This week my family moved from Los Angeles to the Midwest, and I miss the LA Jewish community already. I had the honor of being a member of the organized Jewish community there for several years, and during my service I worked with some of the brightest, most dedicated and interesting people that I have ever met.
In addition to conveying a general message of gratitude to the Jewish community, I wish to thank several people in the community – past and present – by name for their help and mentoring. I am deeply indebted to them.
Many thanks to Rob Eshman for inviting me to write this blog more than five years ago. He also taught me how to aim a skeet rifle and how to marry up.
Many thanks to Gary Ratner, one of the most decent men in the city, for giving me the chance to work for two Jewish organizations. He showed me that a secular Jew can be a passionate supporter of Israel, and he even managed to convince me that baseball is a sport instead of a boring pastime.
Many thanks to Ambassador Yuval Rotem for hiring me to be the press attache at the Israeli Consulate General. If all Israeli spokesmen were like Yuval, the country's PR problems would disappear.
Many thanks to Amanda Susskind for allowing me to serve on the ADL's regional speakers bureau. She is one of the most upbeat people that I know.
Many thanks to Carolyn Ben Natan for having me serve on the consulate's speakers bureau. A beautiful person inside and out.
Many thanks to Rabbi Abraham Cooper for supporting my programs at the ZOA when I needed it. We will never agree on the proxy baptism issue, but no one in the community gives better advice.
Many thanks to Rabbis Mark Diamond and Stephen Julius Stein for their support when my job was threatened by anti-Prop 8 fanatics. They know what they did, and I will never forget it.
Many thanks to Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein for his warmth, hospitality and kindness. He remains my go-to guy on questions of Jewish law and tradition.
Many thanks to Rabbi Ed Feinstein for, well, being Rabbi Ed Feinstein. I won't soon forget our conversation on Jews and the afterlife during his visit to Utah.
Many thanks to Rabbi David Woznica for his decency and for showing me that Reform Judaism is an authentic expression of Judaism for serious Jews.
Many thanks to Rabbi David Wolpe for allowing the first Mormon-Jewish public discussion to take place at Sinai Temple years ago. I also appreciate his encouragement of my outreach efforts.
Many thanks to Yoram Gutman for inviting me to emcee the Israel Festival for two years. I liked the festival better when it was held in the Valley.
Many thanks to John Fishel for hosting a Mormon-Jewish event at the Federation and for helping me to organize a similar event in Canada.
Many thanks to Judea Pearl for his friendship and encouragement. I don't know how he and Ruth do it, but no one does it better.
Thanks to modern technology, I will be able to write future blog posts on Mormons and Jews from a rather remote perch. I do plan to introduce myself to the local rabbi later this month, and I have no doubt that I will meet some amazing Jews in central Michigan. However, the wonderful Jews who have enriched my life in LA will definitely be missed.
Many thanks to all for your many kindnesses. Yasher koach, haverim.
