Welcome Lucy to our Family

It's been 10.5 months since we lost Oskee. It seems like an eternity and it's been really difficult. AndI have to thank so many of you that have been there for me (for all of us) over the last 10.5 months. Even though I rarely wanted to share my grief, I knew you were there, and I so appreciate the love. I'm not sure I ever adequately thanked everyone for the support, but just know that we felt the support.

At this point, the truth is, I still get misty, fairly regularly, when I think of her. I miss her so much - and at this point, I know that I will always have this part of me that is forever with her over the Rainbow Bridge. She will always have a space in my heart that cannot be replaced. For anyone reading this that's lost a pet, you know what I am feeling and saying.

And if I'm being totally honest, I'm not sure I'm ready for this; after all - I cried again on Wednesday night as Brandi and I discussed whether or not to use Oskee's University of Illinois water bowl.

So that pretty much leaves 2 questions which I figure are on most people's minds. I'm going to try to keep this simple and just answer those questions. First of all, why go through this again?

• It's primarily for the kids (though Brandi would argue that it's for me). Alon was 22 months old when we lost Oskee, yet he still regularly asks about her...and he loves Paw Patrol. And Ami and Nadav have been asking for a dog lately as well, so all of the boys are on board.
• Brandi and I believe it is a great thing for kids to grow up with a dog. Oskee was such a positive part of Ami and Nadav's life, and we want the same for Alon.
• Ami and Nadav will be taking more responsibility and that's a good thing too. I realize that many kids say they will take responsibility for a new pet, and do not, but Ami will have to, whether he likes it or not, because he is often the last to leave the house in the morning and the first to return in the afternoon. He knows this and he is looking forward to it.
• We miss the unconditional love of a dog - there's something about coming home to a house where a loving pet is waiting there for you. These past months, it has been eerily difficult to come home to an empty house.

The second logical question is: how am I doing this even though I am still gutted from losing Oskee?

• I have to thank one of you, and I apologize for not remembering who it was - but someone said to me a few months ago that Oskee would want us to give another dog a good home and life - just like we gave to her. There are so many dogs in shelters that need homes, and some how, some way, I guess we are honoring Oskee's memory by taking in another as part of our family. This is the idea that I am clinging to and it is the idea that is helping me through this transition.

Enter Lucy
We ask you to love her like you all loved Oskee. Obviously, we expect Lucy to be different in personality - but so many of you opened your hearts to Oskee from the beginning, and she loved you too. We hope to give Lucy the same loving home, family, and friends that Oskee enjoyed for 15 years. Here we go! Good Times Ahead!

Why I do it....reflections on Shorashim Taglit 2018

I am often asked:
Why do you still do it?
Aren't you too old?
How many trips have you led?
Isn't it hard t leave your family?
How many times have you gone to Israel?
Don't you get bored of seeing the same stuff again and again?

Valid.
All of the above are valid questions. I mean, I'm fuckin' old. I'd be lying if I denied that at the end of a week of wading through streams, climbing mountains, and touring that I didn't feel some pain in both of my knees climbing stairs. I'd be lying if I didn't ask myself some of the above questions every December when I have to decide if I'm going to lead another summer trip to Israel.

But it's worth it.
And yes, I'm going to try and answer the above questions to show why, at 47 years old, it is way worth it.

I'll be honest. The participants and the staff, at this point, could almost be my children. They are almost half my age. I'm sure they look at me like I'm some relic - especially when I tell them that I've led 16 trips and this past trip was my 18th to Israel.

It never gets old. It is amazing how every hike I have done a dozen times and every sight I see a dozen times seems new and different when reflected in the eyes of a new group of people. To see their amazement, to feel their appreciation, and to answer their questions is really a pleasure. To share my love of the land and the Israeli people is something I cherish, and when I see that love reflected back to me by the American and Israeli participants, it is worth it in spades.

I don't think I'll ever tire of standing on the Golan overlooking the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) or watching the sun rise over the Jordanian mountains from Masada. I don't think I'll ever tire of looking across the border at Syria from the Golan and recalling the heroic stories of the men that conquered that land so the northern border communities of Israel can live in peace. I don't think I'll ever tire of the fullness of my heart the first time I ride the bus and climb the Judean mountains to reach Jerusalem, or tire of sitting on the rooftops in the Old City beholding the holiness of 3 religions - the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock, and the Kotel (Western Wall). And I know I'll never grow tired of watching the waves of the Mediterranean Sea and walking the streets of Tel-Aviv.

And I know I'll never get tired of the feeling of pride I have that there is a Jewish homeland for my people - and sharing my love for it with new Israeli and American participants. And of course, I will never get tired of my 'rabbinic' role of ceremonially leading Shabbat services and offering to Bar/Bat Mitzvah participants that never had a chance to have one or to have a Hebrew name. This summer, I Bar/Bat Mitzvah'd 7 participants and gave names to a handful of others.

As if those reasons were not enough, I will share 2 specific things from this past trip that make it all worth it. First of all, we had an American participant on this trip that only found out she was Jewish a year and a half ago at age 25. When she found out that she was Jewish and she was eligible to go on Birthright (Taglit), she took the chance to learn about her unknown heritage. She learned that she had an aunt and cousin in Israel and she stayed an extra day to spend time with them. How powerful was the experience? This is what she wrote:

"[My aunt] is 97 years young! She turns 98 on July 20 which also happens to be my birthday (I had her age messed up before). We spent all day crying, laughing, and talking. She is an incredible storyteller with perfect recall of names, dates, places, and specific details. Born in 1920, I learned about everything she had to overcome from anti-semitism to WW2 to hunger, to her father being imprisoned in a Soviet camp for years, to the death of her brother and his life (my great grandfather), to how she came to Israel and so much more. Her father was the youngest of 17 children, but happened to move away from the town they lived in which was contested between Poland and Russia. The land was officially Poland during the war. All 16 remaining children and their children perished in the holocaust. In certain moments of emotion with the pain of talking about these things, she would pause and say “it would take a lifetime to explain everything but I will try” and try she did.

I'm so thankful for the Birthright experience that helped me understand her and connected me to the much larger family she shared with me. Apparently I have a boatload of cousins both in America and in Israel and Russia so more to come on that 😂. Miss everyone!"


In a nutshell, I am so thankful and honored to have been a part of facilitating the experience for her. Well worth it to help her discover her birthright.

And finally, it is worth it because leading the trips allows me to extend my own and spend time with my own Israeli family - not of blood, but family from experience. I am so thankful that 31 years after meeting Didi Remez, I was gifted with another 3 nights to spend with him, his beautiful wife Lilach and their 2 wonderful children who I love like my own. I am so thankful that I was able to spend an evening out with my amazing friend Udi, who I've known and loved for 20 years, and his amazingly wonderful girlfriend Tali. I am so thankful that I was able to spend yet another afternoon with my longtime brother Rick Teplitz. And I am so thankful to reconnect with my friend and participant from 2 years ago, Moshe Alexander, who made Aliyah 2 years ago. And I am thankful for my Israeli Shorashim family - like Tomer, who I didn't get to see this time, but I know I will see in years to come.

Though it's hard to leave my family, and it's hard to trek up mountains, and it's hard to amaze participants half my age with my swift journey up Masada, it is all worth it.

And after another summer, I am so blessed to once again have shared all of this with a new group of 49 participants and 2 staff members who are now part of my Shorashim family. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too old to connect with participants half my age...but from their reactions and comments at the end of the trip, I know that I still can and do. Thank you Bus #933 for once again showing me that our love for Israel and its people is important, and I am still relevant.

And thank you Michael Waitz and Michal Tamim and the rest of the Shorashim staff, and to my wife and family as well, for allowing me to still do this at age 47.

I am truly blessed.

Keeping Our Students Safe - We CAN Take Action

Depending on how an organization and/or news source defines a school shooting, there have been anywhere from 11 to 18 school shootings in 2018 as of February 16th. Maybe the number is lower, but without a doubt, there have been multiple people killed by guns in schools at least twice this year - once in Kentucky and this week in Florida.

According to one ABC News report citing FBI sources, there have been approximately 50 school shootings since the Columbine High School incident in 1999, my second year of teaching - and I'm now in my 20th year as a teacher.

This has to stop. It just has to. In no sane world should kids have to worry about their own safety when going to school; in no sane world should a parent have to wonder if it is the last time they will see their child when they send them off to school; and in no sane world should teachers and school employees have to constantly wonder how or if they would act to protect their own students like American hero teachers Aaron Feis and Scott Beigel did a few days ago at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Unfortunately, at this point, only one thing is clear: for whatever reason, the US Government is unable to figure out how best to keep our students safe in schools.

Before I go any further, I want to make one thing clear: I am tired of pointing fingers. I don't care that Trump may be an ass and/or an incompetent president in anyone's eyes. I don't care to point fingers at GOP members, like Marco Rubio, who receive a ton of money from the NRA. And I am equally tired of blaming Obama, who also failed to protect our children with any meaningful gun regulation or other means. In short, spare me the partisan crap. Nothing has changed in 19 years since Columbine.

So today, I got to thinking. How can Americans circumvent a constitutional law about guns that will almost never change? How can Americans circumvent or engage a government that has been impotent to stop the school violence to this point? What changes can we make, in our towns and schools, to at least TRY to better keep our students safe in school?

What I know is that the only control we have, somewhat, is over our local schools as taxpayers. So what we - you and I - can do immediately is to take stock of the security in place at our local schools and demand the school board and administration do what they have to to make that security EXCELLENT.

I am lucky enough to work at a place that can afford some darn good security. It's not fool proof by any means, but the following list contains some things we have:

1) Vegas style security cameras inside halls and outside the school with constant monitoring. Yes, we really employ a person that sits in a room and watches all of the camera feeds - just like you see on TV and movies in Vegas and other places.
2) At least 1 police liaison on campus full-time. Today I saw at least 3, with 2 cruisers parked in front of 2 of the main entrances.
3) We have a school of approximately 5000 people - but we only have 4 access points, all manned with security full-time. These folks are not armed, but they have walkie talkies and immediate communication with our security apparatus.
4) We have a constant security force that is stationed throughout the school. In addition to the 4 at the entrances, there are 2 stationed in the main commons along with Deans as well as security wandering the halls. I am not even sure how many we employ.
5) Between periods, we have students that walk outside because the building is huge. We have a pickup truck that parks during those times to block any car that would want to 'ram' through this pathway and to monitor students walking about.
6) All adults in the building must wear a visible badge. Guests get a temp badge at entrance points using a driver's license scan.
7) All classroom doors are opened and locked by staff ID cards. They are also set to auto lock in case of a "code red" situation. This might've helped avoid the death of 1 teacher in Florida that was shot ushering kids into his room and possibly working to lock the door from the outside with a key.

Some things we do not have that should be considered:
1) When classes begin, all doors should lock for the day restricting unauthorized personnel unless buzzed in.
2) Increased security staff with training and access to arms in an emergency - teachers or otherwise. While I don't necessarily want armed teachers, I'd be okay with an extra police liaison or 2 assigned to our school full-time. Also, I have seen suggestions that schools put biometric safes throughout the school with access to a weapon by any staff that wants to go through full security and training yearly. I don't know how I feel about that, but I also know that I'm willing to listen to any potential move to increase security for our kids.
3) Yearly mental health screening for teens in junior high and high school - like vision and hearing screening is done in elementary.
4) Metal detectors.

What am I missing? What have you seen at your schools?

Of course, this plan would need to be funded. But maybe, if we're not challenging the 2nd amendment and maybe if we put aside partisan politics, through local business donations, NRA donations, and government funding, we can

make our schools as safe as possible for our kids.

I realize this doesn't solve the gun debate; however, while that debate continues to go around in circles as it has for 19+ years since Columbine - through both democratic and republican administrations - we can take matters into our own hands immediately and make a difference.

I know I'm going to be writing my local school administrators for an inventory of security measures in place.

If you think it's a good idea, maybe you will too - for our children and to honor the memory of the victims and heroes that have lost their lives in school shootings over the last 19 years.

#AmericanHeroes
#ForMSDHS