My Fathers Yahrzeit @ Chabbad 

Today marks one year of my fathers passing. Losing my father is the worst tragedy I had to go thru so far in my life. My dad was always there for me and my family he taught me to be humble and appreciate what I have. My father dedicated his entire life to supporting his family. Since that terrible day I have felt emptiness, sadness, sorrow, pain and a deep longing for him. I lost my father suddenly and unexpectedly, not being able to say goodbye to him and thank him one more time was killing me. I was also shocked and angry that he died so young and I felt cheated.

But now almost a year later I realize how fortunate I was to have such a great father for as long as I did. Whenever I would see him he always had a warm smile on his face. To talk to him and to listen to him one more time would be amazing. With my new friends here at the Chabad House I was able to do that by praying for him this year and that gave me a sense of comfort and closeness to him. 

    My dad was very proud of his Jewish heritage; he always wore his Jewish star on his neck and always went to Shul on the holidays. His last job before he retired was as a building Manager for ten years on 34th street and 5th ave for a Sephardic guy that owns Centry 21. He took on the mitzvah every day of getting together a minyan in the building for mincha and Mariv and he also wore a kipah every day at work for first time in his life. My Dad loved telling me how proud he was of his name and his heritage and how his father’s family lived in Greece for over 400 years under the Turkish flag as Sephardic Jews and how they never lost their faith after leaving Spain during the Spanish inquisition, and how he was named after his grandfather and I was named after my grandfather and how my son is named after him and he was very proud of his legacy.

    Since my father’s passing I have been blessed to be welcomed at the Chabad house to pray for my dad and elevate his soul. I have met some of the most humble people here that I will ever meet in my life. This last year was a very unexpected tragedy for me losing my dad, then getting shingles the week he died, two weeks later my wife’s younger sister who I love very much was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in her brain, business was off 50% barley could pay my bills,then a hurricane that devastated my store and completely broke me. So what did I do, I called Rabbi Levi and asked him where he was and told him I need to see him and he told me to meet him where he was performing one of his many mitzvahs he took me back to the shul Rabbi levi gave me teffilm to put on because I lost mine in the flood, he told me to pray and gave me positive advise. I want to thank you for all your kindness this year. You are truly my mizva go to man. I also had a chance to speak to Rabbi Chazano a few weeks after the flood and I explained to him how much I lost this year and that I had begun to question my faith, things are getting worse and I am starting to question Hashem. I told him I feel I’m being pushed further away from Hashem with all this tragedy, after all I have been coming to shul learning pray, saying Kaddish, Charity, Holidays-and then Rabbi Chazano with his big smile and confidence said that there is always a treasure behind every tragedy and that I need to look for it. He said that this year is a challenge from Hashem and everything happens for a reason. He said that the opposite will happen, you will not become further away from Hashem, you will become closer to him and he promised me if I work hard and don’t complain and thank Hashem for what I have he will reward me with good business and good health, and I was able to see this miracle with my own two eyes as the shop is doing great now and I am blessed with a healthy family I also learned this year at the Chabad, that there are two worlds, the one we live in now and the spiritual world where my father is today. In this world we live in you can do 100 times more things in a day then in the next world, but in the next world it is 100 times better. What does this mean- cause in this world we can pray, do good deeds, give charity help family, create a legacy. In the next we cannot but in the next world we don’t have to worry about anything because it’s perfect there, and Pop, I’m confident right now that you got a good seat up there.

  I would like to thank my Wife, my Family, Rabbi Chazano, Rabbi Levi, the yeshiva boys, the Chabad congregation for all the support you gave me this year spiritually and mentally. I would also like to thank my father for all that you have done for me and my family. I know you are still looking out for me. I love you 
pop, rest in peace. G-d bless Jacob Meyer Paparo..Your son Michael