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Presidential Musings — May 2025

Reflections on a 40-Year's Journey

Dateline Spring 1985 — I am a divorced mother of a young son working blissfully in a medical malpractice insurance company, whose mission I shared and whose work I thoroughly enjoyed. For seven years, I was the Director of Administration and was involved in underwriting, claims management, marketing, public relations, and office administration. Unbeknownst to me, however, the company was preparing itself to be sold to make a number of people very rich. Not me. So, in my place they moved in a financial guy who would handle the complexities of such a sale. They needed my office so the President set me up in a separate business to be a consultant and promised me the costs of my salary, my assistant, a separate office, and other things needed to be out on my own. I was terrified. I felt that with the position I was in I needed the security of a job and didn't know the first thing about running my own business. I was pushed off the cliff. And as they say, sometimes you just have to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down. I guess maybe it works the same if you've been pushed off that cliff.

I started the business on April 1, 1985. I picked April Fool's Day on purpose. I figured it would be a miracle if this is successful, but if this enterprise fails, I can say, of course, it was an April Fool's joke to begin with. April Fool's Day has a long history. There's speculation that April Fools' Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather. Welcome to Reno, Nevada. The day belongs to pranks and jokes and delight in squealing, April's Fool! To anyone caught up in the mishegos.

That deal with the insurance company lasted about 6 months and then the boss told me that they had to make a number of changes in my arrangement and cut back on much of the income I was receiving. I freaked out. I went to a local lawyer to see what could be done, and he said, basically, not much. They were the big guys and I had no leverage. He was very kind, I saw the concern on his face, and he refused to take a consultation fee from me. I remember him to this day.

But I couldn't fail. I had to find ways to grow my business in order to take care of my son and myself. I had to quickly learn what I could do, what I could actually sell, and how to navigate business. A very kind doctor friend sat with me one day before I left the company and said, Idora, you need to think about everything you do here and see how you can use those skills and relations to make your business work. I took stock and still, honestly wasn't sure whether I had anything to offer in the business world.

Think now about Moses and the Exodus. I love this time of year because Exodus is one of the most important history markers for us Jews and it has significance in a myriad of ways. Moses had to take a huge leap of faith in listening to God, getting the Jews, who were slaves, to leave the comfort/discomfort of their established lives, risk being slaughtered by the Pharoah, and run blindly into the Nile River possibly to drown. And that was just the start. The struggles continued. We are hearing these stories daily as we contemplate the Book of Exodus and all that it means. Poor Moses. Talk about having to build his wings on the way down. An 11-day trip took 40 years. Scholars tell us it took two generations to wipe out the slave mentality of the Jews in exile, and poor Moses never got to the Promised Land. Moses was given the 10 commandments, not a popular list of do's and don'ts and had to sell it to hungry, angry, sand-scalded Israelites. He had to smash their idols and beg them to have faith. When I told Moses of what I had accomplished in 40 years, he said, Idora, hold my beer!

40 years has huge significance all over the bible. In Judaism, the number 40 is associated with transformation and preparation. When Moses spent 40 days and nights atop Mount Sinai, fasting and receiving the Ten Commandments from God, it is considered a period of spiritual communion and revelation that laid the foundation for the Jewish faith. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, reflecting the notion of transformation and spiritual growth through trials and perseverance.

In Hinduism, the number 40 is associated with a period of fasting and spiritual purification known as "Chaturmas." In Islam, the number 40 is also very significant. The Prophet Muhammad spent 40 days in a cave in reflection and meditation before receiving the first revelation of the Quran. Additionally, mourning periods after the loss of a loved one often last for 40 days, signifying the time required for healing and transition. Across African cultures, the number 40 symbolizes a time of transition, often marking significant life events such as coming-of-age ceremonies or initiations into adulthood.

The cultural significance of the number 40 is also present in Western traditions. In Christianity, Lent is a period of 40 days that commemorates Jesus' fasting in the desert before beginning his ministry. The number 40 appears in folklore and literature, transcending cultural boundaries. Stories like "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" and "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh" showcase the enduring significance of this number in storytelling and collective imagination. The number 40 embodies a sense of groundedness and balance. It represents a time of focused action and hard work, where we lay the groundwork for lasting transformation.

Now, here I am, 40 years into my journey, definitely neither planned nor hoped for by me. The obstacles and difficulties along the way might have been there to make me push through my fears and insecurities and just do! I went back to school and got a master's degree in organizational development and communication. I traveled the country doing medical and dental malpractice work. I wrote a book, The Chutzpah Connection, Blueprint for Success: Real Life Stories of Inspiration and Achievement and became a professional speaker. The book gave me opportunities to speak at conventions all over the country and the world. Well, I am including Puerto Rico in that. I had a radio show called The Silver Lining — like I knew what I was doing, which I didn't — and those of you at Bingo last week heard a bit about that adventure. Moonlight over Miami. I ran for mayor of Reno in a crazy field of 20 aspirants and came in 3rd. Now that was a learning experience!

Did I worry? Always. Was I afraid? Continuously. But this saying helped me: "Fear the fear and do it anyway!" What did all this do for me? What was I getting prepared for? Maybe it was in part to be in front of you here today. Maybe it's to show others that it's ok to take chances, trust in ourselves and our skills, learn from our successes as well as our failures, give back in ways that help psychologically and spiritually, enjoy the journey, and believe in miracles.

From Exodus we learned that sometimes we have to leave in order to arrive — at a better place. I certainly found that to be true for me. I would not have developed the skills and confidence I have now, had I not been pushed out of that scratchy nest and forced to fly. I thank the long list of the friends and advisors who have been there for me in so many different ways, including many of you in this room.

I wish you all a very happy Passover. Let us pass over fear and worry, believe in miracles, and know that maybe, just maybe, we are now in the Promised Land.

Happy Passover!

— Idora Silver · Idsilver@sbcglobal.net · (775) 250-2898

Musings from your President — January 2025

Life & Hope in the Aftermath of the Holocaust

Last night I attended the annual Holocaust program jointly sponsored by Jewish Nevada, the Governor's Council on Holocaust Education, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Sanford Center for Aging, and the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.

Frankly, I did not want to go. I am, like most Jews, very well versed in the horrors of the Shoah, and every event serves to wrench my gut, hurt my heart, and bring tears to my eyes that linger for days. I have visited Holocaust Museums in Washington, D.C., Paris, Amsterdam, and Israel. I lived and worked on Kibbutz Yakum in Israel, not that far from the horrific massacres on October 7, 2023. I have had enough reminders.

But, I was "encouraged" to go by our own Jan Carver, who rightly said, that as President of Temple Emanu-El, I needed to be there. I solemnly dressed including nylons and high heels, to show my respect for the program, the topic, the gathering, my congregation, and, of course, the history.

It was an amazing program. As it turns out, the main theme of the program was not so much about the horrors of the Shoah itself, but more about the aftermath effects. The world shuddered in horror, shame and disbelief, but the impact on the survivors, and, as it turns out, their offspring, was fascinating and worthy of a continuing story.

Judy Shumer started the program with stories and pictures of survivors who went on to have amazing lives, lives filled with accomplishment, family, and even joy. Not what I had expected to hear. This was her preview of our speaker, who has made it his mission to follow the impact of these survivors' lives on the next generations. I had a girlfriend Leah, both of whose parents were survivors, and she would tell me of their nightly nightmares and screaming, and the tense, intense quiet during other times. That's what I expected to hear. Imagine my surprise when Dr. Harold Koplewicz, himself a child of two survivors, discussed his research and work.

It appears that early childhood trauma can actually change certain genetic cells in our bodies and these alterations can be passed on to future generations. I studied psychology as an undergraduate and particularly enjoyed learning about personality development. That, of course, includes children. We always suspected that early trauma had lasting effects, and that brain chemistry might be altered from it. His research in this field called epigenetics found just such an alteration. Interestingly, epigenetics is the study not only of genetics, but also of the impact of environment on the expression of the genes. Children with these genetic alterations, brought up in homes like that of my friend Leah, might have some of the same responses to stress and fear as their parents. But here is the interesting part. This genetic alteration also includes a certain resilience, because these people survived. They continued on. Some made amazing lives for themselves.

This is where the second part of the program title comes in: HOPE. According to Dr. Koplewicz, where there is trauma, there can also be hope. Where there is resilience, there are possibilities for good and meaningful aftermaths.

I had not expected to hear that. I had only seen the bad effects, not the good and hopeful ones. While still catching my breath from his talk, our own Eliot Malin gave a short, heartful presentation, and then Judy Shumer had survivors in our audience, along with their children and grandchildren, light six candles to commemorate the six different stars Jews were forced to wear in different countries. They added a seventh candle, lit by and commemorating non-Jews who had helped protect and save Jews during that time, to their own peril. If I wasn't crying before, I now had to let the tears flow.

It was an extraordinary event, a life-changing presentation by Dr. Koplewicz, and yes, a recommitment on my part to Never Forget. Many thanks to all of you who contributed to this outstanding program. Our lives are better for it.

— Idora Silver · Idsilver@sbcglobal.net · (775) 250-2898