I realized very early on that my Bubby Irene (Yitta) was not like other bubbies; I can’t recall ever even thinking that my bubby was “old.” At least not in that tired and frail way we think of as old. My memories of my Bubby are memories of a lively and glamorous lady who was strong-willed and had more passion than you could believe her tiny stature could possess. She stood for and fought for all things emes and justice, especially when the topic was in relation to the Jewish nation and Eretz Yisrael. Torah study was a priority for her too, as evident by the many hours I saw my Zeidy learning and by all his published works.
My memories of my Bubby are of dancing “in a circle” with her (which is actually one of the things she taught us to to). She would be in an adorable Purim costume or a beautiful getup, depending on the dancing occasion. Actually, one of the things I have from her is an adorable sequence beret, as glamorous and sparkly as she was.
Six years ago, I had my first daughter, who we named Yitta, and who goes by “Rena” for Bubby Irene. We hope she will have as much simcha and generosity as Bubby. Being able to stand up for emes and the Jewish people has recently become even more important than ever. It is my hope that Rena and all of my family can draw from this strength of Bubby’s and continue to stand strong in our faith.
With Hashem’s help we will all continue, just as I still hear her saying one of her favorite phrases, “L’chaim ul’shalom.”
