Some of you may know that my family is dealing with the deteriorating health of my father. It is something that none of us have any control over. And it is very easy for me to escape into the world of a health care provider and say that’s life. But today I had something happen that threw me into the world of son and is a memory that will last for as long as I live.
This story revolves around a religious event so please indulge me a little here. Today was the bris (the ritual circumcision) of the 8 day old son of the Rabbi of our temple. The ceremony was at his house and was followed by lunch. The Rabbi has several other Rabbis in his immediate family and some of them were also at the house. One Rabbi who spoke during the service earlier in the day was his wife’s uncle, Rabbi Schwartz.
So when it comes time to sit after getting our food I see two seats at a table, in the shade, next to Rabbi Schwartz. My wife and went and sat down. Now Rabbi Schwartz in not your average Rabbi, he spent over 25 years dealing with college students. He actually told us some pretty funny stories about his early days at UCLA.
At a certain point Rabbi Schwartz and I were talking about where I grew up and my connection to his sect of Judaism. I told him my father was at one time the controller of the Jewish Federation and Rabbi Schwartz immediately asked me what my last name was and I told him Engel. He asked if my father is Morrie Engel and I said yes and his next word’s, the entire table heard were “Your father is a great man, he legitimized Chabad”. Even though I was only about 5 years old at the time I know the stories of how my dad helped set up and support Chabad in those early days and continued to do so his entire life.
I had a tear in my eye as I thanked Rabbi Schwartz for what he said. And I have a tear in my eye now as I write this. My dad will move on someday but I know he has done what very few have done. He made a difference on a global level helping an organization that he believed in. What a legacy.
I only can hope that someday, my children will come across someone and in the course of conversation it might be said that I made a difference somewhere, to someone, to some cause. I have no illusions that I can do something as great as my dad…but somewhere I just want to make a difference.