Reassurance at the departure gate

In the mid-1980s, I was very active in LIFTY and attended Kutz Camp. I knew/had heard of Paul J. Reichenbach. Fast forward to August 2017 at JFK Airport when our 16-year-old-son was about to embark on a semester in Israel with URJ Heller High. While my husband and I were very nervous, our brave teenager was so sure of his decision and had even felt ready the previous year. When I saw that PJR was there to speak to the students and parents, I remember feeling much more settled & thought, “Good, Paul Reichenbach is here to send them off.” He spoke to all of us with reassurance and excitement for everything ahead for our children. Most specifically, I remember him encouraging the students to be welcoming and inclusive to the couple of students that were joining them when they landed in California as these few will have missed the initial first few hours of relationships forming. I remember feeling and leaving the airport reassured hearing PJR’s “charge” and words of wisdom. My sincerest condolences for his dear family, friends, and colleagues. ~Deborah Slavkin Faust