When Nechama married Ari, for example, he had no family of his own. He travelled to Canada for his honeymoon, the first time he met Tanya. He was very apprehensive about meeting everyone, but when he arrived in Montreal he was so welcomed into the home and the family that he was overwhelmed. It was simply understood and accepted that he was part of the family and made to feel completely welcome. As Bev, Gabrielle, and Rafi joined the clan, her open acceptance, rooted in an unshakeable sense of who she was and what she believed, invited each new arrival to see him- or herself as a part of something larger than their own lives.
Tanya stories abound.
You will tell many more of them in the days ahead. She is such a gracious lady. Rabbi Berlat, on the staff at Baycrest, came to see Tanya. He says to her you'll have to speak up because I'm deaf in one ear. She says to him, how much time do you have for me to tell you my story.