And that was that. Beneath all of the earrings and tattoos and chains, Lee had a soul that was acutely aware of his Creator. He had a unique relationship with G-d.
The next time I saw Lee he was at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth; he was dying. We talked about G-d and G-d’s sense of humor. We said Shema. A few days later he was gone. I didn’t make it to his funeral service, but the eulogy I wrote for his memorial service was one of the most meaningful I have ever written.
We cannot afford to underestimate the power of a Jewish soul. Every single person is a unique treasure. Imagine what kind of world we would live in if we could learn to value the unique and special connection that every person has with our Creator.
I still don’t own a Harley and probably won’t ever, but every time I see a man on a motorcycle I make sure to say hello. And every time I am tempted to be dismissive of a fellow Jew I think of Lee the Biker and that Kaddish at Boneshakers. I remember the Jew with a soul who knew G-d intimately, believed that He knew what He was doing, and was just trying to make Him happy.
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Norfolk, Virginia is a vibrant and growing Jewish community serviced by the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Toras Chaim elementary schools as well as Binah High School for Girls and Yeshivas Aish Kodesh for boys. The community has a kollel, an eiruv, and several eating establishments under the Vaad Hakashrus of Tidewater.
State Capital: Richmond
State Nickname: Old Dominion State
State Motto: Thus always to tyrants
State Flower: Dogwood
State Bird: Cardinal
First shul: Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalome, 1789. It merged with Congregation Beth Ahabah in 1898.