Dear clients and friends:
I hope this email finds you, your family, and all your friends, in the very best of health and ready to enjoy the coming Summer months!
This month marks 158 years to the last battle of the American Civil War, fought in Texas on May 13, 1865. In that battle, Private John J. Williams of the 34ᵗʰ Regiment, Indiana Infantry, became the last man killed in the Civil War. He was only 21 years old. Like Private Williams, more than a million others gave their lives in defense of our country, from the time of its founding.
The death of each one of these brave men and women, who came from villages, towns, and cities from across the land, represented a profound tragedy for their family and their community. On Memorial Day, which was first observed in the aftermath of the Civil War, we honor their ultimate sacrifice, made so that we, their fellow citizens, may enjoy the rich bounty that our nation provides.
This year, as it does frequently, Memorial Day coincides with the Jewish holiday of “Shavuot.” This two-day holiday commemorates both the Summer wheat harvest, and more importantly, the moment when at Mount Sinai, some 3,500 years ago, the Almighty G-d presented us with the “Torah” – the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
Interestingly, Memorial Day and Shavuot have quite a bit in common, as both basically honor nationhood! In one holiday we honor G-d’s foundational principles, and in the other, we honor the sacrifice of those who protected our nation’s own foundational principles, not least of which are our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution!
And so, on this Memorial Day Holiday, regardless of what religion we practice, whether we worship in a synagogue, a church, a mosque, or a temple, I hope we all say a prayer for the souls of our brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in all our wars, and also pray for the health and safety of all those who today serve and defend our nation in uniform!
Thank you so much for your friendship and fellowship!
