January 13, 2001

Dear Tucson friends of Israel Rubin,

I wish that I could have joined you today. It is hard to say goodbye to Israel at any time and in any place. But, we are forced to acknowledge that Israel has left us. Israel's life explains so well our tradition to say Zichron Livracha (to be remembered as a blessing). Israel was so inspiring, active, and ingenious to find a novel way of achieving a higher level of Jewish life. Everyone of us is at a higher level because of Israel.

A new organization is not easy to "move along" and modified Jewish ideas inherently have an incubation period that seems intolerably long. Israel made all this both easier and faster.

For all these reason it is hard to let go. And we shouldn't since his memory remains to inspire us all until it is our time to also let go. That time interval is precious and let us now think about how we can do just a bit of what Israel would have done!

Jack