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His Uplifting Memory by Barbara Deutsch
School of Thought His Uplifting Memory
By Mrs. Barbara Deutsch
One of the most magnificent celebrations that a Jewish person can participate in is the dedication of a Sefer Torah to the community. There is a pronouncement in the Torah that encourages all Jews to write a Torah for themselves. The last mitzvah of the 613 says, “And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel.” Dedicating a Sefer Torah usually begins with finding just the right sofer, scribe, to write it. Many of them work in Israel and finding just the right one to fit your vision often takes a lot of research. There is a beautiful custom wherein the scribe leaves the last several letters blank to allow honored guests to participate in the mitzvah. As is always the case for the Jewish people, a sumptuous meal is provided, aptly called a seudat mitzvah that is similar to the one that is eaten at the conclusion of a bris. Apart from the chance to do this glorious mitzvah, the donor can use this opportunity to honor a loved one, be it a family member, an entire family, a Holocaust survivor, or a special milestone. It’s a full-fledged once-in-a-lifetime, up there with life cycles, fabulousness. This week, my cousins, Ari and Shawn, dedicated a Torah to their father (father-in-law who was like a father) Jack. Anyone who had the privilege to have known the pure joy that was Jack Tarzik would know that it was a fitting honor. When Jack walked into a room, the lights got brighter and the room felt smaller. The breadth of his dynamic personality filled the place with excitement and adventure. He was a teacher, a writer, a camp director, and an honest man of conviction.
When you were a part of Jack’s orbit, child or grown-up, you felt good and important. Jack greeted everyone, friend or soon to be one, with a special salutation. Even though he may have doubled or tripled up and used the same name for multiple people, the recipient felt that Jack meant the endearment just for them. Jack’s hearty heartfelt laugh filled any room! Mostly, Jack was a wonderful father and husband; nothing made him happier than to spend time with his phenomenal kids and grandkids who did their best to make him proud. They sure did! In his comments about Jack, Torah scholar Rabbi J.J. Schachter commented, “It is the role of the children and grandchildren that a loved one leaves behind to do mitzvot that will give the departed one’s neshama an aliyah, for the soul to rise to greater heights. Donating a Sefer Torah, the ultimate mitzvah, is the one
mitzvah that brings the soul to the highest level.” All parents invest everything and all that they have into helping their children grow into Bnei Torah. Many will sacrifice vacations, fancy cars, and often eat chicken instead of steak so that their child would have a yeshiva education. Parents trust educators with the precious souls of their children to nurture and educate; it is up to our teachers and administrators to earn that privilege and not take it for granted to make the most of the time we have with students, to communicate with the parents and keep them in the loop about how their kid is doing.
The best part of the Sefer Torah dedication for me is the big welcome. All of the Torahs that are waiting inside the synagogue come out to greet the newbie to their home. Accompanied by dancing, singing, honored guests and sometimes tears, the resident Torahs surround the new one and escort the Torah into its new home. From where I stood with the warm sun on my back, I am sure that I saw Jack’s dancing eyes and magnificent smile as he witnessed all of this simcha from his comfortable perch Above. Seeing the long parade of family members and friends who came from near and far to honor him is a testament to a life well lived. We miss you, Jack; we will greet you whenever your Torah is taken out. Take a moment to reach out to someone you love today!
Barbara Deutsch is currently the associate principal at HANC 609 and a longtime reflective educator, parent, grandparent, and new great-grandparent. Even after all these years, she still loves what she does and looks forward to working with kids every single day. She is vacationing in Israel for the summer.
