On Sad and Glad

A few days ago, Dorothy, a dear friend of ours passed away. Dottie was a beautiful woman who had seen a lot of life in her 80 years. She suffered from cancer and various treatments for the past four years and finally succumbed to a stroke brought on by the cancer’s complications.

Dottie, you have been a dear, loving, friend to Irma and me for the last seven years. Your love and caring and your happy, positive attitude made us feel loved and welcome from the day we moved to Boca Raton.

Your love for Yiddishkeit, you respect and love for our Young Israel of Boca Raton and our rabbi, Rabbi R., served to guide us easily into our home at YIBR.

Your love and devotion to your husband, Rabbi G., and your feelings for your children and grand children served as a shining example to us and others around you.

Your ability to endure life’s pains and disappointments with a smile and a prayer of thanks to G-d taught us to appreciate what G-d gives us.

Thank you, Dottie, for your love and friendship. Thank you for your words of encouragement and support on our move to Israel.


We will always remember you and keep you close in our hearts. We hope that you will look down from above and point out to G-d the little garden that was planted in Israel in your honor.


May G-d console your family among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Dorothy's Garden
Efrat, Israel

~~~~~

As G-d gives us beautiful people and flowers and a world of beauty and even sadness, He also give us simchas, happy occasions, that teach us about the continuum of life and its several milestones. This week we were blessed to be able to attend a very lovely wedding in Jerusalem. The bride is the daughter of new friends in our new community of Efrat.

Without embarrassing the newlyweds, let’s just say that the physical beauty of this young couple is only matched by their overwhelming devotion to G-d and their motivation to do kind deeds for the less fortunate among us.

We are privileged to be a part of the wedding celebration, which helps us to understand and accept our profound sadness in losing our dear friend.

Shabbat Shalom, Y'all.