MAY 26 • 2022 | 7
brilliantly noted has the
same three syllables as
Leuchtenberg). I included
a dubious line about how
he had helped us to learn
to fly like “Leuchtenbirds.”
We watched our beloved
teacher take it all in, and
we just knew we had done
something good. It was our
chance to try to pay Mr. L.
back for all he had given us
many years ago.
And something else
happened as we went
around the room that
day. We were able to tell
each other how much our
friendships and support
had meant way back when
we really needed it. And
we now communicated as
adults, in words and feelings
that we could never have
shared in those early teen
years. We laughed about
past mistakes and listened
and responded to each
other. And by the time we
had finished our circle of
sharing, there was not a dry
eye in the place.
Mr. L. then had his
chance to talk about his
teaching career and to let
us know how much our
class, in the early part of his
career, had meant to him.
He was clearly touched by
our words. We lingered a
bit, not wanting it to end,
but then we all went our
separate ways.
When we saw each other
that night at the Mumford
reunion, we looked at each
other with different eyes.
We all did our usual reunion
shtick, interacting with our
high school friends, but
something had changed
between the boys and girls
who had been in the room
with Mr. L. that day. And for
the last six years, we have
been texting and emailing
each other in a different
way, communicating about
life events with a greater
sense of connection.
About two years ago, we
learned that Mr. L. was quite
ill. A few people from our
group made contact with
him. And then we learned
that our beloved teacher
had died. A few of us went
to the viewing and funeral
and talked with his family.
Mr. L.’s sisters had heard
from him about our reunion
luncheon and shared how
much it had meant to him.
It’s not often that you get
a chance to go back and
tell people what they have
meant to you. Like Emily
in Our Town or Peggy Sue
in Peggy Sue Got Married,
we learned that life is filled
with everyday moments;
at the time, we miss the
significance of most of
them. How about my use of
the semicolon in that last
sentence, Mr. L.?
Our reunion with Mr.
Leuchtenberg had helped
our teacher realize how
many lives (like ours) he
had touched in an enduring
way.
And somehow, in the
process, he had helped
us to get in touch with
our younger selves and
encouraged us to feel closer
to each other today.
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www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184
Hebrew Free Loan Detroit
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@HFLDetroit
Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal,
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STORY
Our
STORY
Our
For years, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
has partnered with Hebrew Free Loan as part of a
constellation of services that assist JFS clients. At
the end of 2019, agency Executive Director Anya
Abramzon says the organization, which rented part
of a building, purchased it outright and took over the
entirety of the space. They approached HFL for help
to renovate and get the full space up and running.
“We went from assisting about 7,000 people in
our food pantry to serving approximately 18,000
at the height of the 2020 shutdown, and this space
was sorely needed, just to do it properly,” Anya said.
“On top of our increased needs came the pandemic.
We wanted flexibility and appropriate distancing,
on a pretty short timeline. Hebrew Free Loan and
its Jewish Organization Loan Fund, in partnership with
The Ravitz Foundation, helped us pay for the construction
needed to get ready for our clients. Interest-free
money from HFL was combined with our existing
funds to rebuild the space.”
The new facility, Anya said, allowed JFS to
devote the entire ground level to their food pantry,
quadrupling their area.
“We are very excited about what the new space
does for us, and will allow us to do in the future,”
Anya said. “We hope to expand the pantry into
new offerings, and we also house programs
beyond the pantry, such as resettlement offices,
English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and
more. Hebrew Free Loan was the kind of amazing
resource for us that they’ve always been for our
clients, and we are grateful they’re here.”