Lincoln & Yerushalayim...Some Links

When I come to Jerusalem I love to visit my family. I get to be with my son, daughter-in-law, grandkids, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. I always have a sense of feeling connected in an intimate way. This year there were four other incidences that reminded me of what a small Jewish world this is and how connected Lincoln is to Yerushalayim.

1) The Rosh Yeshivah of Pardes is a Rabbi by the name of Daniel Landes. I took a look at him and told him I knew him when he was Danny Landes, Ramah Wisconsin camper. As if that wasn't a coincidence, he said his mother had married a former Rabbi of Lincoln, NE...Rabbi Harold Stern. Rabbi Stern, not only was my first Rabbi, but also the Rabbi who took me under his wing when I attended Northwestern University since his shul was in Skokie, Illinois. When his youngest daughter got married in Skokie, I actually met Rabbi Landes' mother who was engaged to Rabbi Stern! Now that's a small Jewish world!

2) When I walked into the Pardes institute on the first day of my course, I saw a woman who looked familiar. I walked up to her and introduced myself as being from Lincoln,NE. It turns out that I did know her. She had come to Lincoln for two summers in a row to grade AP Biology exams at the University of Nebraska and had attended shul with several of her co-workers at Tifereth Israel! We ended up being study-buddies!

3) This morning I called Annie Allen, former Lincolnite, to catch up on news about the Allen family. It was indeed delightful hearing about her grandchildren and their activities. It reminded me that individuals may come and go from Lincoln, but the place they hold in our hearts never leaves us. I would have liked to have visited them, but Harry hasn't been well and we will put that off until our next trip here.

4) Last night Charlie and I met Stuart Margolis and his wife Rikki for dinner at a vegetarian restaurant over-looking the Old City. Not only was the sight spectacular, but getting together with an old Lincoln friend was delightful. In this day and age of internet connections and air travel, it is possible to stay connected with dear friends who have made aliyah.

Each time I come here, I do not feel like a stranger visiting a "foreign" country. I feel very much at home rediscovering friends and enjoying the family that lives here.