A Kid’s Perspective

I would say that the most time I ever spent with Dick was before I turned 12 years old. Dick worked just down the hall from my father at Boston University Hillel Foundation. My father would frequently take me with him to Hillel and then set me free to entertain myself in the 3-storey ancient building with no end of nooks and crannies for a young curious kid to explore. I made a point to acquaint myself with every employee at Hillel. I was on a first name basis with the cook, the janitor, my father’s secretary, Dick’s secretary, and of course, Dick. Being the daughter of the Hillel rabbi, I felt that “Hillel House” was my second home and that anyone working there was, in some way, a member of my family. This is why I never hesitated to barge into Dick’s office, even when he was on the phone, and make myself comfortable on his couch so that I could play with his paper clips, scotch tape, rubber bands, or whatever other “toys” I could get my hands on. Dick would always look up, smile, and welcome me as if he expected nothing less than to have this seven-year-old kid drop in on his hectic day. He would hang up the phone and talk to me for a while, just checking to see how I was doing, what I was studying in school, etc… Truthfully though, what kept me coming back to Dick’s office wasn’t his fabulous array of office supplies – rather, it was the warmth of his smile and the way his eyes would crease up in the corners – they showed me such kindness at such a young age. My all-time favorite memories of Dick were the days when my father had to work late. Rather than hassle with driving me home, he would ask Dick to give me a ride home on the back of his motorcycle. So, there I was, a seven-year-old daughter of an Orthodox Rabbi riding home on a beautiful summer’s day on the back of another Rabbi’s motorcycle – talk about a breath of fresh air!!!