Israel is a very small country. Another way to put it is this: With Jews, there are even fewer than six degrees of separation. Reviewing the last day and a half, I can think of several examples of this. (Warning: Serious Jewish-geography name-dropping lies ahead.)

On Friday evening, I went to the shul near our house for Kabbalat Shabbat. My son, Jeremy, and I sat down next to a man named “Itzik.” It turns out that Itzik (who works at the United Synagogue headquarters here in Jerusalem) and I had met before, way back in 1970. He had been serving as a shaliach (Israeli emissary) to America that year, and was working for USY. He traveled to Philadelphia that spring to interview candidates for USY Pilgrimage, including yours truly. Can you believe it? And can you believe that I can still remember that interview, which took place during Pesach 35 years ago??!!

Here’s another example, that also took place on Shabbat. Yesterday, Elana, Leora and I attended the “Leeder Minyan.” This is a very spirited and spiritual davening that takes place once a month, on Shabbat Mevarchim (the Shabbat on which the upcoming new moon is announced and blessed). Yesterday was Shabbat HaHodesh, the Shabbat immediately preceding Rosh Hodesh Nisan, and so the Leeder minyan met. We got there at around 9:30, about an hour after they started, but they weren’t yet up to Barukh She-amar—which is only about halfway through the preliminary prayers preceding the morning service! There were some familiar faces: Professor David Roskies, of the Jewish Theological Seminary, who is here on sabbatical (and with whom I’m taking a course on Wednesdays), Rabbi Andy Sacks, the Executive Director of the Rabbinical Assembly of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Zacharow, with whom I’ve studied at the Conservative Yeshiva, and several others. Leading the morning davening was none other than Ebn Leeder, whom I generally see in Boston. (He teaches at the Hebrew College Rabbinical School.) I later learned that he was in Israel for two family weddings, which conveniently were scheduled one week apart.

As we entered the minyan, we ran into Rabbi Einat Ramon, an Israeli graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary. I first met her during my first year of rabbinical school, when she was concluding her studies. She immediately invited us to Shabbat lunch, though she added, “—if you can hold out that long!”—for the Leeder minyan is known for going on and on and on. At around 11:00, when it was time for the torah service to begin, the group broke for Kiddush. It was a particularly enhanced Kiddush, with shnapps, in honor of the two weddings. It included “Jerusalem kugel”—which I had only eaten once before, in 1970, when I had been in Israel for USY Pilgrimage. It was delicious. It has an intriguing, rich brown color whose origin had always been a mystery to me. Eli Lehman, who is in Israel studying at Nativ and who was also present at the minyan, told me that the color of Jerusalem kugel comes from caramelized sugar. A worthy source!

Anyway, after Kiddush came the torah reading with an elaborate mi shebeirach for each and every oleh. Some of the worshipers began to get sleepy. As the person next to me put it before he nodded off, hearing the kriah (the torah reading) after vodka is a unique experience. Finally, after the kriah, Einat Ramon motioned to me—it was already time to go to lunch! It was 1:00, and her other guests were expected to arrive shortly. We headed out the door to get Elana and Leora. While we were gathering, Einat introduced me to Haviva Ner David, who is pursuing Orthodox smicha (ordination) here in Israel. Leora had recently read her memoir, and had been very impressed, so I introduced the two of them. Then, Elana, Leora and I went over the the Ramon/Ascherman apartment. (Einat is married to Rabbi Arik Ascherman, the Director of Rabbis for Human Rights.)

There we met their guests: a young couple who are studying in Israel. The young man is doing an internship with Rabbis for Human Rights, and is hoping to go to Rabbinical School next year, either at RRC (the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, in Philadelphia) or at Hebrew College. We spoke about the two schools; he was particularly interested in my impressions of Hebrew College, because I’ve taught there. The young woman, Vered, had been until recently a participant in Otzmah, a one-year Israel program for post-graduates. This was already a coincidence. Just the day before, on a tour of an archeological site, we had met another young fellow who was in Otzmah: it turns out that the two of them had been roommates together in Kiryat Gat for a few months last fall. But then I asked Vered where she was from. “Teaneck, New Jersey,” she replied. “Where in Teaneck?” I asked. I told her that I had lived in Teaneck during rabbinical school. “Princeton Road,” she said. “What a coincidence,” I said. “We lived on Princeton Road when we lived in Teaneck. What number on Princeton Road?” And then, before she had the chance to answer, I suddenly had a sixth sense. “What’s your last name,” I asked. “Meir,” she said. “Oy,” I said, “I can’t believe it. We lived in your home when we lived in Teaneck!!!” Sure enough, we had rented her home from her parents while her family was living in Canada for a few years. (Vered must have been six years old at the time!) Is this a small Jewish world or what?

One can understand such coincidences taking place on Shabbat in Jerusalem. But what about on weekdays? This morning, as I was eating breakfast, the phone rang. An uncannily familiar voice was on the other end of the line.

“Hello, I’ve been in touch with your landlady, and I understand that your apartment will be available for rent this summer. Can I come by this morning to take a look at it?” We had been told to expect such a call, but where had I heard that voice before?

“Sure, you can come by. What’s your name?” I asked.

“This is Linda Gradstein.” Linda Gradstein is the NPR correspondent in Jerusalem whose reports air frequently in Boston. Linda and I hadn’t met, but I, of course, have heard her speak many, many times. It turns out that her cousin will be visiting Israel this summer and is looking for a place to stay, so Linda is scouting out possibilities for her. Once she arrived, we played Jewish geography. We know many people in common, and we’ll probably be visiting her shul this coming Shabbat.

Is this a small Jewish world, or what?