2019 Zev Family Newsletter

2019 was a good year.  No major health problems, Jackie, Marc, Jonathan, and Benjamin were all employed, and we enjoyed lots of good occasions with friends and family. 

Now that Jackie was no longer Sisterhood president, she started a new position as the Treasurer of the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) Pacific District. WRJ is the umbrella organization for reform Sisterhoods in the US and Canada.  Jackie is enjoying her new position, and it doesn’t take as much time as being President did.  She also is really liking her job (still at Northrop Grumman).  When she accepted the promotion to management, she wasn’t sure if she would like it, but after a year and a half she has settled into the role, and is happy.  She is still doing technical work as well, and really likes the technical work she is doing too.

Marc’s job, which is with a start-up internet company, continued for a second year.  However, it is now looking like the company, like so many start-ups, is not going to make it, so he is looking for another job.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted. 

Jonathan is still working in Torrance and living with Murphy and Pearl.  He sends us “grand-kitty” photos of the two of them on a regular basis.  This year he was able to start working on some really interesting problems at work, which he is really enjoying.

The highlight of the year was Benjamin’s graduation from Wash U in May and the family trip following the graduation.  Marc, Jackie, Sharon (Jackie’s mom), and Al (Marc’s Dad) all flew to St. Louis to watch him walk.  Other than it being wickedly hot for the University graduation, it was a really nice weekend.  At the reception after the University graduation we happened to be next to a friend of Benjamin’s and started talking to his mom.  It turns out the family was from Virginia.  Well we have a cousin in Virginia – could they know the cousin?  Yes they could!  Not only did they know her, they are good friends.  In fact, Benjamin’s friend’s mom actually met Benjamin when he lived with this cousin two summers earlier when he was working in Virginia.  Because Benjamin had much shorter hair back then, she didn’t recognize him.

While we were in St. Louis, we helped Benjamin and Delaney move out of their apartment and into a house they had rented.  Once they got the air conditioning working, it was a cozy house.

After graduation, Sharon and Al flew back to LA, and Marc, Jackie, Benjamin, and Delaney all flew to New Orleans.  Jonathan also flew in to New Orleans from Los Angeles.  We stayed in an AirBnB and bopped around the city for three days.  We did the Aquarium, the French Quarter, an Art Museum, and a Ghost Tour.  Then we rented a car and drove to Baton Rouge by way of a swamp tour.  We met Delaney’s father and older siblings, who live there, and had a real nice dinner with them.    We  visited a museum and a nature center before flying home.

After our trip, Benjamin started his new job with the Department of Defense.  He is much respected by his co-workers and has already received a substantial raise.  Benjamin and Delaney recently adopted a cat (Archie) and are discovering the ups and downs of owning a pet.

In June, Jonathan and Jackie went on their annual trip to the National Square Dance Convention.  This year, it was in Atlanta.  Since we have cousins in Atlanta, we had dinner with them while we were there.  Nationals was awesome, as always.

In July, most of Jackie’s quilting group had a reunion when she and Carole flew to Portland to see Rachel, who had moved up to Portland the previous summer.   The three of them then drove to Sisters, Oregon, for their annual Quilt festival.  Jackie’s friend Kari drove up from Grant’s Pass to join them.  The Sisters quilt festival is a one-day event where over a thousand quilts are hung outside the shops in the town.   We saw a LOT of amazing quilts, but we did not come close to seeing them all!  The next day, Carole and Rachel drove back to Portland and Jackie and Kari drove down to Kari’s home.  On the way, Jackie and Kari stopped and visited Kari’s daughter Kala (and her baby) and three of Kari’s sons (and a friend of theirs) joined the party.  One son (and friend) had to work, and headed home, but the other two came down to Kari’s house. The next day, the four of us (plus another friend) went river rafting on the Rogue River.  That was a lot of fun.     

In August, Jackie’s mom turned 80 and the Zevs and the Schusters threw her a party to celebrate.  All four of her grandchildren came into town for the event, which was pretty special.  Marc and Jackie’s niece, Jordan, gave birth to her first child on Sharon’s birthday, nicely ensuring that Jackie will never forget her grandnephew’s birthdate!

With the end of summer, things settled down into more routine gatherings with friends and family, theater (of course) and lots of fun.  Then, in December, Marc and Jackie flew to St. Louis to visit Benjamin and Delaney.  Marc and Jackie both arrived sick, but after a day and a half they were better, and were able to enjoy the zoo, a scavenger hunt, and just hanging out with Benjamin and Delaney.

Wishing you a healthy, happy 2020,

Marc, Jackie, Jonathan, and Benjamin