A Hesped For A Friend

I woke up today to some sad news. An old friend, Dan Singer, passed away. Baruch Dayan HaEmet. Dan was a great guy. He was always so friendly and kind. We were neighbors for a few years in Boca. He would come over to learn some Torah and we would have a great schmooze. He would help with anything: building a Sukkah, changing a car battery, making his signature magnets for a business, giving out head flashlights during a hurricane. Always with a sincere smile on his face. I remember that Dan was always prepared for anything. He had his house wired and stocked for any kind of emergency and you knew that Dan was going to be there for you in case of emergency. And he was even there for the animals. I remember Dan and Terry shipping in baby ducks which they literally fed and raised until the ducks got too loud. I also remember how active he was. He would take the kids biking, kayaking, etc... all the time. I even remember them learning how to kayak in the community pool. Every week it was a new adventure to some nature preserve or Everglades sanctuary. He spent a lot of time with his kids and loved them dearly. But there are two things which stick out most in my mind most when I think about Dan. One is how he ran away from Machloket. I remember how when someone offended him somehow he would be Maavir Al Midotav and not make a scene. The 2nd thing I remember most about Dan is how he had this uncanny ability to learn and remember new people's names (Something I am working hard at these days). We both moved to Boca at the same time. Every Shabbat I would come home from shul and feel overwhelmed by all the new names of the people I had met. And I might actually remember 2-3. Dan would come home and tell me about 10 different people he had met. And not just their names but specific details about them. He made it look so easy! But the truth was that not only was he a sharp mind. He also just really cared and when he asked you about yourself it wasn't just small talk. He really wanted to make a connection. Dan, I'm so sorry that I wasn't more supportive during hard times and more present in your life after you left Boca. I was not as good a friend to you as you were to me. I hope you can forgive me. I will try to take the lessons I learned from you and be a better person. You will not be forgotten.

Belonging

So many thoughts on this 4th of July 2012, our 1st day in Houston. What common thread do they share? I was thinking about the theme of belonging. We had a great 1st day in our new hometown. I was welcomed warmly in shul. We were invited to 2 different 4th of July BBQ's. We sampled one of the kosher restaurants and explored some of the new hood. We found Walmart and got the twins their 1st big kid bikes. And most importantly, we received the keys to our new house. The kids couldn't get over how much room there was! So far so good. And yet, of course it will take time to really feel like we belong here and are not just visiting. When our moving truck finally arrives next week (we hope) and we start to unpack we will feel like we belong in the house. And when we meet more people and learn our way around it will feel like we really belong in town. It might take a little longer though for it to settle in that we live in TX :-) Driving here from FL this week really made it sink in how huge this country is. When we finally entered TX the sign said something like 850 miles to El Paso on the other side of the state. I read recently that TX is bigger than France! And I was told at the BBQ tonight that if you want to drive from here to Los Angeles you are already halfway there when you exit TX! The truth is that Houston is pretty cool, and TX is pretty cool, and in general, living in America is pretty awesome (got to love the Boston Pops on the 4th!). But as much as I love this country and am truly grateful for all the freedoms and opportunities it offers, I remind myself that ultimately I believe that we really belong in Eretz Yisrael, our true home. So... As we start to settle in to our new home in Houston I am excited knowing that, like a good pillow, it will only get more and more comfortable. And it occurs to me that maybe belonging is more about feeling like your presence is needed. Since tomorrow is my 1st day at Beren I suspect that with hard work and dedication I will start to feel like I belong very soon indeed.

The Passenger In My Car

In Shema we are told to speak about Torah (ודברת בם) at home (בשבתך בבתך), on the road (ובלכתך בדרך), and when we go to bed and wake up (ובשכבך ובקומך). Today I had the chance to fulfill ובלכתך בדרך while driving. Since we are driving 2 cars I have been on my own in one car while Elisheva drives the other. However, in a certain sense I have not been alone. I have been listening to Rav Aharon Rakeffet's series on the history of Rav Soloveichik. It's great stuff if you love Jewish History, are a student of The Rav, and enjoy beautiful Divrei Torah. And it's especially great for me to listen to my Rebbe, Rav Rakeffet, speaking about his Rebbe, The Rav. Although it has been 11 years since I sat in Rav Rakeffet's shiur in Gruss Kollel in Israel, listening to the shiurim brings me right back and connects me to my Rebbe. It just goes to show you the impact that a Rebbe can have on a student even years down the line.

The Journey Begins

Today, day 2 of our drive to Houston, we drove through 4 different states (FL, AL, MS, LA) on our way from Talahassee to New Orleans. On the one hand, I'm kind of tired from all the driving and just want to get there already. On the other hand, if you know me you know that I love traveling and seeing new places. We stopped today in Mobile, Alabama (yes, I sang the Minyan Man song - "stepped off the bus in Mobile, Alabama...") and went to the USS Alabama museum. The Alabama was a huge combat battleship that fought during WWII. It was very cool to walk through its many massive levels. The kids especially loved it. They also had a submarine that we walked through called the USS Drum. And there were many cool planes And helicopters as well, including a Stealth Aircraft. Anyway, all in all, a couple of hours well spent. When you have the opportunity to see or do something that you might never have again you have to take advantage. In the afternoon we made our way to New Orleans. We had a nice dinner in a kosher restaurant called Casablanca (they did not serve kosher jumbilaya). Tomorrow morning we plan on doing one of those horse and buggy tours in the French Quarter before heading out for the final 6 hour stretch to Houston. Oh, one other thing before I sign off for the night. At some point in the Panhandle of FL we entered Central Time Zone. That's right: from now on we'll be an hour behind all our east coast friends and family. Just another thing to get used to among many. The adventure continues...

Gan Eden

A few years ago I pulled into a gas station here in Boca and came across a FL license plate that said Gan Eden. It's funny, and I can see why that person loves it here. But one of the side effects of this move has been to remind us not to get too comfortable or settled, no matter how nice our Galut at times may be. Our real home of course is in Eretz Yisrael. In about an hour we will pull out of Boca and begin the drive to Texas. We were supposed to leave last Monday but were delayed due to all the flooding in the FL Panhandle from Tropical Storm Debbie. Anyway, I want to give one last Bracha before we depart. Boca may not be Gan Eden, but it has always been a Gan, a lush garden where people grow. We have seen so many individuals and families grow here, and thank God, we have grown here tremendously as well. So my bracha to all of us is to never stop growing. Enjoy the Eden, but never forget the Gan.