L’dor V’dor “from generation to generation” was a phrase I heard at least weekly in my house growing up. My parents and grandparents instilled in me the importance of Jewish communal life both philanthropically as well as volunteering my time. As a child, I always interpreted the phrase l’dor v’dor to mean the importance of Jewish tradition from generation to generation within my own family. As an adult, the meaning has expanded for me and is equally about taking care of and acknowledging the generations of all Jewish people.
Being involved in the JCS Alliance has given me a community and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the local Jewish community and beyond.
I became involved in the board of the Alliance before I was a mom and my passion for helping others in need has so much more meaning now. One experience as a mother that I will never forget was the first time my husband and I took our daughter Sloane to Matzah Mitzvah. She wasn’t even one year’s old, but the senior women we visited only wanted to give gifts back to my daughter.
The following fall, my husband and I took Sloane to bring seniors food baskets for Rosh Hashanah. Once again, the seniors we visited were so happy that we had our daughter with us, and again had to find gifts to give back to her. These two experiences have left such an impression on me. My husband, my daughter and I were the ones coming to keep these seniors company and bring them food to celebrate Passover and Rosh Hashanah, and even though they didn’t have much they only wanted to shower my daughter with presents.
One of the most special JCS memories for me was hosting 75 young adults at my parent’s home for Memories in the Living Room in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. We all gathered together in my parents’ “living room” to listen to a survivor recount his story with us. My generation is so lucky that we’ve been surrounded by survivors who have shared their personal experiences with us. This will not be the case for our children and our grandchildren. It is up to us to make sure the memories of the Holocaust live on. Holocaust education has been important to me my entire life. From attending the March of the Living in High School and studying under Elie Wiesel as religion major at Boston University my involvement makes me who I am today. I hope I am able to share everything I have learned and experienced with my daughter Sloane and son Tyler.
JCS Alliance has given me more then I will ever be able to express in words. I only hope that I’ve given to others in our community a quarter of what the community has given back to me. One of the greatest gifts I received from my parents was learning the importance of being a leader in the community and giving back. I only hope my husband and I are able to instill this into our children. L’dor V’dor.
— Rachel Adler Schapiro