What a celebration! What a joyous evening!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Honestly, there is a big part of our souls that does not understand or comprehend the enormous outpouring you generously shared with us.
We are humbled, and most of all, grateful.
Shortly before the event, an elderly acquaintance asked Joanie how we could celebrate during the 30 days, the shloshim, after our mother’s death. We both knew it was the right thing to do. We instinctively understood that our mother would want us to go forward. My dearly loved Grams died six weeks before our wedding, 43 years ago, and she made it clear we should celebrate as if she were there. Our mother had her ticket and was ready to be here with us.
An image in a blog from Rabbi Rex Perlmeter, former rabbi of Temple Israel, crystalized for us the idea of finding joy in the midst of pain and tears.
Our mother, Harriett Shirley Glickstein, died on January 18. The Mincha Bar Mitzvah service on the Shabbat after we got up from shiva included the reading of the Song of the Sea. That portion was sung the Shabbat of February 4 by Rabbi Perlmeter’s son Nate. Nate’s Bar Mitzvah took place the Shabbat after the first yahrzeit for Rabbi Perlmeter’s son, Mitch, who died suddenly while preparing to go to high school one morning. That Bar Mitzvah was filled with tears of sadness and joy.
Rabbi Perlmeter writes, “After the service, a friend approached me, saying, ‘I didn’t say this during the discussion, but I want you to know the image that occurred to me. The Sea was the sea of tears which have already been or might today have been shed because of Mitch. Thanks to Nate, that sea of tears parted, and he led us all through on a dry ground of joy.’ Love and faith can do that. They can part the waters of our tears and help us find our way to redemptive life and hope. Nate did that for us on the very Shabbat when we might otherwise have felt only the sadness of the first yahrzeit. He reminded us, by example, that our mandate is to choose life.”
You, our congregational family, did that for us.
You helped us choose life and joy in the midst of tears and sorrow.
You lifted us up as we observed shiva and the shloshim.
We are forever grateful to all of you: those who worked so devotedly to make this evening happen; those who came and shared the night with us; those who donated to the Keren Dorim fund in our honor and in memory of our mother; those who sent letters, e-mail messages, cards; those who came to our home during shiva; those who called and those who spoke to us everywhere and anywhere.
Edgar Guest wrote a simple, heartfelt poem that expresses our feelings at this special time. He called his words “Gratitude.”
Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way;
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day;
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
For round about you there are those less fortunate than you.
Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom,
The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom;
Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet,
The soft caresses of your babes and all their laughter sweet.
Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blessed you are,
How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar!
But what if rain shall fall today and you with grief are sad
Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had.
We are so grateful for you, our Temple Beth Sholom congregation.
Our family has been lovingly embraced by you and by our entire community.
Thank you.
Todah Rabbah.
We walked in joy on dry land because of you.
Rabbi Gary and Joanie Glickstein
