treppenwitz

The New Addition to the Family

For as long as I can remember, my family has always had a dog or two. I'm not sure if it was intentional or just chance, but the way things usually worked out was that we overlapped them by getting a puppy (or young rescue dog) when our existing dog was somewhere in middle age.

The result of this arrangement was that our middle aged dog got to 'mentor' a puppy or young dog, and gained a play companion (things that they both seemed to enjoy). 

And when, by and by, the time came for the older dog to 'cross the rainbow bridge', we already had a beloved pet to help comfort the family during our time of loss.

Our lab/shepherd mix 'Lulu' was the puppy that helped our previous lab mix 'Jordan' get through her cancer treatments, was her constant companion throughout the second half of her life... and was with her to the very end.

This is a photo from about  seven years ago of Jordan meeting Lulu for the first time:

And here they are a few months later as fast friends:

Now that 'Lulu' is in the neighborhood of seven, we started thinking about getting a puppy to keep her company. Some asking around and research brought us to a lovely family in the Galilee that breeds German Short-Haired Pointers.

Zahava and I were looking for a short-haired breed (less shedding) with an even temperament, and this breed seemed to fit the bill.

Here is a picture from yesterday showing a grown up 'Lulu' with her new side-kick, 'Rosie'.

Things have, once again, come full circle... and we (and they) couldn't be happier! 

Mission (mostly) Accomplished

I'm replacing yesterday's post with this one for two reasons:

1.  In less than 24 hours you incredibly generous people got us to within putting distance of our goal.  Anyone who still wishes to make a contribution should leave a comment on this post and I'll send you an email explaining how to go about it.

2.  Apparently it might not be 100% kosher to make so public an appeal for such stuff, so what's done is done.... but discretion is the better part of valor.  Hamevin yavin.  :-)

You people are the best!  It warms the heart to see people step up and support worthy causes.  I'll be sure to post (veiled) reports of how your generosity made a difference.

!חג עצמאות שמח

Happy Israel Independence Day!

The People of Israel are Responsible for One Another

We often repeat the title of this post as an empty platitude without giving it much thought.

But today in Ashdod, on the morning of Israel's annual commemoration of the Holocaust, it was put into practice in a very moving and appropriate way.

Benjamin Schlesinger (OB''M), a Holocaust survivor who had lived the latter part of his life in Israel, passed away just before the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day.  

He had only one son and very few living relatives, so the family was concerned that there wouldn't be a minyan (the quorum required for Jewish communal prayer services) to allow the recitation of Kaddish.  So they posted a request on Facebook asking for help in making the minyan for the funeral.

This morning at 9:30, more than 500 Israelis - civilians, military, and police - from all over the country showed up to escort this survivor, and support his small family, through this last ceremony with dignity and respect.

At 10:00, the funeral service paused and everyone stood while the siren wailed throughout the length and breadth of the country, joining the loss of this lone survivor with the millions of others who were lost or scarred by that dark period in our shared history.

I am so proud of my country for putting into practice this sense of shared responsibility.

Kol Yirsael Arevim Zeh Bazeh

כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה

All Israel is Responsible for One Another  

~Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shavuot 39a~