#BlogExodus Day 2: Tell (me about being a part of a family)

OSRUI Segel, Faculty before the Shave

Blogging today will be easy in that I have much to tell about last night's event of 36 Rabbi's (there were actually over 50) Shaving for the Brave a St. Baldrick's event.  I came to support the whole community of Rabbi's about to shave their heads and in some cases their faces all in the name of raising funds for pediatric cancer research.  All in all by the end of the evening we had raised over half a million dollars and it is still not too late to donate.

We began the evening with t'filot to frame the task that was in front of us.  After a moving t'filah with over 500 Rabbi's in attendance, some with their families. They covered the stage in plastic; 8 barbers standing behind 8 chairs and the first group, including Rabbi Phyllis and Michael Sommer began to have their hair shaved off.

During the shaving which began late in the evening and lasted for over  2 hours was sometimes hard to watch, I know some of the participants were nervous and I think for a woman to shave her hair is such a brave thing to do.  For the men although they look very different  in a few weeks they will begin to look normal.  For the woman this process will take so much longer.

Some of the Women who shaved for the brave.  

I am so proud of being part of something bigger.   I met Phyllis at OSRUI when we were both on Faculty.  Being part of the OSRUI family is also being part of something bigger.  I have known Phyllis since she came to Chicago and have shared ups and downs with her and her whole family.  I know that I will be here and the OSRUI family will be there, the Rabbinic family, Am Shalom and too many more families to name.  It's good to be part of family.

Rabbis Michael and Phyllis Sommer