re selling anything flashy (or pointy), and not because we’re trying to convince them to buy something they don’t want.

They’re coming because Judaism, with its over 3,000 years of culture, depth, and values, still speaks to them. There is beauty, relevance, and grounding in our traditions that resonates far beyond a moment in history, and far beyond a Costco aisle.

At the Jewish Grad Organization, we’re not selling knives. We're offering Jewish community, meaning, leadership, and belonging at a stage of life when people are asking big questions about who they are and where they’re headed. And it turns out that quietly, powerfully, that still matters.

When it comes to our Judaism, the most meaningful thing isn’t a hard sell at all.  

With gratitude,

Dave