Yesterday did not go as I had planned. I woke up to hear that Bill Rudolph, my friend, co-board member, and retired rabbi from Congregation Beth El in Bethesda had passed away after a years long battle with pancreatic cancer. His funeral is this afternoon; I spent part of yesterday at the funeral home, helping guard his body as part of the ancient Jewish custom of shmira.

Last night, though, I did get to American University to hear the annual Amos Perlmutter lecture given by Professor Menachem Ben-Sasson of The Hebrew University. He talked about the history of Israel’s lack of a constitution. He should know because, during his short time as a member of the Knesset, he was in charge of the Constitution committee and worked on the development of a written constitution that never got a formal vote in the Knesset. That was 15-20 years ago. He went on to become President of The Hebrew University, where he now teaches.

I am not going to try to summarize his talk. But, as I gave a talk just the week before comparing the judiciaries of two countries (the United States with its constitution and Israel without one), I was particularly interested in what he had to say. And he certainly had details that I had no idea about. I thought it was a tremendous talk – those in the large audience who were only familiar with looking at headlines through their American eyes may have had a hard time following some of it. It was filled with detail.

I saw a lot of people I know at the talk, some of whom I have seen now and then and some of whom I really had not seen since pre-pandemic. That included an old friend, about to turn 94, who is a financial supporter of American U’s Israel program, and who was going to take an Uber home until I offered her a cheaper ride. She is still active (with limitations) and lives in her large house all by herself. Pretty amazing.

I also got home in time to read the third Euripides play – “Alcestis”. This one is very short and (I think) quite silly. A man is told by Death that his time is up, unless he can find someone to take his place. He asks his elderly parents; they refuse. He asks his wife and mother of his three young children; she, as a matter of loyalty to her husband, agrees. She dies. Our anti-hero is visited by his old friend Hercules, who finds it absurd that Alcestis has died for this reason, and he goes to the underworld and brings her back to life. Exeunt omnes (as they never said in Athens). I think it’s a comedy.

Busy day today. Need to send a book to Toronto by Fedex, should take laundry to Zips, having lunch with a friend at Blue 44, going to the funeral, picking up grandson from pre-school.

See you tomorrow.