Hear Our Voice

The call hit me like a ton of bricks.  Natalie on the other end of the line sharing with me a devastatingly sad event that had occurred only days after we had moved to Houston in July of 2011.  A family on their way home to Houston had been in a terrible car wreck, only their three small children had survived, two of them, boys, were in critical condition.  Assuming they survived, they would be disabled for life.  I hung up the phone, sat for a moment of silence to allow this news to wash over me and I then attempted to return to my work.  I wondered what was to be for these two young Jewish boys and their sister.  Very new to Houston myself, I wondered what kind of experience this Jewish community had with moments of tragedy and with disabilities.  I would meet them someday, I was sure.  “Maybe Abraham might visit them at some point,” this thought sort of lingered for a moment as I returned to my work.

Within no more than a few weeks, Natalie had been contacted by the Beth Yeshurun Day School, as they had already begun seeking advice for making their school accessible.  Abraham’s and our experience quickly became a well of practical wisdom learned “on the job.”  My favorite memory was hearing about how Abraham addressed the day school students on their first day back, but still prior to Peter and Aaron’s ability to return.  Abraham was introduced and within seconds, he threw himself out of his wheelchair and onto the floor.  Amidst the sighs and a few shrieks of worry and concern, he waved it off and pulled himself up, deftly into his chair.  Now that he had gotten their attention, he shared with the students that the best thing they could do for Peter and Aaron was to treat them as normally as possible.

It was truly remarkable when, within less than a year, Peter and Aaron Berry were down at the West Gray Recreation Center watching Abraham and the Houston Hot Wheels practice.  And even more tremendous when, within months after that, Peter and Aaron were practicing with the team.  But my favorite memories are witnessing the not too few times when their coach, Trice Ham, would call for their attention when they weren’t minding, would call them out when they were messing around, or even bench them at times because they deserved it.  Not at all bad kids, just normal pre-adolescents, then adolescents and eventually the young men whose junior wheelchair basketball team, just last month, won the National Championship.  

There will never be a rationale that could ever “make sense” of the tragedy the Berrys have experienced, endured and In certain ways, heroically overcome.  And I will not assert that God guided or directed these series of events.  But I do believe, with great surety, that God’s presence has healed, carried, guided and emboldened Peter and Aaron as well as their sister, Willa, to have stepped into a new life.  And indeed, a new life is what they and their loved ones have created.

Please join us next Friday evening, May 4th, for a most special Shabbat celebration.  Congregation Shma Koleinu will welcome and celebrate Peter and Aaron Berry and Coach Trice Ham of the 2018 National Championship Junior Wheelchair Basketball team: the Houston Hot Wheels.  Natalie, Abraham, Samuel and I are most proud to sponsor the Oneg in their honor.