Last night and today (Jan. 25 and 26), we are commemorating the shloshim, the 30-day period since the burial of a very beloved member of our Jewish community, Michael Wajcman. Traditionally, the 30th day in the mourning process is a time to comfort surviving relatives, learn Torah in the merit of the deceased and reflect upon all of their wonderful contributions to the world.
I had the distinct pleasure of becoming friends with Michael over the past four years. I remember the first time I met him and his beloved wife, Shira, at a Jewish Community Center open house. He walked up to me and introduced himself. When I told him I was a rabbi, he got really excited and since that day they were very involved in almost all of the young professional programming that our organization, the Kollel, organized.
Michael was at our very first group Shabbat dinner, and I remember him so clearly singing along, dancing with us in a circle, smiling away, and asking when the next one was going to be. I remember the first time he told me they were expecting a baby. They were eating a meal at our house, and he was asking my wife what was in everything because he wanted to be careful that there weren’t any of the foods that his wife was to avoid during pregnancy.
I remember his beautiful smile at his son Jeremiah’s bris, beaming from ear to ear with such a glowing pride. I remember the first time they came to our house with the new baby. Michael put the little one in his car seat with such care, held him in such a delicate, loving way and so joyful as he fed him a bottle and boasted what a good eater he was. I remember him singing so many different Shabbat songs, taking such a pride in being Jewish and rejoicing with friends. I remember him telling us the exciting news that they were expecting twins, a boy and a girl! And as Rabbi Scott White said so well at his funeral, he loved parenting so much, he was so eager to start it again.
There are so many wonderful memories, and they all represent the kind of person Michael was. A beautiful Jewish soul dedicated to building a family and excited to be part of the community growing around him. We are all overwhelmed by the sadness and pain of his sudden passing, but we will always look back at his qualities of kindness, dedication, joy, and eagerness to be engaged in life. Michael was known for the endearing smile that he offered to his patients, his teammates, his friends, and his peers. The Talmud praises such a person for bringing more happiness into the world.
The Book of Proverbs (11:30) says, “The fruit of a righteous man is a tree of life.” The Torah is also compared to a Tree of Life, and Michael’s children are his beautiful fruits.
Unfortunately, the Wajcman family has lost their righteous root, but we in the Jewish community are looking forward to seeing his blossoms flourish, his darling children Jeremiah, Eitan and Samantha. May G-d send them comfort.
