Grapevine: Memories of a mother

How Elana Cohen of Modi’in chose to perpetuate the memory of her mother, who had waged a long battle with cancer, on the 1st anniversary of her death.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
LIRON POLLACK donates hair haircut 390 (photo credit: Courtesy Kaplan Medical Center)
LIRON POLLACK donates hair haircut 390
(photo credit: Courtesy Kaplan Medical Center)
PEOPLE OFTEN look for meaningful ways to perpetuate the memories of their loved ones. Very affluent people put up monuments by way of buildings in universities, hospitals and cultural institutions. The less affluent may undertake a project related to something that was close to the heart of the deceased, or align themselves with a project related to the illness to which the deceased succumbed.
Elana Cohen of Modi’in chose the latter on the first anniversary of the death of her mother, Sue Doobov, who had waged a long battle with cancer.
Doobov and her husband, Mervyn, originally from Brisbane, Australia, spent 30 years of their married life in Canberra. Aside from their jobs in Australia’s capital, both were intensely involved in all aspects of Canberra’s Jewish community. Their efforts did not go unnoticed and in the 1998, they were awarded Medals of the Order of Australia. By that time they were already living in Jerusalem, and the conferment ceremony was held at the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv in the presence of their relatives and closest friends.
Because Doobov was so community-minded, she went to work for AACI, where she was a valued employee. She worked there for several years, until almost the last year of her illness.
Following a study session in her memory in Modi’in last week and a memorial service at Har Hamenuhot in Jerusalem, Cohen took herself off to Zichron Menachem, which collects hair all year round but also has an annual hair collection drive, for the purpose of making wigs for cancer patients who have lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy. Cohen went to donate her hair in memory of her mother, and Elana’s daughter, Ma’ayan, is seriously considering following her own mother’s example.
ALTHOUGH IT usually offers a lecture on the weekly Torah reading after its Shabbat morning service, the Hazvi Yisrael Congregation rarely has a sermon during the service. Last Saturday was one of the exceptions to the rule, due to the presence in the synagogue of South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.
Every detail in the Torah is important, said Goldstein, but its advisable to occasionally stand back and look at the bigger picture.
Quoting some of the most revered religious authorities in Jewish tradition – who while not diminishing the importance of anything in the Torah, gave priority to civil behavior and mutual respect – Goldstein said that although disagreement on any number of issues is legitimate, the discourse should always be civilized, with participants respecting others’ opinions.
JUDGING BY the response on Facebook to Theater in the Rough’s nine-performance season of Richard III: in motion, to be performed in English at 5:30 p.m. in the Bloomfield Gardens behind the King David Hotel, beginning Monday, August 5, it may very well have to put on a 10th show by popular demand.
The performance is free of charge, enabling whole families to get together to see it while sitting on the grass, and afterwards to take a short walk to Hutzot Hayotzer for the annual arts-and-crafts fair. Entertainer Shlomi Shabat will appear on the August 5 opening night, with appearances on the following nights by Mosh Ben-Ari, Shalom Hanoch, Yehudit Ravitz, Evyatar Banai, Riki Gal and Matti Caspi, Ivri Lider, Ehud Banai, Amir Benayoun and Berry Sakharof.
In addition to the 200 Israeli arts and crafts exhibitors, there will be displays by artisans from more than 40 countries – and as always, there will be a huge variety of food stands. The entry fee is NIS 60 for adults, reduced to NIS 50 for senior citizens. A family pass for those with three or more children is NIS 190, reduced to NIS 170 with a Yerushalmi card. The only real beneficiaries will be ultra-Orthodox families with 10 or more children – meaning that most of them will be able to get in gratis. Children aged 5-12, if not included in a family pass, will be charged NIS 35 for admittance.