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Dovid Zaklikowski

Every document and interview I discover as part of family research reminds me of how the Israelites in Egypt did not want to leave their comfort zone, despite the difficulties. Even after escaping Egypt, many wanted to turn back.
The author of “The Phantom Tollbooth” said he didn’t really understand adults when he was a child, and adults didn’t understand him. But that never stopped the popularity of his books.
While his focus was on domestic politics and U.S. culture wars, many Jews credit him for being a voice that mainstreamed support for Israel within the conservative movement long before it was a given among the Republican Party.
World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder once asked the longtime U.S. statesman, who passed away at the age of 100 on Feb. 6, why he stood up for American and Israeli Jews when he was often pressured not to. He responded: “Because I thought you were right.”
While some did not and could not vote, those who did spoke of the privilege of casting a ballot in the United States, as well as the ripple effect the results could have on the Jewish state.
“Donors were attracted to his brilliance, his integrity. He used the various parts in his personality and background to the advantage of fundraising and the university,” relates his son-in-law, Rabbi Mark Dratch.
Something that appeared to be a sound solution at first is getting old. Still, some question whether worshippers will be running to synagogue doors once they open.
On tap are videos, stories, songs, concerts, online parades and drive-by barbecues.