Eulogy for Harry Yaffee – Rabbi Chai Levy Harry Yaffee leaves an enduring legacy. His contribution to this community has profoundly touched and shaped the lives of more people that we could ever count. A man of great generosity, it is now our duty to give to Harry the only thing that we can give to him at this time, chesed shel emet, the true lovingkindness that is given to the dead, for it can never be repaid. We will show our love and respect for Harry and honor his spirit and his life through words of hesped, of eulogy. Harry Yaffee was born in 1910 in Glensfalls, NY, one of seven children. He was raised in a religious family and was sent to cheder in his youth. As you might imagine, Harry was already getting involved in synagogue life in his childhood – he and his brother used to get into so much trouble that they needed a letter from the rabbi saying that they had behaved themselves in Hebrew school. Always adventuresome and a bit rebellious, Harry traveled all over the country and the world with his beloved wife Ruthie. After retiring from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he worked as an auditor, they lived in Guam and Israel, took a ship across the Atlantic and the Orient Express across Europe from Turkey. Harry managed to get a camper in Germany that took them to France, Spain, wherever the weather was good. And of course, he loved visiting his daughter Susan and her family in Hawaii. Harry lived life fully and passionately. His 97 years were filled with the things he loved to do: hiking, biking, gardening. He always had a garden, and it was something he missed terribly when he and Ruth moved to Drake Terrace. Harry danced his way through life. Even in recent years, he would be here in this sanctuary dancing whenever there was a song to dance to. Harry was dancing the night he proposed to Ruth. It was at a dance for the Federal Employees Union in Washington, DC, where Harry was involved. They had met a few years before as students as Albany State College and reconnected when they moved to DC in 1934, both trying to get jobs, which was very difficult at that time. Ruthie wasn’t sure at first if Harry was serious or not, but he was serious, alright, and their marriage stayed strong for 70 years.  He adored Ruth and was always loving and concerned with her, more concerned with her than about his own self. Harry was a devoted father to Susan and Judy, warm, generous, and endearing, always involved in his daughters’ lives, serving as room parent when they were young. He got this congregation started, as well as another synagogue in Maryland, where they lived for many years, because he wanted to have a community for his children. Harry was a wonderful father-in-law and grandfather, too, and of course, was a surrogate grandfather to so many of the children who grew up at Kol Shofar. The kids admired him because he role modeled for them how you can live everyday, no matter how old you are, with joy and excitement and generosity. And he was a wonderful brother, who was always very close with his siblings. He and his brother, Gary, used to compete to see who could take care of and do more for their baby sister, Riva. And he was an inspiration to his many friends and his long standing poker buddies. He would give the shirt off of his back to people and taught by example the value of tikkun olam.  Until just a few years ago, he’d stand up at morning minyan and report on where he was sending all of the tzedekah that had been collected. That was always his role: organizing and managing to bring people together through giving of themselves, he did that not only at Kol Shofar, but as President of Bnei Brith in Marin and as treasurer of the JCC. He showed us how to do our own unique part to build community and to create an environment of love, family, caring, and friendship. I only knew Harry when he was already in his 90’s, and even then he always had a warm hug and kiss for me, a flirty compliment accompanied by great charm, and a grandfatherly sense of being the elder, the patriarch, taking great pleasure and pride in the heimish warmth of this huge family that he created. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Harry Yaffee’s final days would fall during the week we read the Torah portion Vayechi, in which the patriarch Jacob gives his final blessing before his death to all of his children and grandchildren. Jacob said “The God who has been my shepherd from my birth until this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless all the children – in them may my name be recalled.” The name of Harry Yaffee indeed will be recalled and will indeed be a source of blessing to his children, grandchildren, to Ruth, to his sisters Riva and Leeah, and to all of us, his many friends.