It has been almost three months now since our tragic loss of Rabbi Dubrawsky. Months that have been some of the most painful and difficult of my life. I have found myself thinking of Rabbi Dubrawsky almost every day since. I am not sure what to say other than that I feel such a strong connection to him. A connection that as I write this is pulling me back and forth from comfort to pain. Growing up in Vancouver and going to Chabad must be one of the biggest privileges that a young Jewish person can have. For my frumkeit, every time I thought that what I was doing just was not working I could always feel and see that spark that Rabbi Dubrawsky so humbly passed on to me every time we had an interaction. My interactions with him were never long and often times did not extend beyond, "Hi Rabbi, how are you?" or "Good Shabbos, Rabbi." The response would almost always be the same, a smile and a deep look into my eyes. If he saw something that was out of the ordinary - maybe in the way I looked back at him or just simply with his ability to look into a persons thoughts and feelings without a word - he would ask me, "Are you ok?" or "How is Yeshiva?" and when I responded just with an ok he would smile at me knowingly and nod his head a couple times. I miss these interactions so dearly. Seeing the most unbelievably grounded Jew once a week and often times many more than that was something that I will forever keep with me. I miss you so terribly Rabbi Dubrawsky and as I struggle through yeshiva your neshama guides me.

To Mendy, Meir and the rest of the family, I wish you all long lives filled with all of the Torah that your father and husband left with you.

JJ