We are back from Chicago! Whitney’s memorial service was a fitting tribute, especially in that we got to hang with her Mom, Vicki and stepdad, Mort. Their generous spirits are a testament to why Whitney was/is the beautiful soul she was/is. I guess I’m a grown up because I’ve now given my first eulogy. Whitney’s Eulogy I had no idea until we got there that I was going to be the only one to speak. Sometimes it is hard to know if the way I see something is the way everyone else does. The murmurs of agreement let me know that I was voicing what others felt too. Whitney had her “Tasha” file of memorabilia, and I’ve got my “Whitney” file now. I was so grateful to Vicki for bringing some of these items, including birthday cards written enthusiastically but never sent and her original ticket stub from when we went to the very first Lilith Fair! It was so hard for her to navigate that night the way she felt, but she did it, with our help, and it remains one of my best memories with my girlfriends at that time. I may have turned down that expensive ticket to the last Dead show, but I was at the first Lilith Fair! lol…
The AJPA Conference is over. It was a terrific program that I truly believe will assist Jewish journalism in moving forward to the future. I was also happy that the Washington Jewish Week on display was the one with my most recent column about Israel and the “peace” process. June 2009 Column
Avital had a great time in “the old country” of Chicago and was even inspired to learn to crawl, wave and high-five during the week. Ask the AJPA attendees, that girl can work a room! I appreciated the charm when she would cry on the plane, then stand up and wave and giggle at the audience behind her. We’d put her down and she’d cry again, lift her up to see her audience, and she’d wave and smile at them again. She is a Kosher Ham! Forget, Slash, “Kosher Ham” is her new nickhame.