| Scents & Sensibility Scents & Sensibility.....
 Social scientists long ago described the concept of personal space, that culturally-defined boundary inside of which a person begins to feel uncomfortable or threatened by someone else’s approach. It dictates all kinds of behaviors ranging from how close we stand to one another at cocktail parties to how much living-space must be designed into prison cells holding more than one person. By and large, most of us develop an intuitive reading of another’s "personal space" and we act accordingly.
When, however, what we wear extends far beyond our "personal space", we sometimes intrude in challenging and problematic ways into the "personal space" of everyone else.
I am not speaking of clothing but, rather, of the scents we wear on our bodies, most often--but not exclusively--in the form of perfume or cologne.
The human olfactory system is a highly complex and sensitive means of reading the world. When triggered by the most infinitesimal molecules of scent, it can alert us to danger, arouse us, or unlock long-hidden memories. But too many of those molecules in too small a space can be overwhelming, distracting, throat-tightening (even dangerous, for the allergic among us) experiences.
There are times when I have entered our building and knew, with my first intake of breath, that a smoker had been in the building that day. There have been occasions when I have entered a room and have felt my throat tightening in reaction to too much scent.
Our thresholds and tolerances vary widely for such experiences. Physiologists tell us that as we age, our sense of smell diminishes and we tend, therefore, to splash on more cologne or perfume than when we were younger. Some smokers believe (erroneously) they can mask the smell of smoke on their clothing and bodies by laying on more perfume or cologne. The result can be a double-assault.
As a community we strive to effect a certain sensitivity in many areas: we watch our words, lest they do harm; we try to respect "personal space" so as not to induce discomfort when we’re around other people. I suggest that we extend that consideration for others into the realm of scents.
If you, habitually, splash on cologne or perfume or apply other strongly-scented products (deodorants, moisturizers, hand-sanitizers) please give thought to the impact your decision may have on others and consider the possibility that, in the public sphere, your right to smell the way you wish to smell stops at the next person’s nose. Please think twice, before attending events at FJC, about the ways in which the scents you choose to wear may seriously affect those around you. We’ll all breathe more easily as a result of our collective consideration.
Reb Elias Back to the Rabbi's Section | 
