Technology Only Goes So Far

Anyone who knows me understands how I'm a big fan of technology. It makes the distance between places seem less. Video chat? Done. Even this evening, I was making dinner and Sarah's mom joined us, virtually, in the kitchen. Incredible.

Yet, sometimes, no matter the level of technology, 7000 miles away is still 7000 miles away.

My dear friend and fellow youth worker Justin Shabsis passed away Tuesday morning due to unforeseen heart complications. He was only a few years older than me.

Justin was one of the first people to reach out to me when I rejoined NFTY SoCal as an advisor in 2008. He was an incredibly kind man - someone who took his job as youth director seriously and with a great sense of how important and holy youth work is to so many. We worked together on my last NFTY SoCal event, Social Justice Kallah, which was hosted by Justin's youth group. Although the event had some challenges, Justin came through in the clutch like no one I have ever seen. He was professional, empathetic, and was an incredible leader.

I only have this one picture of Justin. While it may not be the most flattering picture, nor one that shows his infectious smile, it shows how willing he was to participate fully in whatever was asked of him. I wanted him to be stoic, to provide a perfect foundation for the reflection of his glasses. He obliged. And that's just who he was. When the SoCal board asked him to be a badass and bully participants as part of a program, he jumped right in. We talked about it later, and he explained how embarrassed he was for having to bully the NFTYites. I'm pretty sure he went up to nearly each participant after the program and apologized.

If I was in San Diego right now, I'd be in my car heading up to Los Angeles to be with my fellow advisors. Even though I'm no longer working with them, I still feel incredibly connected to them.

Instead, I'm 7000 miles away.