Yiskor- A Memorial Service 9.29.24

Thank you all for coming here this afternoon to share this sacred moment together. It is our moral duty to remember our fallen angels, the holy survivors and the good people who fought and died to give our parents another chance. I have come here today to honor the blessed memory of my parents, survivors, Max Kaufman, who was born in Bendin, Poland and Blanche Ferber Kaufman, who was born in Chrzarow. Poland. The family joke was, in a normal world, mom would never have considered marrying dad because a Galiciana women would never work with the Bendin man.

The short story is that they made it here to the USA. They married in 1952, had two children and my father started his own manufacturing business that is going as strong as ever. I am sticking around for the fourth generation to take over. They were wonderful parents who imbued the values of love for Judaism, family and work. They gave us security, self confidence and enough love for three generations. I am forever grateful and lucky to have spent most of my life along side my parents. They were tremendous influencers, before there were any such things, on all the young men and women who passed through our house.

Please indulge me as I read two poems in honor of my parents and our fallen angels.. These words are really their words and somehow I was able to hear them. That is how it seems to occur.

To my Grandfather….

The second poem, titled 134271, is a conversation between hope and despair. They were the numbers that were assigned to my father’s forearm. Added together the numbers equal 18. The Hebrew word Chai, literally means life, and the Hebrew letters numerical value of the word Chai is 18. My father thought, despite surrounded by despair, that he was given the number as sign of hope, that he would make it out alive.

I know many of us are also battling the waves of hope and despair in our current world. I am particularly grateful that our parents have been spared experiencing the wave of anti-semitism that is spreading across America. My father and mother loved this country as much as they loved Israel. It would have been so disappointing for them to see the shameful actions of our most privileged and elite students in our most esteemed universities.

The truth is that we have been here before as a people. We must face these harsh truths and be willing to do battle. That is what they do for us every day in Israel. We can do the same here. The Talmud says”Kol Israel aravim zeh bazeh”: Every Jewish person has a responsibility to rise up for one another. It is time to stand strong in honor of those who have come before us and sacrificed so much.

134271

Am Yisrael Chai-

God Bless America

Peace to Everyone.. Shana Tova… And as Moses once said to the Pharoah and we should say today.….. Let our people Go!!..

Grandfather Aaron Kaufman and Grandmother Bella Roiza Kaufman. Grandfather Moshe Ferber and Grandmother Frieda Staschover Farber; Aunts Rachel and Rebecca Kaufman; Uncle Jacob Kaufman; Leah Farber and my beautiful survivor Aunt Sala Farber Krakauer and Uncle Joe Krakauer ; Aunt Ester Kaufman Gold. Uncle Dov Gold