A dear friend passes away

I was awakened early this morning with the news that a dear friend of mine-Elly Dlin-had passed away suddenly, the victim of a heart attack. I met Elly in 1968 when we were both campers at Camp Biluim, Canadian Young Judaea's leadership training camp in Huntsville Ontario.Elly was a larger than life personality . A "westerner" from Edmonton Alberta,Elly was gregarious and was the type of person loved by all. Large in physical stature, Elly could not be missed. But his stature was overshadowed by his fun loving and warm personality-the kind of person that everyone loves.
Elly was my tentmate at camp, my roommate when we spent the year together in Israel, my travelling partner in Western Canada, my host when visiting him in Israel,my colleague in the Jewish professional world, but most importantly a dear and beloved friend.

I always wondered how someone so fun loving and disinterested in the formalities of life, could be such a brilliant scholar and teacher. While living in Israel for over 20 years, he worked at Yad Vashem, Israel's National Holocaust Center. Among his many responsibilities there, he directed the Valley of the Lost Communities a 2.5 acre exhibition at the museum where he lectured, provided tours and developed curricula. When Esther and I took
our boys to Israel in 1994, it was Elly who got us front row seats for Israel's National Commemoration of the Shoah at Yad Vashem.
When Elly returned to North America to complete his Phd at the University of British Columbia, a wonderful opportunity became available-the directorship of the new Holocaust Museum in Dallas Texas. He had worked there, and not surprisingly developed a wonderful educational center, recognized for its excellence throughout Texas and the nation.

I saw Elly for the last time at my son Matt's wedding almost 2 years ago. He looked great, had lost a ton of weight, and was looking forward to the future in Dallas.
I will miss Elly, as will all that knew him. He is survived by his 4 sons, his dear mother Helen and his siblings Bonnie and Arnie.
Life is way too short, and the end comes too soon, for far too many, at too young an age.
Live it well....and live it like Elly-warm,friendly, caring, compassionate,fun loving. May he rest in peace!