My family and I had the
opportunity to deliver a Hanukkah gift basket to Dr. and Mrs. B.
at the Westgate Villas nursing home.
We thought we would simply
be asked to drop the basket off at the front desk, but instead
were allowed to personally deliver the gifts to the couple as they
finished their afternoon meal in the dining room.
Dr.B. was a fantastic,
sharp and articulate man in his early 90’s. We stayed and chatted with him and his wife
for half an hour. He related, talking through tears, how many of
his family members were killed during the Holocaust, and how his
father had lost faith in G-d after surviving the atrocities of
WW2. As a result, his family did not celebrate the Jewish holidays
after the end of the war. He reconnected with his faith later in
life when he met his wife.
Dr.B. mentioned several times how much
it meant to him and his wife that we had taken the time to stop
by and speak with him during Hanukkah. He has led a fascinating
life; serving as a doctor during WW2 in the Pacific, running
his own medical practice in San Francisco with his wife, who was
a nurse, and being married for 64 years.
It was a fantastic experience
for our family and very rewarding to have our 9 year old daughter,
Sydnie, meet and talk with a man so committed to his faith after
having experienced so many trying times during his life.
We cannot
recommend this experience enough – you get as much as you
give. We thank all of you for providing the opportunity for us
to do a mitzvah. It was very rewarding.
