Dear Joe,
 
I (finally!) went to your web site to see the beautiful writings you have collected about your beloved daughter, Devora.
 
I believe I actually met Devora before I came to Houston. I worked for United Synagogue in the Education Department while I was still in Rabbinical School. One of the projects I worked on was organizing some of the materials for the Solomon Schechter Day School Association convention in New York, and I attended much of the convention as well. I remember Devora as being that unique, bubbly person who loved to turn heads because she was Orthodox, yet committed to providing Jewish education for kids in a Conservative day school – fully recognizing and respecting the fact that some of the things we teach in our schools are somewhat different than might be taught in an Orthodox day school.
 
I, of course, got to know Devora so much better once I moved to Houston to become a rabbi at Beth Yeshurun. She was totally dedicated to her work and our children. She was incredibly dynamic, full of life and energy, and she projected enthusiasm and love for Judaism and the Jewish people. Our students will never forget her leading the songs at the model Seder in the school, conducting the Purim Megillah reading with gusto and her wonderful sense of humor, or telling midrashim and other stories in such an entertaining way.
 
Three of my all time favorite quotations about education are:
·      It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Albert Einstein

·      Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats

·      Education is the transmission of civilization. Will Durant

In all of these, Devora excelled!
 
 
 
Rabbi Steven Morgen
Congregation Beth Yeshurun
4525 Beechnut
Houston, TX 77096
mailto:smorgen@bethyeshurun.org
www.bethyeshurun.org