Ruth Getter
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Some Memories of Dick Israel
Ruth Getter
July 20,2000
FIRST ENCOUNTER
I was a 19-year-old student from Montreal, attending the Hillel Summer
Institute in 1961. I was a very naïve girl from an Orthodox home, who had
always been taught that there was a huge difference between "us" (i.e., frum
Jews) and "them" (everyone else), and that the best policy was to have as
little to do with "them" as possible.
On the first night of the Institute we were told: "If you want to be
awakened early for traditional morning services, tie a towel to the foot of
your bed and someone will wake you up." So I did.
At some ungodly hour, I felt someone nudging me and woke to look into the
eyes of a huge dog. Attached to the end of his leash was a bearded man in a
large yarmulke who whispered: "It's time to daven".
During the davening, I watched this man standing in a corner, his tallis
over his head, shockling like a pro. I asked: "Who is he?" A girl next to
me answered: "Oh, that's Rabbi Israel. He's Reform, you know."
That's when my world changed forever. It got much, much bigger.
PURIM SEUDAH
Some years later, when I was a Hillel Rebetzin in Boston, Dick, Sherry and
their kids were invited to our Purim Seudah. Apparently they had never been
to one before. To make it fun for the kids, I suggested that we all dress
up in costumes.
At some point in the afternoon, I heard a commotion outside and went to
check it out. And there was Dick, walking towards our house, family in
tow -- wearing an enormous donkey's head. As usual, Dick had done things in
his own way. And all the neighbours on the street haven't recovered to this
day.
In later years, I became a fixture at Dick and Sherry's annual Purim Seudah
which was always a hilarious affair. But I never saw the donkey's head
again.
NO GOOD DEED..
In the 40 years that I knew Dick, he often acted as my "last resort".
Whenever I had a question - no matter how esoteric -- for which I absolutely
could not find an answer, I'd say: "Well, I'll just have to ask Dick". And
he ALWAYS had an answer, or knew where to find it. It never ceased to amaze
me. Eventually, whenever my kids were stymied, they learned to bypass me
altogether and to just "ask Dick".
Although Dick gave me many good answers over the years -- there is one that
outshone all the others, and which has become my staple answer to many
questions.
One day I told Dick how hurt I was because I had done something nice for
someone, only to be "rewarded" with a slap in the face. I said: "I just don
't understand it. Why did that happen?" He said: "Ruth, don't you know
that no good deed goes unpunished?" And ever since then, when good is
rewarded with bad, I just shrug my shoulders and say: "Well, what did I
expect? After all, no good deed goes unpunished." And I just get on with
my life.
Thank you, Dick. You will always be in my heart.