Para-rabbi sermon delivered June 27, 2014 on the Friday night before departure at Temple Sholom in Broomall

Vacation

I don't know about you, but to me, the three most wonderful words in the English language are "we're on vacation!"

I like to characterize days on vacation as precious jewels in one's lifetime.  Vacation days can be filled with adventure, wonder, new vistas, and remarkable experiences. For some just the ability to stop working for a time, change gears, and rest, is vacation enough.

And then, there's Alaska.  As many of you know by now, I leave this Monday morning for the motorcycle trip of my dreams- I will ride my 23-year-old BMW K 75 S motorcycle to Alaska where I will sell the motorcycle, meet my wife, Beverly, who will fly into Anchorage, and join me in a safe, dry rental car, as we tour the Kenai Peninsula, before flying home together at the end of July.

Why would anyone embark on such an arduous exciting and overwhelming undertaking?

Some of you older congregants may remember the names of two radio/television personalities named Jim O'Brien, a very  personable TV weather man and news anchor man, and Steve Levy, his sidekick and popular sports broadcaster at the WFIL television and radio stations in Philadelphia in the late 1970s.  As a bit of wonderful publicity, Montgomeryville Honda-Suzuki was touting a new Honda motorcycle model called the Gold Wing that had just been introduced,  The two personalities were outfitted with two new Honda Gold Wing motorcycles and they headed west to Alaska.  They called in to the radio station back in Philadelphia each morning of their trip west, reporting on their many adventures during the ride together.  I remember tuning into the radio every morning with breathless anticipation to hear each of their live, morning reports and thinking that a motorcycle trip was the coolest thing I could ever imagine.  They successfully made it to Alaska, but without ever having a chance to enjoy the state that they worked so hard to visit, they immediately surrendered the motorcycles, got on the plane, and flew right back home after only a week of travel.  Tragically, Jim O'Brien was later killed in a skydiving accident, which was announced during the half time of an Eagles game on a sunny, Sunday afternoon on September 25th, 1983, and I still remember the shock and pain of hearing that announcement and the loss of such a youthful, fun, and great guy who meant so much to the Philadelphia greater community.

Recently, I managed to reach out and locate Steve Levy and interview him over the telephone about his Alaskan trip so many years ago.  Steve, who lives out west now, was very gracious with his time, and he laughed his way through memories of the rain and beating that he and Jim absorbed, riding all the way to Alaska in just seven days.  He told me that WFIL made them use their own personal vacation days for the promotional trip.

So now it's my turn.  How does one feel on the eve of such an overwhelming journey after more than a year of visioning, preparation, and intense planning?  I've been packed for a week now, and I'm just dripping with excitement and ready to get after it and go.

From my view, vacation days are some of the best and most memorable days people spend on this Earth.  If you are also planning a vacation this Summer, I pray that it will be the vacation of your dreams- let's check in with each other in the Fall and swap vacation stories.  If pressed, I may have a tale or two to share.  Ken Y'hee Ratzon.  Amen.