Remember Me

I saw the movie Coco last week.  The theme of the movie is "Remember Me" which reminds me of the wonderful Jewish tradition of remembering those who have passed away.  By remembering our loved ones in our memories and our hearts, they stay alive!

For example, I never knew my grandfather Joseph Kadison, but my mother shared his photo with me since I was a child, so he is remembered.  Then, I was able to go to the gravesite of my great-grandfather Adolph Regenstreich, so his memory has been kept alive too.  More recently, a relative on my mother's side found a photo of my great-grandfather, Menachem Kadashon, so he is remembered too.

Of course, I think about my grandma Fannie all the time and my mother Edith Kadison Schneider who died in January 2011.  I was so close to both of them.  My memories and the memories of others in the family have kept them alive. 

 

I'm Shocked About Rabbi Mel Glazer's Passing

On the morning of April 23, 2018, I casually opened my email and learned that Rabbi Mel Glazer, who had been our family's rabbi at Temple Shalom in Colorado Springs, passed away on Sunday, April 22.  I was shocked and so was everyone who Rabbi Glazer touched.

Rabbi Glazer only just recently had left Colorado Springs and Temple Shalom.  He was the rabbi that conducted my daughter Annabelle's Bat Mitzvah and he was the rabbi that made me feel like I really belonged at Temple Shalom.  I enjoyed his Tuesday morning Torah study so much.  He even followed me on Facebook and was very impressed with my kids' skating and with my energy.

In previous years, I wrote a few blog posts about Rabbi Glazer.  The links to those posts are below.

• Book Review: A GPS For Grief And Healing by Rabbi Mel Glazer - January, 2014
• Words of Wisdom From Rabbi Mel Glazer (who just moved to Florida) - September, 2017
• Thoughts From a Local Rabbi - December, 2011

Temple Israel Retreat in Malibu, California! 4/13 -- 4/15/18

Temple Israel's 2018 retreat at Camp Hess-Kramer in Malibu was a wonderful and amazing experience!

At the end of the weekend, my dad told me he didn't want to leave.  It was great getting to know many of the young families that attend the temple's religious school and also it was fun to get to know some of the older people that are Temple Israel members better.

 Of course I couldn't resist bringing my mountain scooter and regular scooter and I enjoyed exploring the place on my scooters, but also on foot.

The food was wonderful too.  Also, celebrating Shabbat on Saturday morning outside was super cool.  It was neat to roast marshmallows around the campfire on Saturday night after Havdalah.  I enjoyed hiking on my own and exploring the path from the camp that went right to the beach!

And...the Sunday morning prayers while overlooking the ocean with the rabbi was so cool!

The best part of the retreat was making new friends and getting to know some of the people I've met at the temple better.  The closing circle on Sunday was a special time for everyone!

I also enjoyed showing off my "scooter ballet" skills at the Talent Show and seeing some really impressive talent from those who participated.

My dad and I hope to attend the retreat again and again!

 See the video below for wonderful views of Camp Hess-Kramer!