Last night I returned from Sant Ambroeus -- the taxi driver started a conversation.
“It’s quiet,” he said.
“Yes,” I answered.
“It’s an important Jewish holiday.”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Maybe the most important. They fast 24 hours. Well, I fast a month.”
“Yes,” I said.
(Although I fast when I don’t happen to travel on the Day of Atonement out of solidarity with my family I don’t start fasting exactly at sunset as you ought to do, there are limits to solidarity. Last year on the Day of Atonement I visited Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo and when the US army offered me some fries I could not say no.)
“I had a man in my car,” the driver said. “A Jewish man. I told him, you are supposed to walk. He said, yes I know.”
(Religious Jews are not allowed to drive, or to use a vehicle in any way on Saturday and the holidays.)
“So this man said,” the driver continued, “drop me off one block away from the synagogue. And I said to him, do you think God sees you in my cab? God is busy. He cannot look in all the cabs.”
The driver laughed.
For a while it was silent, then he said: “You know it’s funny, Rosh Hasjanna and Ramadan both started this year at the same day. We both go by the moon.”
I had reached my destination. The driver looked at me and said: “Happy holiday.” Probably he assumed I was one of those Jews taking a cab, one block away from the synagogue; whereas I had just left a restaurant.
Before I closed the door I wished him Happy Ramadan, although I’m not sure if this was appropriate.