We will miss you Papa Frank.

While many of you reading this blog know just how special my grandfather was not only to me but to so many people, others of you might not have been priviliged enough to spend time with him. I would like everyone to get the chance to know him a bit through my eulogy for him. He was my hero, and Josh and I will miss him terribly.



These past few weeks Josh and I had to make a very tough decision. My hero and one of the people I felt closest to in this world was fighting for his life. And since I am now in my 33rd week of pregnancy we had to make the tough decision to remain in Seattle while my papa’s life came to a close. I wish our baby would have the opportunity to meet Papa. But unfortunately that was not in the cards. But I promise you all that this baby will know his or her great grandfather. Because all of our memories and the way that we carry ourselves will be present in his or her life. And here are some of the things I will tell our baby about Papa.

Jason, Blake, Spencer, Dayna and I were lucky. We were blessed to have such an amazing and wonderful man in our lives for so many years, and Josh and Isaac have been privileged just the same. Josh always tells me that when he meets with a family after their loved one has died, that the family always comments to him that if he, Josh, was to look up the word mensch in the dictionary they would find a picture of their loved one. This makes me smile because when we look up mensch in the dictionary- we find a beautiful, smiling, caring and sweet blue eyed man looking at you. Our Papa Frank.

Our papa was a remarkable man. He made a lasting impression on everyone he met, an impression that lasted a lifetime- as proven by all of you being here today. My earliest memories with papa involve a song that he first sang to me, then to Dayna, Jason, Blake and eventually Spencer. Papa loves Carrie, Carrie loves papa…over and over again. This was followed by a series of nose rubs and kisses corresponding to our age at the time. We definitely learned our counting skills quickly! Papa still always loved singing that song to me even up to the last time I saw him.
While attending Akiva nursery school, each week we had “show and tell day.” The special part about this “show and tell” was we needed to bring in something that began with the letter of the alphabet we were studying that week. When we got to letter “F,” I had an easy time choosing what to bring in. I brought in the most special thing to me to show and tell about- My Papa Frank. I have a picture of us that day, he and I are both beaming with pride and I will treasure that picture always.

Papa and I had a special connection, our love for Judaism. We had a ritual of going to shul together, however unlike most people he never sat down! This is why he was called the “shul-man.” He would always be wandering around the sanctuary making sure everything was in order. It still amazes me today how he knew everyone there- and everyone knew him. He of course also loved showing off his granddaughter. I would often lead adon olam, ashrei, or the prayer for Israel, however before I would go up to lead something, he always gave me a few words of wisdom: “loud and slow!” I attended shul with him almost every Shabbat until I went off to college and even after that whenever he felt well enough to attend. It was our special day together. I will never forget those days, and even now whenever I lead Anim Z'mirot, the hymn of glory, I smile to myself as I know he is right there beside me telling me “loud and slow” and beaming with pride.

Papa had the desire for me to become a cantor, but I cannot sing. So maybe a rabbi… well, I didn’t become a rabbi, I did the next best thing and married one instead. He was so happy to have a rabbi in the family. While Josh did not get to attend shul with papa and see his love for the synagogue first hand, he did get to hear and see the love he had for the shul within his heart.

Dayna reminded me of Papa and Gigi’s love of sleeping… and snoring! Dayna and I would often sleep over when we were younger, however, between the snoring, and the tv blasting, we never ended up sleeping! Those sleepovers sure ended quickly!

Papa had a home office that was “beautifully decorated.” It happened to have been decorated by the 5 grandchildren! One of the other things that adorned his office were his pipes. In earlier pictures with him, he was always smoking his pipe- and he always had the sweet smell of tobacco on him. I never liked those pipes, or his smoking, so one day I made a deal with him… I would stop eating French fries- and he would stop smoking his pipe. I am glad to say that he stopped smoking years ago, and well… I still love my French fries, and for some reason or another that is what the baby and I have been craving these past 8 months.

I cannot mention papa without mentioning the love he had for Grandma Gigi. She was his soul mate- his beshert. Did you know they went to prom together? I only hope that everyone here will share a love like them. I admire their love and try to emulate it each and every day.

None of these words describe my grandfather, our Papa. None of these words get to the point, because they do not demonstrate how much he unconditionally loved me and all of us. We took off our shoes when went to their house, and he hated this. But he would greet us with a smile and a hug. We would be loud and obnoxious and he would shrug it off because we were his pride and joy and his everything. We were his grandchildren.
There are many wonderful qualities about our papa. These are just a few short memories, for if I was to share everything we would be here forever, you see my papa means the world to me, and he will never ever be forgotten, and I will miss him terribly. We truly lost an amazing and special man.
And so now I have something to tell the baby. I can tell our baby that you have a great grandpa, a great-papa, that although you will never meet him face to face, he will be beaming with joy on the day you arrive. Because you will be another link in the chain of everything he loved… He loved all of us. And we loved him, and we will miss him terribly. God- you are lucky to have him near you.
I love you papa. Carrie

You gotta have faith - George Michael

It takes a great deal of faith to bring another human in to this world. It takes a lot of optimism and belief in humanity to do this. Today is 9/11/2008. Seven years have elapsed since our country was attacked by cowards and today we remember their victims. I remember in 2001 I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. I could not believe the state of humanity. I could not concieve of subjecting anybody else to this horrendous condition we called life. But my faith grew again, and with time it was renewed. Each time I meet a child of a Holocaust survivor I have a similar reaction. How could anybody who has been through such horrors ever want to bring new life in to the world? The answer is an undying belief in a better tomorrow. It is an unwillingness to give in to terror. It is a desire to start a new world. The rabbi who preceeded the rabbi that I grew up with in Michigan used to assert that everytime a baby was born it was God's attempt at bettering creation. Everytime new life came into existence it was our try at making the world a better place. With every new life we begin to try to make the world better.
Lego, I am happy that we have chosen to continue the world with you. I know that we are not able to give you a world that is perfect. And for this I am sorry. But I believe that in you there is opportunity to make the world better. So sieze the opportunity and make our world better.

Love,

the Abba

Overwhelmed!!!

I have to be honest. Shopping for somebody you have never met is not simple. Lego, what kind of car seat would you buy? What type of stroller would you like to ride in? What type of glider would you like your Eema and Abba to rock you to sleep in? What is your favorite color? Inquiring minds need to know? Do you like animals, or shapes? This is all so tough. Your Eema and I spent nearly five hours today at a store called BabiesRUs. It was so difficult. We purchased a tan glider and ottoman and we got what we think is a perfect throne for you to be driven in your chauffeur driven Ford Focus of Hyundai Accent. We just do not know. Seriously who has spent that much time in a store on a day called Labor Day? It was so intense.
We hope we did right by you...

We love you,

Abba and Eema