Larry Gritton

This story has its genesis in 1986 when I was 36-years-old.

My family has been members of Moriah Congregation (currently in Deerfield, Illinois) since its inception in 1977.  It was started with Samuel Dresner as the Rabbi by a number of couples, including my in-laws, Frank and Millie Levy, after the rabbi was “relieved” of his duties at another local synagogue.  My late wife Jennifer was also actively involved and became very close to him.  Services were held at member residences until its permanent home in a school in Deerfield, converted into the current building.

A number of people believed Rabbi Dresner to be cold, too serious and studious, without the requisite social skills they felt were required for a North Shore conservative shul. But they were mistaken.  Yes, he was a learned man, but with a wonderful sense of humor, and he managed to put members together who made friends for life.

In 1987, after Rabbi Dresner had retired and moved to New York, Sam Fraint became the new Rabbi at Moriah. He was also a controversial figure, but he had a special relationship with the Gritton family.  He sometimes referred to me as his “college buddy” (we attended the University of Pennsylvania together), and when Jennifer was hospitalized he visited every day (except Shabbat) and sang to her.

Now to the point of this tale.  About eight years ago Rabbi Fraint called me and asked me to come see him, as he had something to show me.  Curious as I was, I did so.  He told me they had cleaned out a room at the shul to make it useful, and they found a small package with our names on it and addressed to us at our home in Highland Park, with a return address to the Dresners, Sam and his wife Ruth. 

It looked as though it was intended to be mailed to us, but there were no other markings. I opened the package and found the beautiful Mezuzah pictured above. It was clearly intended to be a house-warming gift as we had moved to Highland Park in 1986, so the package had been sitting in a cluttered room for over 25 years!

Now when I look at this Mezuzah, I am reminded of all those in my life now gone: Rabbi Dresner, Jennifer, my Mother and Father, Rabbi Fraint, my brother-in-law Sam (my current wife Sara’s brother), my machatunim Faye and Fred Tatel, and most recently, Millie and Frank Levy. Of course, I have other remembrances of each of those people and others as well, but this Mezuzah encompasses all of them at once, and makes me cherish their memories.