With their orange T-shirts draped across their arms, they lined up in the gym of the Arnstein Jewish Community Center to meet Bruce Pearl.

An elderly woman with short gray hair held her shirt to her chest and turned to the man beside her. "How does it look?" she asked, a big smile spreading across her face. He read the words embossed in mock Hebrew letters, "Pearl's Chosen People."

"It looks good," he responded, cheerfully.

A man near the front of the line used a walker for balance while waiting patiently for his moment with coach Pearl. He was looking for an autograph, but appeared to want something more as well. He wanted to connect with the dynamic coach of the men's basketball team and to share stories about his own Jewish upbringing.

And he wasn't alone.

More than 70 Jewish senior citizens showed up for the recent "Friendshippers" program to hear Bruce Pearl talk about his life. The Friendshippers, a group of active Jewish adults 55 and older, meet monthly at the AJCC to hear speakers from the area. Pearl was a big draw not only because he is the University of Tennessee men's basketball coach, but because he has become a source of pride for the Knoxville Jewish community.

Bernie Shorr, who chairs the Friendshipper Committee, spoke about what he learned from Pearl's speech. "One big thing I got out of his program is that I call him Bruce, like he's an old friend," Shorr said. "He has that kind of persona. It was like he was an old buddy of mine."

Shorr's wife, Eleanor, agrees, "He's very gracious. God bless him, he says he wears his Judaism on his sleeve," she said. "He's a mensch (gentleman) with a capital M! He's brought so much stature to the Jewish community."

Pearl seems to understand how much he means to the area's small Jewish population. "I know it means a lot to a minority community to have someone who is visible in the community," he said. "The (Friendshippers) group was great. I felt like, since it was a senior group, that I was their grandson. I was everybody's grandson in that room. They were proud; they were very proud."

Sam Winston, who at 22 doesn't meet the age requirements of the Friendshippers, came to hear Pearl speak and to get his T-shirt signed. "It's good to have him in Knoxville because there's not much awareness of Jewishness here," Winston said. "Hopefully, having Bruce Pearl, an up-and-coming great coach and a great guy, will help a lot. He makes me look good."

What Winston and others at the Friendshipper program may be responding to is Pearl's comfort with his religion. He doesn't hesitate to tell an audience he's Jewish, nor does he shy away from sensitive issues like religious tolerance.

Back in his office — part work space, part monument to UT basketball — Pearl locks his hands behind his head and stares at the ceiling before explaining what it's like to be Jewish in the South. "You know, I pray before every game, visibly. And one of the things I've found out about the South is if you have God in your life, even if it's not the God of choice, that's OK," Pearl said. "There are so many Christians that are happy that our basketball coach talks about God. Of course there are fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity, but there's so much more we have in common."

Having said that, Pearl acknowledges that it isn't always easy being a minority. "I'm grateful for the religious tolerance in this community, but I'm also more mature," he said. "I remember when I was younger and the prayers were not nondenominational. It cut me out. It saddened me as a younger person, so I think we have to be sensitive. I'd rather have us pray than not pray, but be sensitive that the younger ones can't handle it. I don't want my children left out."

Pearl's message of tolerance is being heard throughout the community. Lifelong Knoxville resident Mary Linda Schwarzbart says that Pearl's not "bragging or apologizing for being Jewish. That's just who he is. He's a role model and an example for our Jewish children."

Bernie Shorr sums it up: "For so many years — generations, I guess — the Jews have been such a minority that when we see high-profile people, regardless of what field they're in, we're happy to see them and acknowledge them as one of us."

Pearl embraces his role as a leader in the Jewish community, but struggles somewhat with the high expectations for this coming basketball season. "I don't want to disappoint," he said. "People have really accepted me. But there's a difference between perception and reality. I'm good. I work hard. My basketball teams will play hard and play unselfishly."

And with a good-natured grin, he adds, "But I'm not the Messiah."

For the Jewish community in Knoxville, though, he brings hope.

Leslie Snow may be reached at snowcolumn@aol.com.