So Gary, it is now my privilege to tell a bit of a granddaughter story, though there is a bigger story than that in the posting.
During this week close to 1000 young athletes will take part in the JCC Maccabi Games at various venues in and around Boca. Yesterday was their day of arrival and going down to Fort Lauderdale airport to meet a granddaughter became part of a larger perspective as the airport filled with happy and excited kids in brightly colored tees and their chaperones and coaches, all volunteers. Security was tight, as it had to be, but low key and these kids were high on the joy of life.
One of these athletes was my peanut of a granddaughter, 13, and as big as a minute and guess what her sport is - yup, basketball! We promised that we would be back for the opening ceremonies at the BT&T arena that evening and were we ever so glad we came.
The place was hopping. There were host families cheering for their guest's city. There were relatives, like us. There were families of close to 300 local Boca athletes and contestants. The music was thumping and the atmosphere contagious in its excitement and pride.
After reading the news all day about Israel. After reading the article, editorial, in the British newspaper, The Guardian, about the rise in anti Semitism in Europe and around the world; after reading about the rabbi shot and killed in Miami over the Sabbath on his way to synagogue and finding out that we know who it is - well, it was good to see thousands of us gathered in joy and celebration, each of us there for our own peanut and to cheer on the others.
The kids entered in a parade of athletes, just like the Olympics, uniforms and all, jumping, cheering, excited. The audience roared as international teams entered as well, and as one, as the next to last contingent entered, stood up and cheered so loud it "raised the roof". It was a group of Israeli kids and their chaperones and here they were, a way to show our support of Israel in her time of need. The newspapers can show all they want of negative stories, but they will never show nor capture the support that is there for Israel.
A solemn moment remembering the Munich 11, killed so horribly at the Munich Olympics, took place and a speaker told of her coming in late and rather than going all around to the main gate, she and her friends, all from Canada, decided to climb the fence and nearby was a group of men, all in dark track suits with no country name, who also were climbing the fence. She woke the next morning to discover that those men were the terrorists! The speaker related in deeply emotional tones of her feelings over the years and her wonder if she was complicit in what happened, but who was she to know or to think of such things. The world was a different place then.
An oath to the athletes, a video and off to an evening activity as the boundless energy of these kids was amazing. A long day and a full week ahead of them and you can be sure that Gerry and I will be there to see our peanut play basketball and cheer as loud as we can. These joyous activities and gatherings, this one 18 months in the planning and execution, a massive undertaking, are such a necessary part of our world. It binds us together, unites us as we form new friendships and share in joy and hope. So play on, all you peanuts - and those not such peanuts(!). Live life. Love life and enjoy. We are right there with you.
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