unclemoshetoonUncle Moshe didn’t waste any time calling me the other evening. He was so curious to hear how our Yom HaShoah event went. I told him how remarkable Holocaust survivor, Magda Brown is and Unc commented how important it is for all of us to bear witness to survivors’ testimony whenever we have the opportunity.

When I was a kid the whole family used to go over to my grandparents apartment on Fox St. in the Bronx on Sundays for dinner which consisted of boiled chicken, sometimes flanken. Invariably all the uncles and Grandpa would start up a penny and two poker game after dinner and some of us cousins would watch, sub-consciously picking up some of the game. Apparently that tradition is still happening because Unc told me a story about his great-grandson, Joey. It seems young Joey was in Hebrew school and the teacher was giving an important lesson about how powerful the kings and queens were in Biblical times. The teacher said to the class that there was even a higher power than the kings and queens and asked if  anyone could tell her what it was.  Little Joey jumped out of his seat shouting , “I know, I know. Aces. Aces beat kings or queens.”