Where do we fit in the grand scheme of things?

This months blog is dedicated in the memory of Haim Ezair Z''L. My uncle who passed on several weeks ago.

Having discussed the course of his lifetime made me sit and seriously think about where we stand as Jews in America, and even more specifically where we stand as leaders in our respective communities.

My uncle Haim lived a long life that at times was difficult. He was born in Iraq where he lived the first part of his life amongst the vibrant Iraqi Jewish community. While life was for the most part quiet for Iraq's Jews, things began to change, and Jews started leaving en masse. Uncle Haim then left Iraq and headed for Iran, where he was able to get married and start a new life. He got married and had three children in Iran, and in general life was good for Jews in Iran.

Unfortunately, the good times in Iran came to an end in 1979 with the Iranian Revolution. Jews faced tough decisions and many left Iran leaving their former lives behind. After the revolution Uncle Haim ended up rejoining his wife in kids in New York where he lived until the day of his death.

Looking back, you see that all the turmoil that was caused in his life was due to the sole reason that he was a Jew. He had to flea from country to country, and his life changed in each place he lived. The only thing that did not change in each place was his Jewish pride. Wherever he lived he was proud to be Jewish, and this remained with him throughout his life. The drive to live freely as a Jew shaped his life.

We at Moishe House, have the amazing opportunity of not only living free as Jews in the United States and abroad, we have the ability to lead and help the Jewish people on a daily basis, and we act on this ability. No matter what type of event we run, no matter who comes, the fact is that every event we run is bringing the Jewish people closer together and is celebrating the fact that people like my Uncle Haim risked their lives so that we would have exactly this opportunity.

As we move forward as an organization we should always keep in mind, that we are serving the greater good of the Jewish people through the events we are running and sponsoring. Ultimately, we are not just running an event, we are fulfilling the dreams of the generations before us who had it much harder than we do today.