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You never know whose heart you touch 
Nancy Tamir

I'm not sure, Merle, if you ever hear about the wonderful work your volunteers do in the outskirts of various cities. When I first immigrated here in 1964, I always said that I have to adjust myself to the Israeli community and not get involved in Anglo-Saxon problems of fitting in. I told myself, "Girl, just do it". And so it was.

Eventually I moved to Caesarea and saw all the great work done by volunteers of ESRA. So few people in Israel, in the world itself, could have pulled off what you have accomplished. I'm so proud to be part of your organization.

Yesterday, the Caesarea English Book Club had an anniversary party to celebrate 10 active years culminating in having a new home in Binyamina.

Our party was held in Judy Hammond's home with 25 participants - people who were active, left and came back to celebrate together. Our book of the month was "The Flowers of Language". The house was full of flowers. We played flower games and were taught easy ways to arrange flowers, each person receiving a small bouquet of flowers.

And then, Nancy Gali's video about me – "The story of a Lung Transplantee - Nancy Tamir" was discussed and I was presented with huge bouquets of flowers.

Merle, I have never received such love, so graciously given. And truthfully, it is all due to you publishing my article about transplantees in your magazine. Up to that point nobody paid much attention nor cared. Today, it's a different approach.

So, dear Merle, carry on. You never know whose heart you touch. Thank you.

Nancy Tamir

Caesarea


Why did Chagall choose to be buried in a Christian cemetery?

The article about Marc Chagall (ESRAmagazine 172) by Helen Schary Motro was indeed timely for us. We've recently returned from a Mediterranean cruise out of Rome. A shore excursion in Cannes included a visit to the beautiful mountain village of Saint Paul de Vence, where we found Marc Chagall's final resting place. 

Final resting place ... Marc Chagall’s tombstone in the village of St Paul de Vence

We're curious to know why someone with such a strong Jewish background and connection to his people and to Israel would choose to be buried in a Christian cemetery. He never severed his ties to his Jewish roots (in fact the opposite). Extensive internet searches have not given us any answers.

Cynthia and Raymond Selwyn

Kfar Yedidya


Regarding the Selwyns' question re Chagall's gravesite:

"On March 28, 1985 Marc Chagall died at his home in his ninety-eighth year. He was not buried in the Jewish cemetery in Nice but in the Christian cemetery of his own village, St. Paul de Vence. The Mayor himself gave Chagall a place in his family lot. At the funeral a lonely voice recited the Jewish Kaddish (a prayer for the dead). A big cross loomed above Chagall's grave, to the chagrin of his Jewish friends, but it was subsequently removed. It is hard to imagine Chagall making that choice, but given the information we have on Vava's [Chagall's second wife] clandestine conversion to Christianity, the matter seems clear. Ida [Chagall's daughter by his first wife Bella], apparently, had no say on the matter or was confused herself."

- Marc Chagall and His Times, by Benjamin Harshav, Stanford Univ. Press (2004) p. 957.

Prof. Harshav of Yale is a leading authority on Chagall.

Helen Schary Motro

Kfar Shmaryahu


With your passing, birthday breakfasts have been postponed

Dearest Shirley,

I thank you for being my friend as well as family. We can choose our friends so I feel doubly blessed.

I give thanks for your great love, kindness, empathy, understanding – help and support in times of need; at my side on all occasions, celebrations, birthdays – not only in times of stress.

Your love encompassed all around you, family and friends, and others you hardly knew, whom you cared about deeply. Nobody with whom you came in contact could possibly forget. You felt so sad when people suffered, ignoring your own pressing problems.

As Marion has pointed out, you don't walk – you dance, like the dancer you are, gliding along. That's how I shall always see you. 

Breakfast friends: Shirley Kirsch (left) and Rica Goldin

Marion and I, together with you, Shirley, have been meeting for birthday breakfasts in July, August and September for over 15 years. We just about managed to wish you happy birthday for your July birthday, but breakfast has now been postponed indefinitely. Sorry about that.

I've not mentioned your modesty, hiding your light under a bushel – but we know, we don't tell.

You kept on and on, another day, one more day and another. You just kept going on, as long as you managed to.

The years we spent together were all too short, yet full. It was prime time, quality time.

I shall close with your greeting to me: "Enjoy every day."

All my love.

Rica Goldin

Tel Aviv


The late Laurel Yakobovitz: A correction 

THE LATE Laurel Yakobovitz (left) with her identical twin sister, Naomi Aharoni, the daughters of Tzippy Dubin, aged 96. We apologize for the incorrect caption in our previous issue.
 

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