We are Family

For many people, November is the beginning of the holiday season. It when they begin their hard work of holiday preparation. For Jews, this season passed in October and most started their emotional and physical recovery immediately following Simchat Torah. This year, we celebrated an extra long holiday season, extending the festivities across the globe and well past the end of the chagim (High Holy Days).

A little more than eight years ago, we were blessed to adopt two beautiful brothers from India. At the time Ilan was 4.5 and Raviv just 2. On October 10th of this year, we drove into Jerusalem, made our way to the Kotel Hamaaravi, the Western Wall, and joyously celebrated as Ilan read Parashat Zot Habracha from the Torah, in front of his Israeli family and friends at Judaism's most sacred site. Just over a week ago, back in Overland Park, Ilan stood before his American family and friends and led Shabbat morning services, read three aliyot of Parashat Lech Lecha, it's Haftorah, and then delivered a thoughtful d'var Torah and speach. I cried with joy and amazement at each.

There are no coincidences in this world. It is not just "cool" that Ilan's Hebrew birthday is Simchat Torah, the day we celebrate receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. It is not happenstance that his first Torah portion was Zot Habracha, which translates to, "This (Torah) is the Blessing." And though Ilan chose Lech Lecha, which means, "Go for yourself, for your own benefit," as his portion for America, I believe that something more than a little birdie whispered in his ear that this portion was his.