Many of you might already know that Janet had both the gift and a love for writing. So, fortunately for us, many of her thoughts, hopes, and aspirations can still be found written down in the precious journals she has left with us. I had the privilege and honor to be given three of her writings to share with all of you. So, along with several pictures, all three of these writings are posted on the Mitzvah Memorial website. On this website, you will find her lifelong memories of her father and her descriptive account of how she lived with the her chronic illnesses. Her message to us was and is - the importance of positive thinking. Optimism is something that Janet and Harry always had in common. And it was that shared positive attitude along with their sometimes quirky sense of humor that got them through the best and worst of times. Harry asked me to share two examples of this with you. My apologies in advance as I doubt I can successfully imitate Harry's humorous delivery, but I will do the best I can... First, was their long standing "one line oral prenuptial agreement". Janet was insistent that before they got married that Harry absolutely agreed to out live her. Harry, being Harry, promised to do the best he could to honor this agreement. But, truly, it wasn't until Janet's stage 4 cancer diagnosis that it was clear that Janet's wish would most likely come true. At which point, Janet took a moment to reflect upon her request. She then looked up at us and said okay, she still wanted to leave this world before Harry, but she wanted the rest of us to watch what we asked for or to at least be more precise about how we phrased our request. She then said in a humorous tone of voice that she now realized that she forgot to mention that this wasn't supposed to happen until she and Harry were both much, much older. Oops! Harry also mentioned that as much as he tried to be attentive to Janet's needs, that he had to admit that he didn't take everything she said to heart. So, when she told him that she wasn't going to stick around this world much longer if Trump won the election, even though they shared the same political leanings, he basically ignored her statement. He now looks back on that day & ponders with his humorous tone that maybe he should of taken her statement a bit more seriously, but really no matter what you think about the guy, wasn't this response was just a bit too extreme? :) Seriously, in the face of adversity, sometimes humor is our best medicine & this has certainly been true for Harry & Janet. The story I want to share with you today recounts some of Janet's childhood memories. It is titled... Remembering My Childhood Years I grew up in a tumultuous household in South Shore. All of my mother's family lived in walking distance of our house. At times, my cousins, aunts, and grandmother lived with each other or lived as neighbors in the same apartment building. Three out of four Sundays, the family would gather at our house or our Aunt Silvia's home. But, once a month, we would all go on a family outing. During the warmer weather, our family enjoyed picnicking in Jackson Park. But, my favorite memories were the adventures I would take with my brother Al, my sister Elaine, and my cousin Dorothy. The four of us roamed the streets and alleys of South Shore like hellions. We travelled as far south as 103rd and Doty and as far north as the Museum of Science and Industry and the Promontory Point. Our many adventures included bringing home a wounded bob-o-link in the basket of one of our bikes and fishing in the Jackson Park lagoon with bamboo fishing rods that were given to us by our Uncle George. I remember one time when we caught three fish and carried them home. We were determined to keep them alive so we made several "water" stops along our route and immediately placed them in our bathtub as soon as we arrived home. But, unfortunately, the fish did not survive the night so we buried them in our back yard family "pet cemetery" along with our deceased cats and other deceased fish. In the summer months, you could also find us at one of our many swimming destinations. We enjoyed swimming at Rainbow Beach or off the Promontory Point. We also loved to go to 74th and the lake. There, at the Traileo Park, we were allowed to use inner tubes. This was a treat because inflatable toys were not allowed at the public beaches. But, our favorite adventure was to go to the lakeshore by 76th street. That was the location of the South Shore Country Club. We were not members so we were denied entry at the front gate. But we knew how to sneak in on the lake shore side. We reveled in the knowledge that we managed to get past the Country Club barriers an happily spent our days collecting stones and sea shells, swimming in the cool water, or resting on the warm sand. As I said before, this was just one story. I was given the opportunity to read several. Through reading Janet's account of her life, I also learned the following facts... Janet's involvement in the Jewish community started during her childhood. Both her Brownie and Girl Scout troops met in the community hall at the South Shore Temple. Janet also attended religious school at the South Shore Temple . She proudly notes that at the end of her studies, she was confirmed with honors. Also, along with her religious training, Janet enjoyed singing in the Temple's Junior and Senior choirs. And during her high school years, she was active in the Jewish Youth Group - Chaveros BBG and attended this group's National Conventions. Janet's desire for learning was also evident in her youth. She enrolled in honors classes in high school. During the summer, she traveled to the Union Institute Camp (currently known as OSRI) to receive leadership training. Janet continued her education after graduating high school. She started her undergraduate studies at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. After 2 1/2 years, she transferred to Roosevelt University and graduated in 1968. Janet continued her education while she worked at her full-time teaching position. She earned her Masters degree in secondary education by attending training sessions and summer courses at Purdue University in West Lafayette and through evening courses at their Calumet campus. Janet's love of learning did not end when her formal education programs were completed. She continued to be a lifelong learner. She enjoyed training to be a computer programmer and continued to expand on this knowledge. Because of her love of learning, she kept being promoted to new levels and ultimately became an Information Technology Professional. But, Janet's love of learning did not only apply to her career goals, Jewish spirituality was also very important to her, so, as many of you already know, in her last years, Janet enjoyed attending a variety of classes at the synagogue as well. In fact, whether it was an interesting news article, a book by an author she admired, or an enlightening exhibit at a museum, the Janet I knew always demonstrated an insatiable curiosity. She both loved to learn and to share her knowledge with others. Harry and I want to thank all of you for being with us today. This large crowd is truly a wonderful tribute to Janet. We are eager to hear about your favorite memories of Janet and hope you will share your stories with us and each other sometime this week at one of the shivas.