When Aviva was discharged 10 days later, I began planning my trip to meet the baby girl named for my late father. I settled on mid-July when my son would be on break from his yeshiva and his wife would still be on maternity leave. My husband, my son’s stepfather, would travel with me for his first trip to Israel since his bar mitzvah. He could not join me last summer for the wedding because of travel restrictions in Israel. 

While we anticipated easier travel to Israel this year as the country emerged from the pandemic, our hopes were dashed by a surge of cases and the tightening of entry restrictions. But perseverance and assistance from contacts in Israel paid off. We departed from Newark on July 18 and arrived late morning the next day.  

My son and his family surprised us at the airport; I had the opportunity to hold my granddaughter for the first time amid the chaos of the outer traffic lanes at Ben Gurion Airport. It is hard to put into words what it feels like to hold the next generation in your hands and inhale that sweet newborn baby smell. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of both the moment and the significance of being Aviva’s Mimi.   

Suddenly, all the conversations that I have had through the years about L’Dor Va-dor, from generation to generation, had brand new meaning. Aviva was the new link in the chain. She would be the why I cited when asked about my commitment to the Jewish community, as a professional and as a donor to The Associated.

And yes, the feelings that welled up inside of me at that moment far exceeded my expectations.  

Melinda Michel is the Vice President of Women’s Philanthropy. To learn more about how to get involved, go to Associated Women.