Monday, March 25, 2013

Brit of Charles Harold Feldman

We appreciate you all coming out this morning on one of the most frantic days of the Jewish calendar. We understand how difficult it is to make extra time this morning and it means so much to us to be able to share this bris with so many friends and family. We also recognize that because of Pesach many of our family and friends are not able to be here this morning in person, but we appreciate their love and digital presence.

Our son, Yitzchak Zvi ben Yaakov Yosef, Charles Harold is named for my beloved father, Yitzchak Zvi ben Yaakov, alav hashalom. My father was one of five Charles’s named for their grandfather, our son is the 3rd generation Yitzchak-Charles Feldman in the United States. Many of you will probably wonder how I feel naming my son after my father, so I will tell you. It is very bittersweet. On the one hand we are privileged to have a namesake for my father so soon after his death, but at the same time it serves as a confirmation of what we already know - that his absence will always be present. My father set a tremendous example for our Charlie and indeed all of us. He was a dedicated family man, devoted physician, and a communal pillar. He was a quiet man with an indelible sense of humor, and always managed to get the job done. There was little that he did not accomplish in his life.

Despite the logistical difficulties, it feels quite fitting that our Charlie was born at this time of the year. My father was diagnosed shortly before Pesach in 2006 and that was the first time in many years that my whole family was not together in Israel for Pesach. After that year, Pesach became a certain benchmark. And we were lucky to be able to celebrate five more together until his passing. Last year we marked our first Pesach without him. This year, although we are not all able to be together in Israel, we feel grateful we will once again have Charles Feldman at the Seder.

Family was an important theme in my father’s life, and is an important component of Pesach. Pesach is a time when families come together across the world to share experiences, share stories, and share dreams. Many memories are formed around the seder table. The Pesach story is a quintessential part of our communal history, and Pesach similarly forms an important part of each family’s memories and traditions. Today we give my son his name as a way of carrying on tradition - both communal and family. In talking about the Pesach Hagaddah, Rabbi David Silber suggests that this holiday helps us “See our tradition as a living part of who we are today and where we want to go.” We appreciate this time to reflect on the life my father led and the legacy he has left for us and our children.

To our dear little Charlie, we hope you learn from your Saba to always feel anchored by, and work for, your community and your family. May you be zocheh to appreciate all of God’s blessings, even during hard times, as your Saba did.

Charlie also bears the name of Dana’s great-grandfather, Mr. Charles Getzler. He was a quiet and learned man, and he and his wife Eva were pillars of the Upper West Side community. We hope Charlie inherits his love of learning and his strong work ethic, as his son Dana’s maternal grandfather Abe Getzler exemplified.

We want to thank our parents, Mom, Mommy and Abba who have provided us with incredible help and support this past week and throughout our lives. We are so blessed to have your active involvement in our family and know Charlie will enjoy the same special relationship with each of you that Aaron and Eva have already developed. Thank you to our siblings who are always available to share advice, basements, babysitting and clothing. We are grateful for the presence of Dana’s grandmothers, and we hope to continue celebrating smachot with you for many years to come.

At this point we invite everyone downstairs to partake of one last bagel. On your way out please take a copy of Rabbi Silber’s Haggadah as a token of our appreciation. Chag Sameach to everyone.

VIDEOS:
Vacht Nacht
Bris

Speech



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