A Memory

The end of an era is always signified by some sort of monumental event. However I don’t think they got that memo here in Israel. Instead of some sort of celebration that the 4 weeks of mind raking Hebrew was at a close we were privileged to undergo a B’Chinat Rama(Level Exam). The last week of Ulpan was murder. Every day was a stuffing of more and more verbs, nouns, conjugations, agreements, and things I did not even knew existed in English let alone Hebrew. Nightly study groups became the staple of my existence. Needless to say I barely saw the light of day for 5 days straight. Eventually the day came when I got to sit in a room for over 4 hours answering texts, guessing words, and spacing out more than anything else. After the test was over, the feeling of elation was so intense I thought I could jump and touch the moon. Skipping the dramatic drum roll of waiting to get my grades, I passed the exam and was able to move up to level Gimmel which is the 3rd level. So now the real question comes in as to whether or not I want to take Hebrew during the semester since it is not required. I have some time to figure that out and it will come to me no worries.

I would like to take a moment and let everyone know that a tragic day occurred in the world. An incredible man named Avi Schaefer z”l was taken from this world prematurely. I was not close with him but I have met him on 2 separate occasions. Both were while I was spending my gap year in Israel on Nativ. The first was at a Far West dinner sponsored by Merrill Alpert where an amazing group of people came together. There were 15 of us on Nativ that year, the people that made Aliyah like Stephanie Hanna and Yael Weinstock, as well as those in the Israeli army like David Landau, David Abraham, and these two remarkable twins Avi and Yoav. I did not speak with Avi then since he was busy reconnecting with his cousins Loren Berman and Adina Alpert. I did not make that event a huge memory since it was a large dinner that I was happy to be part of and that was it. The second memory that strikes me a lot more profoundly happened a few weeks later when I got a call to hang out with Amy Mendelsohn downtown and of course I would never pass that opportunity up. As I am getting ready, Loren Berman comes over and says that he is going downtown to meet some people and wanted to know if I wanted to join. I told him that I was also going and of course we would go together. Only later do I find out that we are going to the same place since Amy was going to hang out with Avi and Yoav as well. We go to meet them downtown but are re-routed to a hotel since the twins have to get out of their uniforms and dress in their normal clothes. Every American Jew’s dream in Israel is to put on that green Zahal uniform to feel the pride of the country. So Loren and I asked the boys if we could try on theirs and take some pictures. They laughed at us but of course agreed and soon enough we had traded places. Subconsciously I asked Avi to wear his, while Loren was happy to wear either of the 2. We took photos together, with the guns, and of course with the twins. Looking at these photos now give me chills like none other. I did not see the boys after that chance encounter but I knew that I had met some amazing people that I could be proud to know. My soul cries out for the family of this amazing man who gave so much of himself to the world. I know not how the world will keep going after this but sure enough it does. I do know that now I can take the memory I have with him and emblaze it within my mind to keep his beauty in this world forever. His memory will be for a blessing and now he holds a spot in Heaven with all the other heroes. I know that my father will give him a big hug when he enters those pearly gates. Quoting Jewish tradition, “The soul of man is the light of G-d”. Avi soul lit this world up.