Today marks the 114th birthday on both the English calendar of April 30 and on the Hebrew calendar of Iyar 13 of my beloved father Esir ben Avraham Benyamin z” l, whose death on the 4th day of Chanukah has left a void in my life since 1997.

What is also poignant is that for those observing the counting period of the Omer and the noting of the distinct 49 days representing the 49 steps of character refinement, the symbolic reference for today is called Day 7 of Week 4: Malchus of Netzach or as Rabbi Simon Jacobson of the Meaningful Life Center summarizes, it is a day for expression of dignity when faced with hardships, as well as for carrying out the exercise to “Fight for a dignified cause.” These attributes of dignity and fighting for a dignified cause were ones exemplified by my father during his lifetime and conveyed to his children in the most loving and enduring manner.

Cause of Marriage Education

The Hebrew date of Iyar 13 also marks another milestone event connected with my beloved father and that is anniversary of the First International Conference on Marriage Education in Israel which was held on Iyar 13 in the secular year of 2011 and was organized by the non profit Together in Happiness/B’Yachad B’Osher in memory of my father Esir ben Avraham Benyamin and mother Feigel bat Tuvia Nisan and to commemorate their special attributes of dignity and 52 years of marital bliss and being standard bearers for encouraging me to “fight for what I believe in” which is the cause of marriage education.

Why Fight for Marriage Education?

As I detailed in my blog “A Chanukah Legacy of Love and Dedication” in which I elaborated on the life of my father z”l, a primary catalyst for the creation of the non- profit Together in Happiness/B’Yachad B’Osher in 2011 was my desire to have a forum for sharing those characteristics that I had the good fortune to witness as a child of such extraordinary parents.

My inaugural speech at the First International Conference on Marriage Education in Israel in 2011 (referenced above as coinciding with my father’s Hebrew birthdate and dedicated to the loving memory of my parents) provided such an opportunity as demonstrated in the words below and link:

“The model that I have had in front of my eyes as I embarked on this journey to plan this conference was the 52 years of marriage of my parents who showed me by example what is the special recipe of a happy marriage- one that is built on a foundation of mutual respect, trust and communication, shared goals, love and commitment to each other and family values and appreciation for the gift each had found in the other.”

Here is the link to the speech:

https://youtu.be/SehtltDKsds

 What a Hebrew Birthday Commemorates

In the Chabad tradition, there is amble evidence of the commemoration of a Hebrew birthday even after the person has departed from their life and gives another occasion for pausing to reflect on what the person accomplished in their lifetime. In the case of my father z”l, he represented character traits encompassing humility, integrity, honesty, leadership, dedication, positivity, intelligence, and most of all a loving heart that exuded warmth, vitality and a giving nature and most of all was exhibited by a selfless devotion to his family and most of all my mother.

Our non profit offers programs in the spirit of my parents and to teach couples how to “fight for their own marriages” to focus on building and sustaining foundations on love and harmony and respect and learning that marriages require dedication and commitment.

On this Hebrew and English birthday of my father, I am certain that he is sending down lots of love for couples and a blessing for having lifetimes of simcha and partnership as he exhibited with my mother.

Discover the Opportunities for Connection

May we all have opportunities for connecting with our spouses and loved ones with dignity and in the loving spirit of my father and mother, and in that way my father’s birthdays will serve as a catalyst for focusing on what attributes are most critical to our own loving homes and for the benefit of Am Yisrael.

Yom Huledet Sameach and Happy Birthday to my father Esir ben Avraham Benjamin z”l. May you continue to be a beacon of dignity for our nation and role model for emulation.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)