Dr. Susan L. Shevitz

Some Memories and Images
Dick was an important person in my family's life in many ways. It was
because of his ingenuity that Dan Shevitz and I came to Boston. In 1975 I
had been offered an interesting position at CJP and the BJE. Since Dany was
graduating rabbinical school, we also wanted a position for him in this
community. Commuting marriages didn't seem quite right.... Someone said,
"call Dick Israel; he'll be helpful." We called, were invited to camp out
on the Israel's 3rd floor and Dick helped piece together a roving Hillel
position for Dan. Dick wrote a letter on our behalf when we were applying
to an adoption agency. He looked at the house we intended to buy --Chesley
Road-- and asked whether we knew what maintaining a large, old house would
take. (We didn't.) He participated in the conversions of Josh and Noah,
even accompanying Noah into the mikveh (wearing a "Jerusalem Granola"
teeshirt and bathing suit). He never seemed ruffled when one of us would
misplace something of his --whether a favorite tool for hanging pictures or
a piece of one of the kids' games he had. And in going through a divorce,
his presence and no nonsense advice helped. In dozens of ways he tried to
teach me to be pragmatic, do what I could and move on. But it was never
pressure. And there was always a cup of tea and time. How did Dick have
time for so many of us and for all the many things he did? I don't think I
will ever understand.

At the beginning I was scared of Dick. He was Dan's "boss" and how was I to
act with a "boss" and an elder? As we spent more time together and I
relaxed, I began turning to him for professional advice. How to handle a
politically charged situation? What to do with dissent? Who was available
to work on a project? Dick's experiences --and what he gleaned from them--
provided guidelines rather than answers. Over the years we really talked.
Sometimes about families. Sometimes about aging. Sometimes about gardens
and sometimes about Jewish life. Even with Dick's studied crustiness, his
sweetness and care came through. A house full of people, good food and
drink, an interesting project and an engaging conversation -- these are the
images that will always remain with me.


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Dr. Susan L. Shevitz, Director
Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service
Brandeis University