Who packed my parachute?

 Captain Charles Plumb, a Vietnam-era Navy pilot was shot down and spent 2,103 days as a prisoner of war.

Years later, he was sitting in a restaurant when a man approached him and said, “You’re Plumb. You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were shot down.”

Stunned, Plumb asked, “How do you know that?”

The man replied, “I packed your parachute.”

That night, Plumb couldn’t sleep. He later reflected, “How many times did I pass that man and never even say good morning because I was a fighter pilot, and he was just a sailor?”

Fighter pilots receive the recognition. The glory. The medals.

But it’s the quiet, unseen individuals the ones packing the parachutes who make survival possible.

And ever since, his message has been simple and profound:

Know who packed your parachute and say thank you.

As I read this story and felt its impact, I found myself asking that same question:

Who packed my parachute? And did I ever truly say thank you?

And the answer became clear.

My parents packed my parachute.

From the time I was a child, they gave me everything I have. An education, values, strength, and direction. They nurtured me, guided me, sacrificed for me. They sent me to yeshiva, stood by me at every stage, and shaped me into the person I am today.

And I had to ask myself honestly: Did I ever properly say thank you. 

As we stand here and say Yizkor, and I'm saying Yizkor for my father A"h this question becomes even more powerful.

Because Yizkor is not only about remembering, it’s a call to action. It’s about recognizing what was given to us, and asking: what will we now do with it?

But how do we say thank you to someone who is no longer physically here with us?

The Rebbe teaches that we thank them by doing a mitzvah in their memory. By giving tzedakah, by performing acts of goodness and kindness, by living a meaningful life and doing it in their memory. 

When does life begin?

 When does life begin?

Preist say conseption , Minister says birth, Rabbi, when kids graducate college and mortgage is paid...

"Mummy, how do you spell zilla?"

 Little 5 year old Benjy was practicing spelling on his fridge using a set of magne tic letters. Freda, his mother, had watched him put together words such as 'mum', 'dad', 'dog', 'cat' and 'car' and was very proud of her clever son. But then Benjy shouted out, "Look what I spelled, mummy."

Freda looked at the fridge and saw that he had put up the three magnetic letters, 'G' 'O' 'D'.

"Why, that's wonderful, Benjy," she said, "why don't you leave them on the fridge until daddy comes home?" "OK, mummy," he said.

But just as Freda was thinking that the Jewish school he went to was st

arting to have an impact, Benjy's little voice called out, "Mummy, how do you spell zilla?"

Mom and I will catch the next bus…”

 After a long day spent with the family in Manhattan, dad is trying to get a ride home.

He flags a taxi, and as the driver rolls down the window he says “listen. If you turned off the meter, how much would you charge my family for a ride to Brooklyn.”

Driver says “I’d take you and your wife for $35, and your three kids can ride for free.”

The father opens the back door, calls his children and says “kids, this nice man is gonna take you home. Mom and I will catch the next bus…”

---

I am William. The little rascal’s name is Kevin”

 A woman is following a grandfather and his badly-behaved grandson at the supermarket. He has his hands full with the child screaming for sweets, biscuits – all sorts of things. The grandad is saying in a controlled voice, “Easy, William, we won’t be long … easy boy.”

Another outburst and she hears the grandad calmly say, “It’s okay, William. Just a couple more minutes and we’ll be out of here. Hang in there, boy.”

At the checkout, the little horror is throwing items out of the trolley. The grandad says again in a controlled voice, “William, William, relax buddy, don’t get upset. We’ll be home in five minutes, stay cool William.”

Very impressed, she goes outside to where the grandfather is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. She says, “It’s none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don’t know how you did it. That whole time you kept your composure, and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his grandad.”

“Thanks,” says the grandpa. “But I am William. The little rascal’s name is Kevin”

“I work for 7-11!”

 Three men are in the hospital waiting room because their wives are having babies. A nurse goes up to the first guy and says, “Congratulations! You’re the father of twins.”

“That’s odd,” answers the man. “I work for the Minnesota Twins!”

A nurse says to the second guy, “Congratulations! You’re the father of triplets!”

“That’s weird,” answers the second man. “I work for the 3M company!”

The last man is groaning and banging his head against the wall. “What’s wrong?” the others ask.

“I work for 7-11!”

In Bed - Joke

 Mrs. Greenberg was teaching her first grade class about saying blessings and praying.

"For example children,” said Mrs. Greenberg “Before we go to sleep we should sing shema.

“Who here says their prayers at night?"

Little Chaim answered, "My mommy says my prayers."

"I see," said Mrs. Greenberg, "And what does your mother say?"

Chaim replied, "THANK G-D, HE'S IN BED!