Rains

D2's boyfriend Jonathan's family invited us to Aventura for shabbos dinner, and Wifey, the Ds, and I set out on the journey. A tropical storm had passed, leaving outer bands stalled over South Florida, and it rained and rained. Jonathan called and said it was awful in Aventura -- worst flooding ever. Still, we drove on. All went smoothly until we exited at Miami Gardens, and started East. It took 45 minutes to make it one mile. Still, we met young Jonathan in a parking lot, in a SUV, and he shuttled us to his house. The journey was more than worth it! We met his fine, fine family. They're Venezuelan Jews, and as welcoming and warm as any folks we've ever met. Our backrounds are similar --Ashkenazi --grandparents born in Eastern Europe. But Jonathan's Dad's family survived the camps, and his parents went to Israel, where he was born. From there -- on to Venezuela, where his family founded a still flourishing business. When threats of kidnapping became a daily affair, though, it was time to move to Miami. Jonathan's Mom Liz was delightful, too. She's a documentary filmmaker who made a movie about Holocaust Survivors who emigrated to Latin America. She raised 4 kids -- each one of whom is sweeter than the rest. Jonathan is tall --probably 6'2", and dwarfed by his brother Dan. One sister was home --the other is in college in Israel. Uncle Lou was there, and a 14 year old charming and sharp cousin. We sat around the table for hours, sharing tales of our kids' upbringing -- cheating death in toddler incidents in Caracas and Miami. We drove home very happy. The families clearly clicked -- there was none of the feared "Meet the Parents" tension. And sure enough, the sun is shining this am...