Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.
Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who wrought miracles for our forefathers, in those days at this season. |
In previous years, I dedicated the seventh light of Hanukkah to my grandmother, Blanche Gould. Sadly, I lost my grandmother in July of 2000, just one week before we arrived in the US for a trip that was planned mainly so that we could see her. However, even when people leave us, the light that they have added to our lives remains. Therefore, I now dedicate the seventh light to my grandparents, Blanche and Sidney Gould, may their memories be blessed.
When Avi and I were married in 1990, my grandfather was very ill (he died just over a year later) and he could not come to our wedding. Instead, he decided to hold a wedding reception for us in Florida. We brought the videotape of our wedding with us when we went to Florida and the first day that we saw my grandfather, we showed it to him. When the music and dancing started, my grandfather stood up with his cane, in the middle of the den, and started dancing. He wanted to dance at his oldest grandchild's wedding and nothing was going to stop him. I think he was the most stubborn person I have ever met (and I have no doubt that I inherited my own stubborness from him).
From my grandfather, I learned the value of hard work and persistance. I also believe it was my grandfather who instilled in me the importance of education -- he was my inspiration to fill my life with the light of knowledge. The trait that I most appreciated in my grandfather, though, was his generosity -- at times, it seemed that all he wanted in life was to be able to give away what he had earned.
The last few years of my grandfather's life were not easy for my grandmother, as he was quite ill. She provided my grandfather with a special diet, made sure he took his medication and took him to the hospital numerous times. Never once did I hear her complain, nor did I ever sense self-pity in her voice. No person could ask for a better, more dedicated, more selfless companion than my grandmother was to my grandfather.
After my grandfather's death, my grandmother did not sink into deep depression and stop living herself, despite her years of loving devotion to him. Instead, she continued to live her life as he would have expected her to, filling her time with culture, friends and charitable activities. In fact, less than three months after my grandfather passed away, my grandmother made a trip to Israel to meet her first great-grandchild (who, incidentally, was named after my grandfather). The day before my grandmother died, I received email from my parents, telling me that she had been taken to the hospital. Because she had never dwelled on her own medical problems, I had no idea how serious her condition really was (I hadn't seen her in two years). I was completely shocked when my parents called the following day to say that she had passed away. To her dying day, my grandmother never forgot to ask about what was new in our lives and to update us on what was going on with the rest of the family. I admired her strength, her independence, and her love of life. In addition, I found her desire to continually educate herself (including the purchase of a computer and learning to use the Internet) truly inspiring. My grandmother was an example and a "light", not only to me, but to all women, young and old.
| 1st night of Hanukkah |
2nd night of Hanukkah |
3rd night of Hanukkah |
4th night of Hanukkah |
| 5th night of Hanukkah |
6th night of Hanukkah |
7th night of Hanukkah |
8th night of Hanukkah |
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