What is a shamus? a funny joke for our Hebrew friends
A shamus is a guy who takes care of handyman tasks around the temple, and makes sure everything is in working order.
A shamus is at the bottom of the pecking order of synagogue functionaries, and there’s a joke about that:
A rabbi, to show his humility before God, cries out in the middle of a service, “Oh, Lord, I am nobody!” The cantor, not to be bested, also cries out, “Oh, Lord, I am nobody!”
The shamus, deeply moved, follows suit and cries, “Oh, Lord, I am nobody!” The rabbi turns to the cantor and says, “Look who thinks he’s nobody!”
— Arthur Naiman, “Every Goy’s Guide to Yiddish”
