Our Summer Journey…
Columbus, Canton and Cleveland
We had planned this trip
three years ago but our plans were derailed by my cancer diagnosis. It has
always been on Jeff’s bucket list to visit Rabbi Howard and Linda Zack in Columbus Ohio and see our good friends Ron and Deanna in Cleveland.
Our
trip began with a pleasant flight, non stop, to Columbus Ohio. When we are on a
relatively short flight, compared to our hours-long treks to Europe or Israel,
it is a breeze by comparison. We stayed near the airport at the Staybridge Inn
which is part of our IHG hotel group. We love this hotel family for many
reasons, one of which is that we get free points to use which are never blacked
out. We gave up trying to save airline points years ago because they never
worked out. We get free nights all the time and have used them all over
including our annual stay at the Crown Plaza on the beach in Tel Aviv and even
at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris!
We
called the Rabbi and Linda when we arrived and arranged to meet in the evening
to go out for ice cream. They picked us up at our hotel which was not far from
where they live in Bexley. Rabbi Howard
and Linda Zack were at Beth Jacob for sixteen years. They were “kids” when they
came to Oakland as we were their first major pulpit. We were instrumental in
helping them get settled in our community and developed an especially close
relationship with them for a number of reasons. I was very active at Beth Jacob and President for
two years and worked closely with the Rabbi. I acted as a surrogate mom for
Linda when her own mom couldn’t be here, notably being at her house when she
came home with each of her three daughters. Linda remembers this fondly. Linda
taught our three daughters in religious school and was important in their lives
as well.
These
years were critical for our community. Beth Jacob grew and thrived. We became a
center for Orthodox Judaism on the west coast and Rabbi and Linda set the bar
for the wonderful rabbis who followed. From Oakland they moved to Bexley Ohio. Jeff
and I fell in love with this picturesque place. The homes in their neighborhood
are lovely, sprawling, many with big lawns. It reminded us of Mayberry, USA. We
even ventured into a real estate office, noting we could get a beautiful home
for far less than our crazy Bay Area prices.
We
visited the Rabbi at his synagogue and asked many questions about their
community. This synagogue had started in a storefront until it had grown large
enough to undertake an impressive building project. The exterior of the building is Jerusalem
stone. The interior is modern but has a certain old world elegance with a
stunning chandelier and rich colors in the sanctuary. The design is unique and
impressive. It was fun to have lunch at the only kosher lunch place in town, the
employee dining room of the Schottenstein offices. The Schottenstein family is
extremely well known in Ohio and the whole Jewish world and are members of
Rabbi Zack’s shul. Their name is everywhere including at Ohio State which is in
Columbus. The cafeteria had an impressive array of food.
One can have either a dairy or meat meal. It was a “treat” for me to order a
hamburger!
Later
in the afternoon, Linda took us on a drive around town. Columbus, despite being
the capitol of Ohio, seems to have less traffic than the Bay Area. Linda, who
by the way still looks like she did when she arrived in Oakland, has done
interesting work as a lawyer and teaches classes in the community. The Rabbi
almost looks the same too except for the little bit of gray in his beard! Over
dinner at the Zack’s lovely home, we caught up on all the “girls,” their three
and our three, and of course there were i-Phone pics shared of our
grandchildren. It was great spending time with them.
From
Columbus we rented a car and headed to Canton Ohio. Our goal stopping in Canton
was the Football Hall of Fame. Jeff was like a little kid there and enjoyed
every minute of it. We saw the bronze bust of our favorite football team owner,
Al Davis! It was interesting learning about the early history of the game and
seeing the first headgear and uniforms and tracing the evolution of pro
football.
From
Canton, (thank goodness for the i-Phone google map feature,) we headed to
Cleveland. We were excited to see our good friends who used to live in Oakland.
We drove to their home in Highland Heights passing houses with large
swaths of lawns and patches of tall
trees in front and back. I love to see how people live in other places. It was
very green everywhere and though we were expecting humidity, the weather was
pleasant. Jeff and Ron were roommates and Jeff gets credit for introducing Ron
to Deanna. We were both celebrating 46 years of marriage and friendship.
Ron
and Deanna live in a spacious townhouse. They have the cutest dog, Sophie, who
is more like a person than a dog. Confession…I am not much of a dog person but
Sophie isn’t really much like a dog.
This cute pure bred Havanese does all kinds of tricks and does not shed. She
gets VIP treatment from Deanna and has quite a reputation in the community.
Sophie goes all over to hospitals to visit patients, including children being
treated for cancer, and seniors in convalescent hospitals. She completed
special training and is gentle and very smart. I could see how she could cheer
up patients. We really enjoyed being around her.
Friday
evening when we arrived we had Shabbat dinner with their good friends. By the end of
the evening we were comfortable like old buddies, laughing and sharing stories.
Saturday we visited a botanic garden. Sunday morning Jeff and I headed to the
Maltz Museum, the Jewish museum of Cleveland. We especially enjoyed the stories
of Jewish immigrants settling in Cleveland.
Sunday afternoon we headed to the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. This large building has six floor of displays and exhibitions. We meandered through it
watching several films, listening to music along the way and seeing favorite
rock stars and bands. We noticed a featured album in a display of the 1960’s
flower power era, from our favorite rock star, Neska. We then went to meet our son in law’s aunt
Marilyn and Uncle David for dinner who live in Cleveland. Of course they knew Ron and
Deanna…It’s a small world!
Bedford
The next morning we piled in the car we had rented
heading to Shanksville PA. We were going to the Flight 93 memorial. Ironically,
the cataclysmic events of 9/11 became a leitmotif
of our journey. We had to make a detour for a Subway tuna sandwich which we
found after a few wrong turns then got back on the freeway.After close to three
hours of driving, we got to the Flight 93 Memorial passing old farmhouses, small towns, some
adorned with American and Confederate
flags and following signs on a long and curvy road. The memorial visitor’s center and museum is a stark
concrete building which contains the photos and stories of the brave passengers
who diverted the plane from its path and told the story of that fateful day, September
11, 2001.
This jet liner was one of four
which were hijacked, two crashing in to the World Trade Center, one into the
Pentagon and this one was meant to crash
in Washington DC. This plane crashed into an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania in the Laurel
Highlands. The 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 had found out from phone
calls about the planes which hit the World Trade Center. They figured out this was part of a larger plot, and they
quickly developed a plan to try to take back the plane. They succeeded in this
effort, but, unfortunately, lost their lives.
I was struck by the phone messages of a few of
the passengers and crew. They were calm and told their loved ones about the
hijacking, where to find documents and that they loved them. It made me think
of what I would have said in that moment. Those words were chilling. The first morning
news reports from Katie Couric and Matt Lauer
were running which reported the initial crash of the plane hitting the World
Trade Center. Who knew at that moment how the world would forever change?
There is a viewing
platform which traced the flight path of the plane. From the platform, one can
look down on a peaceful green field. In the distance, a fence blocks anyone but
family from going to the actual spot of
impact which is marked by a large boulder. Once again, it was hard to
wrap my mind around the events of 9/11 and the confluence of circumstances
which had to work for the hijackers to
succeed including learning how to fly a jumbo jet.
After the memorial we
headed to Bedford PA where we had reservations at a quaint B and B in a two
hundred year old historical house restored by the owners. This place was a bit
disappointing. The room was nice enough but the owners were rather stuffy. Jeff,
who is a breakfast person, was not excited by the breakfast and had to eat part
of mine or he would have been left hungry. The town itself did not have much
going on. The owner of the B and B told us to go to a restaurant he raved about
but it was a bust. We are spoiled by what we can get in the Bay Area. There
were some amazing historical homes which we discovered on an early morning
walk. One of our favorite things to do is go exploring on foot wherever we find
ourselves.
Washington DC
Our next stop was
Washington DC. We got on the road in the morning for the 2 ½ hour drive to DC.
Our car ride was fun with the four of us chatting back and forth about a
variety of topics and having a few good laughs. There was a light rain,
probably remnants of hurricane Harvey, and when we arrived at the Capitol Hill Hotel
the rain was coming down fairly hard. I had found this hotel from a
recommendation on Trip Advisor. I really liked it. The rooms were comfortable,
great L’Occitane amenities, and a friendly staff. We parked in front of the
hotel and dropped off our luggage. I wish I could learn to pack like some of my
friends with just carry-ons but I have not mastered this yet. We checked in and
left our luggage then maneuvered to drop off the rental which turned out to be
at the close by Union Station in their parking garage. After a few wrong turns,
we found the right way in and left the car.
We grabbed a cab and went
to the museum I had scouted out for this afternoon, the Newseum. Ironically there was an article the next day in the Washington Post that this museum is
having financial difficulties. I was so glad we could see it. It was quite
fascinating and traced the history of newspapers, showed newspapers from around
the world, and had historical papers from important days. For example, there
was a newspaper relating the events of Krystalnacht, in November of 1938. We
spent around three hours there looking at the different exhibits. There was a
fascinating display of iconic photographs, all Pulitzer Prize winners. We
watched a number of short videos as well.
Following this museum,
Jeff and I headed to a restaurant where we were going to meet my cousin
Harriet, her husband Harvey and their daughter Robin. Since we got to the
restaurant, Zantinya, too early we headed across the street to the National
Portrait Museum. We cruised in there for a half hour until our feet and my
twitschy back were ready for a rest. We hustled back across the street in a
light rain. This restaurant was bustling. It was Mediterranean serving a large
variety of small plates. It was great seeing my cousin and family and catching
up. We headed back to the hotel.
The next morning was
sunny and beautiful. The hotel offered a substantial breakfast though it was
labeled as” Continental”, it was more than that. Jeff and I get up really early
so after breakfast we took off walking. Ron and Deanna would meet us later at
the museum I had booked for us months ago. Let
me say there is something thrilling about being in DC. Despite all the uncertainty and concerns about the direction our government is going in, seeing
the Capitol in the early morning light is awe inspiring. I was struck by the
number of armed soldiers, barricades and police everywhere. We walked to Kamala
Harris’ office thinking we might get a pass to see the Senate in action. The
Senate was still in recess and she was not in her office (she was in Oakland
for a town meeting). We got the passes but did not use them.
From
there we walked to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
This museum is one of the hottest tickets in town right now and I got free
tickets months ago by getting on line at 6AM on the day the tickets were
available. Then I was put in a queue and ordered the tickets with a specific
entrance time. Our friends met us in front of the museum and we joined hundreds
of people to tour the museum. There were three lower floors which traced the
history of slavery. There is a tremendous amount of history to absorb and this
is a museum one can spend days, not just hours. I always try to get the flavor
even if I don’t read every word of every exhibit. I saw exhibits depicting the painful stories
of the slaves wrenched from their homes in Africa, families brutally torn apart
on the auction block, and the economic ramifications for slavery. The conflicts
of our founding fathers, some slaveholders themselves, while still espousing
human rights was important to consider.
The
history of the early civil rights movements was depicted in large photographic
displays and videos as well. We spent most of the time on the first three
floors and missed the upper floors. Touring a museum like this requires
stamina. I looked around at the African American people in the museum, young
and old, wondering what this experience meant to them. I thought of how I felt
when I went to the Holocaust Museum in DC on a previous trip or Yad Vashem in
Jerusalem.
We
took a cab to the White House though we could only see it from a distance.
Barricades kept us from going close and we would have had to book a tour in
advance. Then Jeff and I went to the American History Museum. I enjoyed seeing
the elegant ball gowns of the First Ladies. There is so much to see in DC. The
offerings of museums are remarkable, and this is a city I would definitely come
back to.
We
met up with Ron and Deanna back at the hotel. They had gone to one of the
venerable art museums. Tonight we were going to Chevy Chase to have dinner with
my niece Julie, her husband Rusty and her four beautiful children, ages ten to
two. We called Uber to got there. Since I have not used Uber too much, it is a
bit of an adventure. Our cab driver got us there driving across town , around a
40 minute trek.
We
had a lovely evening, finding out about their life and work and enjoying the
four lively adorable children. My great niece Noa, only seven already “gets”
what happened in Charlottesville. It
made me think that this world we are living in can be a scary place for children.
The
Big Apple
The next morning we
caught an early train to New York. It is fun figuring out where to go and what
to do at the rocking train station with people scurrying everywhere. My friend
Deanna pointed out there was no security when
we got on the train though there were many armed police around. I had to
chuckle to myself in irony when a railroad employee yelled out to us as we were
waiting to board, “if you see something, say something.” Oy...
The
three hour train trip was pleasant. I read and closed my eyes a little. Jeff
was working on crossword puzzles. We arrived in New York around 10:45AM. The
moment you hit the street in New York you feel you are in a different world.
There are horns blaring, sirens everywhere, crowds, hustle bustle. You know you
are not in Bexley. We took a cab to our hotel in Midtown which was recommended
to me by a friend. It was very well located, in walking distance of Central
Park, across the street from Carnegie Hall, and not far from Times Square. The
rooms were smallish but definitely adequate and this hotel was busy with
tourists from all around the world. I heard many languages.
We
decided to have a quiet afternoon, took a walk in Central Park dodging bike
riders and carriages. Then we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit as we were
going to the theater in the evening. I chose a kosher restaurant not far from
the theater, Mr. Broadway, which was OK. Jeff and I shared a brisket sandwich
which was huge. Ron had shwarma which was fair and Deanna had matzoh ball soup.
We saw War Paint with two excellent
actresses and singers, Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersoll. The show was about
a supposed rivalry between two cosmetic empires, headed by Helena Rubenstein
and Elizabeth Arden. I liked the show but can’t say I loved it. I was surprised
that the audience did not dress up at all. I suppose those days are long gone.
The museum is a lot to take in. There are photos of every victim including of course the rescue personnel with bios of them. I read some of them. It was so sad to read the name of one young woman who perished with her unborn baby. There were twisted steel sculptures and the remnants of a staircase hundreds of survivors used to flee from the towers. Once again we heard recordings and snippets of new briefs. One section had a collection of years of covers of the New Yorker which had the World Trade Center Towers in the background. A mangled fire truck and remnants of shoes and papers were haunting. After a few hours we had all had enough and needed to go out to the air and sun to regroup.
Our afternoon plan was to go to the Lower East Side to have a tour at the Tenement Museum. First we had to stop at the famous Katz’s Deli. I had cheese blintzes. It is hard to believe the size of the sandwiches! I had looked at my credit card bill on line and by chance saw I was charged $816 for the blintzes. Oops…someone hit the wrong key.( It never hurts to glance over one’s charges). Our tour at the Tenement Museum was called “Shop Life.” Our tour guide was excellent and I found out she was a former history teacher. We loved hearing about the life of immigrants who settled in these crowded streets and the merchants who had their stores on the lower floors of the tenements. One of the featured merchants we learned about had a kosher butcher shop and he ended up going out of business after a strike by the housewives protesting a price increase. Another story we heard was a German immigrant who had a pub which was an important meeting place for the community.
After the tour I spoke with our tour leader in the gift shop. After I complimented her, we spoke about the current political climate with the threat to rescind DACA which was in the news. Her parents were Holocaust survivors and she was born in a DP camp. I told her I was the child of immigrants as well. We both lamented the current state of turmoil that immigrants had to deal with in our country. We were on the same page and had a heartfelt conversation.
Back to the hotel for a few hours before we were to head to our good friends Russ and Toby Winer who live in New York and invited us for Shabbat dinner. We joined them for Shabbat services in their little shul right near their stunning apartment on Fifth Ave. near NYU where Russ is a professor. We had a few good laughs reminiscing about their time in Oakland. It was a special treat to see their son Andrew and his son Asher. I remember Andrew as a friendly smiling kid and now after years of study, he is a urologist. However, he has not changed and still is the cute, friendly and smiling Andrew we knew years ago. We chuckled over his memorable Bar Mitzvah party on a Blue and Gold boat on the bay when we stopped to pick up some fishermen whose boat had capsized. Some things you never forget… and some things don’t change. Russ and Toby are the same wonderful gracious hosts they have always been.
The next day we spent a quiet morning walking again in Central Park very close to our hotel. In the afternoon we ventured back to the area around NYU. In the evening we went to a terrific comedy club, Stand Up New York in the upper West Side owned by my cousin’s son. It had started to pour and we were lucky we had brought umbrellas. Gabe Waldman welcomed us and we had some big laughs listening to the four featured up and coming comedians. Then my cousin Celia and her husband Alan met us and we ventured out in the downpour and found a Starbucks to sit down and schmooze. Three of my father’s four brothers had settled in New York and Celia is my first cousin. We had fun for the short time we met catching up.
On Sunday, Ron and Deanna left in the morning and we wandered in the light rain to Rockefeller Center and around the area. The streets even on Sunday morning were packed and we found ourselves in the midst of a lively green and yellow-clad crowd for a Brazil festival. We were getting tired and made our way back to Times Square where we were going to a matinee before heading to the airport for our flight home.
This musical was the perfect coda to our trip. We saw Come From Away, the fascinating and inspiring story of the people of Newfoundland, especially in the town of Gander who opened their hearts and homes to the seven thousand passenger from 39 jets forced to land there on 9/11 when all planes were grounded. The play was so clever with the cast switching roles between the bewildered passengers, to the townspeople and their reactions all on a minimal set. We loved this production.
Then we returned to our hotel to pick up our luggage and head back to Oakland. What a journey, filled with a variety of museum experiences, seeing friends and family, sightseeing, and taking time reflecting about the ramifications of 9/11 and our crazy world today. I am filled with gratitude that we could do this trip which three years ago was not possible.
