Memory Book for Shoshana Weintraub

The following are the memories those of us have of Shoshana/Shoshi/Shosha :

Entries 100-109

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Visitor: Sasha Heinen
Time: November 20, 2006 2:14 AM

Right now, I'm sitting in school, in front of a computer in Ms. Wagonner's room, and tears are rolling down my face. Thank you, Dominic. That was the best story I've heard in a long time.

The reason that I'm allowed to get on Chelm from school is for my Film class. Anil, Txai, David, and me are making a film tribute to the life of a wonderful, beautiful person.

I would like to ask anyone who can to e-mail me pictures of Shoshana. While the audio for this movie will mostly be interviews and stories read from this website, we need visuals, too. Digital videos would be wonderful, if anyone has any.

[ We just wanted y'all to know that we endorse this project and encourage y'all to contribute to it. We wish to keep Shoshana as alive in our memories as possible. Please contribute to the film project and please continue to add your memories of Shoshana (no matter how trivial) to this guestbook.

Shoshana's family ]

Announcement

The family of Shoshana Weintraub has set up several memorial funds in Shoshana's memory.

The Shoshana Ruth Weintraub Fund For The Science Magnet Middle School Band is a permanent endowment fund, which will go to support the band. The first $500 of interest each year is dedicated to purchasing instruments, supplies and materials for students who cannot otherwise afford them. Any amount earned above $500 is for the band's general use. Additional contributions will add to the annual income to the band.

The Shoshana Ruth Weintraub Fund For Jewish Youth Programming is a permanent endowment fund, which will go to support teen programming at Kol-Halev. The interest each year is dedicated to paying for teen (12-18) programming at Kol-Halev. Additional contributions will add to the annual income from the fund.

In addition we encourage you given contributions in Shoshana's name to the general endowment funds for Gullett Elementary, Kealing Middle School and the Town Lake Animal Center

All these funds are sponsored through the Austin Community Foundation. Contributions can be made by sending a check to the Austin Community Foundation, P.O. Box 5159, Austin, Texas 78763. Write 'Weintraub science magnet', 'Weintraub Jewish Youth', 'Gullet Elementary Fund', 'Kealing Middle School', or 'Friends of Town Lake Animal Center' in the memo.

In addition to these funds, Shoshana's family has plans to set up scholarships in Shoshana's name through several local groups that Shoshana was active in. We will let you know when these scholarship's are set up and encourage you to contribute to these when they are set up to increase the value of the scholarships.

The Weintraub/Huckabee family wishes to thank the community for their support and wants to remind people they are still collecting memories of Shoshana here at ./index.html.

Visitor: Russell Weintraub
Time: December 4, 2006 1:40 AM

Among the many areas in which Shoshana excelled were writing and art. Her short story, "The Visionary", was published in the Kealing literary magazine in an issue dedicated to her. It is amazing that a thirteen year old could write so well and with such insight.

Shoshana's artistic talent was evident early. She was continually experimenting with colors, shading, and forms. Tina and Steven found a few examples in her sketch pad. They are hanging in their family room.

When she was in first grade, Shoshana had drawn a copy of Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" that was so lovely that my wife, Zelda, had it professionally framed. It is hanging in Tina and Steven's dining room.

I loved Shoshana's "Sunflowers", but did not understand why Shoshana had printed her name in bold black letters on the vase that held the flowers. In 2000 my wife and I were living in London. Shoshana, Tina, Steven, and Aaron come to stay with us for a week. Our apartment was a short walk from the National Gallery, which faced Trafalgar Square. The day after Shoshana arrived I suggested that she and I walk to the National Gallery. When we got to the top of the entrance stairs I told Shoshana to close her eyes. I led her into the room immediately to the right of the entrance, where Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" were hanging. When we stood in front of the painting I told Shoshana to open her eyes. In bold black letters on the vase was printed "VINCENT." I had forgotten, but Shoshana knew.

Russell Weintraub

Visitor: Tina Huckabee and Steven Weintraub
Time: February 4, 2007 8:12 PM

Today Aaron's b'nei miztvah class and Shoshana's former soccer teammates planted 15 trees at Lucy Read soccer field. These two groups joined to perform the mitzvah of planting trees for Tu B'Shevat (Jewish New Year for trees). We plant these trees in Shoshana's memory so that her good actions in the world will continue. Shoshana, her family and soccer mates spent many happy games and practices at Lucy Read field. We hope these trees see many generations of joyful soccer.

Thank you to all of those people who helped remember Shoshana by organizing and planting today.

Visitor: Victoria Hyman and Melanie Hyman
Time: February 5, 2007 4:26 PM

Hey Shoshana,
We remember the times when you were with us in our girlscout troup, and we think about you every day. We hope you are peaceful up there in heaven with God. He didn't want to watch you suffer, and neither did we. We miss you horribly and will see you soon. Remember, an end isn't always and ending to the story; sometimes it's a new beginning.

                      We love you and miss you,

                          The former future girlscout,
                              Victoria K. Hyman, age 11

Visitor: Tina Huckabee (Shoshana's Mom)
Time: March 19, 2007 9:22 PM

Today ends my 11th month mourning period for Shoshana according to the Hebrew calendar. I've gone to afternoon/evening services almost every Monday-Thursday to say kaddish for my daughter. I've been to most Friday/Saturday services for the same reason. Only a few times in the middle of that period when I just couldn't bear to go did I miss.

I don't know that I thought of Shoshana more as I said the mourner's kaddish than I do at any other time. She is always with me. In every breath and heartbeat. However, the kaddish and the surrounding community gave me a structure and ritual on a daily basis which I needed. The sweet older couple who come every Monday--she would hold my hand and say, "How are you, honey?" and her husband would always ask how my boy was. The soccer mom/friend who came every Tuesday and sometimes brought her daughter (a friend of Shoshana's). I would look at this lovely girl and see the changes the months brought and wonder how Shoshana would look different if she was here. Wednesday and Thursday minyans brought the Cantor who was always kind, compassionate and often quite amusing. I saw the older (high school) kids who lead services on Thursday; do they know how important their leadership is to someone like me? I became friends with other mourners (most of whom mourn parents, one mother also mourns a daughter). We share the very private sadness of our lives in a venue unlike any other. I care for these people and will miss them. There are others who come on a regular basis so that folks like me can mourn in the prescribed way and I am very grateful for their commitment to community.

I miss Shoshana every weekday morning as I walk down the hallway and want to hear her alarm go off--it doesn't. I miss her on weekend mornings when she could sleep late and I would watch her and relish the beauty of a sleeping child. I miss hearing her voice during the times of the year when the windows are open and I could hear her say goodnight to some of her horse (posters) as the wind carried her voice from her bedroom to mine. I miss the cackle that she had when she thought something was really funny and how she would shake her head and her cheeks would flush when she laughed. Whenever I read some ridiculous letter-to-the-editor I want to share it with Shoshana because I know that she would get a kick out of it. I miss that she doesn't accompany me anymore as I walk the dogs at night (as long as she didn't have too much homework). I miss our conversations about the Rolling Stones, boys, kids at school, teachers (never a complaint there--Shoshana always loved her teachers), school projects she was working on and how she was going to give me a 10% discount on all my veterinarian services when she had her own practice. (She did say that I could come and visit her horses anytime that I wanted to.) I miss arguing with her to get off the soccer field at the end of practice and to pick up her nasty shoes that she left in the living room. I miss begging her to PLEASE brush her hair in the morning--she had a beautiful, thick head of hair and she didn't give a flip about being girly.

Eighteen months before Shoshana died I took her to Agudas Achim's cemetary so that she could complete some research for Rabbi Baker on Jewish death and mourning practices. We walked across the ground she now sleeps in as I told her about this person and that person whom I had known. We placed rocks on their tombstones, including the ones of the kids she is now buried near. Shoshana would be glad to know that the rituals she learned about have been helpful to me. She would be glad that the Judaism that she so loved has been a comfort to me. However, as I near the end of this first year without her, as I prepare for her yarzeit (30 Nisan) and the eventual unveiling of her tombstone, I know that Shoshana would want me to begin to define myself as more than her grieving mom. I raised Shoshana to enjoy life--to relish every moment. I raised her to be a thoughtful person who worked hard, acted responsibly and compassionately toward others but who also enjoyed each moment to its fullest.

Her life is over. She lived 13 years, almost 4 full months (4866 days according to the Kealing kids and their cranes). She was a joyful, funny, intelligent, fine young woman. In a world bereft of blessings, she was a blessing. I was blessed to be her mom.

Visitor: Dominic
Time: March 30, 2007 10:27 PM

A wise woman once told me that memories are like the ocean, they ebb and the flow. Nothing could be more perfect as to describe my memories of Shoshana I feel that my mind has blocked most of my memories. I sometimes even have trouble remembering what she looks like. For months I have hoped and prayed to god that I would dream about her because I feel that it is the only way I am able to see her. I have received this gift only once and I'm not sure if I will ever reoccur. We were on the bus riding home, holding hands as we often did. I could hear her voice but I could not see her face. I don't really care what the dream experts tell me or you. All I know is what I felt. I was happy. For the first time in 10 months I had experienced Shoshana's presence from something other than a photo. I then started thinking about my dream and came to the conclusion that even though she is not here with us, warming us with her smiles, some part of her, not whole or mortal, is still with us. I can't guarantee that all those that were touched by Shoshana's heart will see her in your dreams. Some of you probably can't stop dreaming about her. None of this is certain. What I do know is that no matter how long it's been since her death, we should never shut her image out of our mind, her voice out of her ears, the touch of her hands, or the light of her eyes. The closest you may have of Shoshana may be a photo, but none the less, you should keep it close to your heart, and know that someday you will get to experience the warmness of her heart with all your senses.

-Dominic

Visitor: Katherine Van Leeuwen
Time: March 31, 2007 10:47 PM

Message: In less than a month, it will have been a year spent without Shoshana here, and I'm thinking about how much has changed in the past year. 8th grade is so different compared to 7th grade and I almost hate to think of the changes that will occur when high school starts. There are certain people who I share a special bond with and they are the only ones who understand what I went through because they went through it as well. I don't want to lose these people.

I remember once in Crack the Code, Mr. Ermer read us a Dr. Suess book called On Beyond Zebra (We were about to invent our own codes) and the moment he pulled the book out, Shoshana, Smadar and I sat down on the floor and said "Story Time!" in unison. And I remember the first day of Crack the Code when Mr. Ermer took us on a field trip to the Kealing stairwell and back because there was a code posted on the bulletin board that he came up with. I think it was "Welcome to Kealing. From the Math Teachers." Anyways, I think that Shoshana was a very clever and brilliant person. It will be very difficult to leave Kealing and the memories I have there.

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