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84 | FESTSCHRIFT

cious student, when, as his turn came to spell his name aloud, Dani would invariably
respond “R-A-P-P. P as in Pneumonia.”

Dani and I were two members of a six-man Shabbat play-date rotation. A scar above

my left eye, the result of Dani swinging a wire-fence gate at me (he’ll deny it was done
“b’meizid” – with intent, but we both know the truth), is a constant reminder of our
times playing together. Stoop Ball was the game of choice at the Rapp house, with
Dani having had the home-field advantage with knowledge of the sweet spots on his
own stoop.

םידסח תולימג הפוסו םידסח תולימג התלחת הרות :יאלמש ’ר שרד

R’ Simlai expounded: The Torah – its beginning is the performance of kindness,
and its end is the performance of kindness.
Talmud Bavli, Masechet Sotah 14a

Together with his brother David A’H, and his sisters Debbie and Tova, Dani was
blessed to grow up in a home that represented all that is precious in Yiddishkeit. The
Rapp home was one that was based on Torah, commitment to Halacha, and an un-
equaled embrace of Gemilut Chasadim. I always felt comfortable in Dani’s home, and
welcomed by his wonderful parents, Jack A’H and Celia. As I grew older, I learned to

appreciate Dani’s parents as the most genuine, inspirational, and modest baalei chesed
I’ve ever had the privilege to know.

As freshmen in MTA, Dani and I were assigned to a bus that can only be described as
a battlefield. Almost every night after a long MTA school day, older classmen would,
literally, attack the “freshies”. It was bad. It was traumatic. But not for Dani. Dani had,
what we call in Israel, “protectzia”, in the person of his older and tough cousin, Mark.
(Just for the record, allow me to point out that Dani never asked Mark to protect his
vulnerable buddies. But I digress.)

י ֽ ָת ָפ ְשׂ ל ֥ ַדּ־ל ַע ה ֗ ָר ְצִּ֝נ י֑ ִפ ְל ה ֣ ָר ְמ ָשׁ ’ה ה ֣ ָתי ִשׁ

Post a sentry for my mouth, Hashem; guard the door of my lips
Tehillim 141.3