Avi would have been 20 years old today.

Avi's 15th--and last--birthday celebration.

The Fifth Candle

Tonight is the 29th of Kislev, the fifth night of Chanuka, and Avi's twentieth Hebrew birthday.

This morning for the fifth year, I read Avi's bar mitzvah portion, Miketz, in his memory.
Most everybody knew why I was layning, but no one said anything.

Again, the unlit menorah

Last night was the start of Chanukah. Once again, we displayed Avi's menorah next to our own. As in previous years and for the rest of Chanukah, Avi's menorah will contain the correct number of candles for each night.

Like the four previous years, they will remain unlit.

Avi's Nephew

My three-year-old grandson, Aharon Yosef, last weekend saw an old photo taken in the early 1990s showing his father, me, and my father who was holding Avi. AY wanted to know who the four in the picture were. I named them, including "Uncle Avi" without elaborating and without AY asking additional questions. Some day he will ask.