Erev Rosh Hashana 2770
What a great mitzvah this group offered me by inviting me into a sanctum of people who were not my friends at school but who now share the intimate details of my life and give me the privilige of sharing theirs (yours)
I t is odd that this has happened ? but I will take it with an open heart and with both hands and will try with all of you to work out what it is all about
It has been an emancipation for me and it could not have come sooner ? realising that there was a deep loneliness in me that could not be shared with those that I love dearly because the roots and early years were different
Now it has started to make sense as we force each other to understand ourselves
The stories are now shared with my family and each of you becomes an example of how one should understand and hope .. never to give up and to choose the right paths? and thus my past is unraveling and becoming part of my American family
Sam?s story from Grade C in matric to PhD in applied mathematics together with his quiet and humble wisdom is one
Erics heroic flying tackle in our 76-0 defeat against a neighbouring antisemitic Afrikaans school is another ? but for Terry this memory had no chance of surfacing Erics tenacity stands out
Michelles understanding of her comfort with people by the socialization of Habonim is a real lesson I had none of that ? and to this day feel awkward when there are more than two people in a conversation
Stan?s quiet and unassuming leadership giving us all a relief that someone is there keeping the light of our culture shining in JHB and in SA ? (one of the saddest things I heard in recent past was that the cemetry in Vereeniging was overgrown with weeds)
Phil for reminding me that there were some (excluding myself) that not only had the social concscience to recognize the evil of our society ? but also did somethingh about it Thank God that the Jewish voice was represented by people like Phil and Terry and others The lack of involvement by the rabbis in a formal way is frightening ? but understood in light of the WWII history that preceded Either way it provides questions as to how we should deal with bullying at all levels in the future In medicine it is easy to identify the bully ? and the morality and methods of dealing with the bully is universally accepted At an international level it is the biggest problem we face Who is the bully in the Mideast conflict for example? I try to answer this along the same lines that I try in medicine In the body there are those that are interested in keeping the wonderful machine of life moving forward and upward and disease is well recognized since it has no intent on contributing to the well being of the whole and aims at destroying all that is good I try and apply the principle when viewing conflicts ? The wellbeing of the world at large is at stake
For Lindsay who gives us so much ? wit maths brilliance in creativity , glue for the group, lagter, verkakte language, playfulness , challenge, ways of dealing with adversity and the challenge of finding out why zero is what we should understand and to rethink what we are doing to the earth is a real mitzvah
and Terry whose stories, brilliance in creativity, heart wrenching in honesty, (reminds me a little like Muhammad Ali with his ease and mastery with the pen) For his sometimes brutal honesty and ability to have the dichotomous nature that allows him to take things to the edge with one branch, but able to wear the hat of conformity as well
Colette for her brave persitence ? whn memory of much of her past has been wiped out Our hope that the pictures and stories will bring some of the joys of youth back so that she can include a bio of those times as a result of this group
Sally Anne for sharing her mind and genius through her choreography in dance I would never have known
Most of all I realise that we have something to give both to this generation and the next ? not only do we have something ? but we have a responsibility to act on it What we will give back has started in some small way by the stories that we tell our families of the goings on of KDS 69 My hope that it will evolve into something more
I am going to post smatternings of this thread on the website and hope to summarise the essence of what each of us has brought to the group
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for releasing some pent up energy that has been waiting to burst
Shana Tova to you all May we continue to grow together