Alexander Jewish Family Service Friends –

My grandmother’s brother - my great uncle Sonny - was a master carver. Over his lifetime he created many beautiful carvings but the ones that were always my favorite were the carvings with Jewish themes.

Over the years, life has spread his children and my brothers around the country and the world and there have been periods where we as cousins have lost touch with each other. Recently, through the magic of Facebook, a post from one of Sonny’s daughters showed up in my Facebook feed. She was sharing a woodworking project that she was completing and telling stories about her father’s skill as a woodworker. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and share with her images of the pieces of her fathers that were in my home.

It was clear from the pictures that she shared on Facebook that she had inherited her father’s love, passion and talent for woodworking. It led me to think about the things that I inherited from my parents, grandparents and extended family. One of those things is my love for Judaism. So many of my most wonderful memories from childhood are connected to holiday celebrations, bar mitzvahs, weddings, baby naming ceremonies, Jewish summer camp, trips to Israel and the list goes on.

Before we had smart phones, digital cameras and the like – my great uncle captured his experiences in his carvings and they lived our home growing up shaping the way I experienced my Jewish identity.

As we prepare for Shabbat, we have the opportunity to think about the images and experiences that we are creating for the generation that will follow us. How are we teaching our values to the next generation through our words, deeds and actions.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said:

“The world we build tomorrow is born in the stories we tell our children today.”

I hope that Shabbat and the weekend provide you the opportunity to tell your favorite stories from your childhood with those that you care about. In that way, we honor the generations that came before us and introduce them to the generations that will follow.

Shabbat Shalom,

‍

Carl E. Josehart, MSW (he/him/his)

Chief Operating Officer