ELUL 18 · DAY 18 of 29 · AUGUST 29, 2026
It was erev Yom Kippur, and there was so much to do. I was the twentysomething rabbi of the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, a small congregation that couldn’t fit into our small brownstone on the High Holidays. So just hours before Kol Nidrei, a group of us had to
schlep the prayerbooks, the Torahs, and more to a nearby church that generously lent us their space.
As we frantically tried to finish packing up, I walked into the kitchen and found our beloved custodian, Delroy Alleyne, carrying a huge box of half-used candles to the stove. These candles were left over from all the past year’s Shabbatot. Despite my pleas, Delroy had refused to throw them out. So here he was, erev Yom Kippur, melting them all down in a big pot.
I was about to lose my temper: “Delroy,” I said, “WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING? This is no time for arts and crafts.”
He just smiled as he took the melted wax and poured it into a cylinder to make a Ner Tamid, our eternal light, for Judaism’s holiest day.
I was stunned and speechless. That Ner Tamid contained a bit of a whole year’s worth of Shabbatot, 52 weeks of joy and light, family and community, hopes and dreams.
I might have been the rabbi, but Delroy was the spiritual master. I prepared a 20-minute sermon, but Delroy created a brilliant 25-hour teaching. Each of us — whether a rabbi, congregant, or custodian — has the capacity to spread the light and illuminate the darkness around us.
2 Responses
Delroy was a quiet yet beautiful person and a loved member of our community for sure! 💕
I so remember Delroy. He taught a lot. My son, did a D’var Torah on video in 2000 , interviewing random people in the neighborhood about what random acts of loving kindness they practiced or experienced. At the time, Delroy was recuperating from his stroke so the final interview was a close up on camera of Delroy who spoke with post stroke slurred speech about the loving kindness he was shown by BHS members during his illness. We presented the video to Delroy’s family when he passed away. Memories can be sources of strength and blessings. Dayenu . .