Author: matt.kelemen

Brazilians take the World Cup seriously. All the people we’ve met, even those who profess not to be fans, know more about the tournament than most Americans. Taxi drivers rattle off the locations where the national teams have their base camps. TV news shows cover every angle on what seems like a continuous loop. Newspapers have whole sections devoted to news of the Selecao (the Brazilian national team). Stores of all sorts have futebol (pronounced “FOO-che-bawl”) paraphernalia displayed prominently. The games don’t start for another three days, but for all intents and purposes, the Copa has begun.

This is supposed to be the Cup of Cups. The first time in Brazil since 1950. The spiritual home of the global game. A sense of destiny for the Selecao. But there’s a cloud hanging over the Cup. More and more Brazilians are unhappy with the billions spent to put on the tournament while hunger, poverty, corruption, and unemployment plague the country. They are ramping up protests and the police and are responding with an intense presence and what seems a harsh crackdown. We saw no fewer than 50 police officers in a one-hour stroll along Ipanema Beach and the news showed protesters being tear-gassed in other parts of the city on a day when a million citizens took to the streets in multiple cities across the country — Rio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Belem, and others. As one painted sign said near the Botafogo metro, “Copa para quem?” Who is the Cup for?

A lot to take in on day 1 of our adventure.

 

At Mom-Mom’s gravesite yesterday, I didn’t have the words. And with the snowstorm scattering us too quickly, I missed too many stories. So, here are my thoughts. I’d love it if you would add your own.

Dottie’s story is a true American story. She came by boat at the age of six, speaking no English and knowing little of what to expect. She was given a new name, one more pronounceable on an immigration officer’s lips than her given one. She graduated high school, which not every girl her age did. She worked in the business that allowed an Eastern European family that came here with nothing to climb into the middle class. She married and gave her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren opportunities she could not have imagined on that first boat ride.

And if that were the end of the story, it would have been enough. But Dottie’s story offers us all so much more. Through her grace and kindness, she became the very heart and soul of her extended family. The matzoh ball soup and brisket. The cards sent unfailingly on important occasions. The warmth of her hugs. The wit. These things endeared her to everyone around her, so much so that in her later years, she became a mother to more than her two sons and one daughter, a grandmother to more than her five grandchildren, and a great-grandmother to more than her eight grandchildren.

And if that were the end of the story, it would have been enough. But for me, she was also a steadfast link to our Jewish heritage and tradition. One of the things I am most grateful for is that I got to go to synagogue with her last October, the last time I saw her alive. She was happy to be able to say the Shehechiyanu, since it was the first time I had come to temple with her. When I light shabbat candles or ring in the new year or share a Passover meal with friends, it always brings to mind my grandmother, for this is something we shared.

We were all wishing that Dottie would make it to 100, so that we could gather once more an celebrate her amazing life. But she came to the anniversary of her own daughter’s passing, she looked up at an iconic photo of her husband, and I think she decided that it was enough. She lived the life she wanted to live, and now she is at peace with Joe, Barbara, Max, Minnie, Toby, Terry, Dave, and all the others who came before her.

May Dottie’s memory be a blessing to all of us.

Here is a slideshow put together by Holly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spkM5vNBSyc&feature=youtu.be.

 

Nelson Mandela’s passing this year had a profound impact on us. Both Dylan and Adela are old enough to remember visiting Robben Island and experiencing some of the South Africa that Mandela struggled to create. And we often find ourselves talking about his achievements as examples of how to live our own lives. So it seems fitting to put our updates this year in the context of the values of Mandela that we seek to emulate.

For Adela, we think of the value of determination. Remember, this is the girl who once told us, “I want what I want because I want it.” She’s a grown-up 8-year old now, but the steely drive remains. It showed up in her serious preparation for evaluations as an SF Girls Chorus member, earning her promotion to Level 2 and a front row spot in the line up. At winter concerts in St. Mark’s Church and Davies Hall, she was radiant, and her vocal talent continues to grow under the tutelage of the SFGC staff and Amy Foote. It showed up in weekly science lessons with Exploratorium “explainer” Rose Johnson-Leiva. Adela returned from dissecting cow eyes or building DNA strands with a quiet confidence and surety about her future as a scientist. It showed up in her artwork being selected for display at the Asian Art Museum in the SF Youth Arts Festival. And it showed up in her choice of Halloween costume, Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings (who sneaks away from her appointed life in the King’s court to join the battle against Mordor); since we bought her a bow for the costume, she often heads up to the park on her own to fire arrows into the air. Adela has blossomed as a reader, a scientist, a singer, and an archer and we know that, with her, anything is possible. As Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

For Dylan, who turned 10 this year, we think of the value of leadership. Whether on the soccer field, in the classroom, or in casual play, Dylan is a natural leader. His positivity is infectious and wins him friends young and old. In the winter, he joined his dad for the Great Ski Race (a 30km trek from the shores of Lake Tahoe to Truckee) and kept up a great spirit all the way to the finish line despite tough snow conditions. This summer, he came home from sleep-away camp at UC Berkeley with a real Cal uniform (apologies to Cardinal fans in the crowd) as a prize for being the MVP. In the fall, he was invited to perform capoeira at City Hall during the Hispanic Heritage Awards Celebration. And this winter, he put in a star performance in a hip-hop number in the school dance concert, while making everyone around him shine. Asked to serve others, he jumped at the chance to pack meals at the San Francisco Food Bank. Moving into double digits, Dylan has become more independent this year, walking and biking himself to school and soccer practice (no small feat in a big city). We have enjoyed watching him continue to excel as a soccer player (including two tournament finals for his team), a mathematician, a musician and a dancer.

For Jeannette and Matt, we are inspired by Mandela’s deep commitment to social justice and we are reminded by him that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Jeannette began her third year as the Director of Practice at the Education Trust-West, a non-profit education advocacy organization based in Oakland striving to ensure all California’s public schoolchildren have equitable access to a high quality education. Besides working, Jeannette continued her cycling (with stunning rides in Tahoe and the Bay Area), reconnected with activities she’d almost forgotten she knew how to do (she strapped on her 20-year-old roller blades to skate with Adela and borrowed a sewing machine to make Halloween costumes), and spent treasured time with family and friends both near and far.

Matt continued his work at New Leaders, an organization that develops transformational school leaders and advances the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed. He has enjoyed helping state and district leaders in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Tennessee and Minnesota, but is still hopeful of generating more interest in New Leaders’ work in states closer to home! In addition to work, teaching at Stanford, and continued consulting and volunteering on boards, Matt accomplished a few personal goals, including skiing the Great Ski Race, running the SF Half Marathon, re-joining a soccer club, and (after 30-odd years off) taking up piano again. Since starting the latter in the fall, he was the only family member who practiced as much as he was supposed to.

The year brought five numbers to celebrate:

1 – the age of our goddaughter Karla Abigail, who brings joy to everyone she meets

4 – the number of months Peter and Gabby have been parents to the adorable Felix Hebert

18 – the number of years Jeannette’s uncle Tom & Mona were together before getting wed this summer in beautiful Olympia, WA

50 – the years Matt’s parents have been married, a milestone celebrated with a banner family and friends gathering at Michele and Benoit’s country home in Linden, VA

99 – the age attained by Dottie Kelemen, who continues to amaze us with her stamina and strength; we hope to celebrate 100 with her in July

Beyond our work travels, we stayed closer to home than usual this year. Family brought us East in the summer (Bethany and Linden) and winter (DC and Baltimore). We took our first family backpacking trip in the Sierras, summiting Mt. Lola above 9,000 feet and enjoying campfire-cooked pancakes. In the fall, Jeannette treated Adela to a New York City birthday extravaganza celebrating Claire (7), Cole (5) and Grandma (young as ever) too. And Thanksgiving took us to San Diego with the LaFors clan where we enjoyed the sun, amusements and time together. We saw out 2013 in Tahoe with a fantastic Seedlings book club reunion, reveling in the awesome beauty of the Sierras even if the snow disappointed.

As the new year begins, we look forward to the Brazil World Cup (reminded that bringing the Cup to South Africa was one of Nelson Mandela’s lesser, but still important, accomplishments). And this is the year when we begin planning in earnest for a two-year stint living in a Spanish-speaking country. If anyone has leads on jobs at international schools (for Jeannette), education consulting gigs (for Matt), soccer academies (for Dylan), or youth theater opportunities (for Adela), we’ll take them.

Peace to you and yours,

Jeannette, Matt, Dylan & Adela