Congregation
Kneseth Israel
...proudly serving the Jewish community of Anne Arundel County since 1906
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...proudly serving the Jewish community of Anne Arundel County since 1906
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Joe
Shafran Eulogy Sunday
September 14, 2008 Petirah
11 Elul, 5768 Good
morning everyone,
Thank
you all for coming to the funeral services of Joe Shafran. I am Rabbi Dr.
Moshe Weisblum, spiritual leader of Congregation Kneseth Israel where Joe
was a member since his arrival in Annapolis, MD. Why
are so many people here today to pay their respects to Joe and his family
and why do so many people love Joe so much? As I look around
this room I see a multitude of friends. If I were to ask each of you to
tell me something about Joe, I'm sure you would have something very special to
say about him. For he was genuinely well liked by all who had the good fortune
to know him. The center of Joe’s life was his family - first and foremost was
his love for his wife-Gerry. Not only were they married for 57 years they were
also best friends. Joe
had many interests. In particular, he loved history, and took the time to learn
about the history of his hometown and the history of our country. He also was
involved in politics, volunteering for many years at the White house. He was a
journalist for The Capital newspaper and also had radio and television shows.
People gravitated to Joe because he was an interesting individual, who cared
about people and who touched the lives of so many. No matter where he went or
what he did, Joe was a real "mentch”
in Yiddish that word means a person who is a positive, quintessential,
humanitarian, a good man. I
have had the privilege of knowing Joe not only as a congregant, but also as a
friend. We jogged together and we laughed together. I was impressed by his
optimistic and noble attitude towards life and his fascination with the
world. He had strong, intelligent opinions and liked to converse and have a good
time. Joe believed that every person is unique and has special G-d
given talents and gifts. As his Rabbi, I appreciated that point of view. Yes, Joe
was truly a class act, a fun loving person with a broad smile. He was an ardent
advocate for exercise and sports. He believe that exercise helped one to breath
out a problem and breath in life, peace and energy. The dream of his life was to
see people happy, and to see sharing. That happiness with family, children,
grandchildren and friends, and to see happiness flourish in our beloved country. Joe
believes in the value of creating an atmosphere filled with positive thinking.
He used to say "People may make mistakes, but many things can be repaired
with Love." Yes, Joe was loved by so many because he loved people. I used
to tell him that his attitude was straight from the Book of Proverbs and I
quote “the same way you look at the mirror, is the way the face in the mirror
reflects back to you." He used to ask "What is the message from your
heart?" If Joe was standing here he would say to everyone "Please take
a moment to create a garden of flowers for yourself." Do you recognize your
uniqueness? If so, do not be afraid to show who you are and how special you
are." Joe,
please continue to walk in the place we call ‘the Garden of Eden.’ My
dear friends, in just 2 weeks, the Jewish High Holidays will begin. The time of
the creation of the world, we reach the moment of revelation, the moment of
reflection and prayer, witnessing the awe of amazement by the Almighty G-d. So
in just two weeks, I'll look at Joe's empty seat and the realization of his loss
will fill me with sadness. I'll miss you Joe. I'll miss you not only as my
congregant but also as my friend. Our heartfelt
condolences to his dear wife Jerri, their daughters, Janie and Nancy and her
husband Robert and your 4 grandchildren. May
G-d remove their tears from the eyes of the mourners and let us respond Amen. |
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