Page 88 - EDOS Dinner Journal 2019_website

88 | FESTSCHRIFT

It has been difficult to choose any one particular moment as life with
Dani has been eventful. From early on he was always easy, kind and giving even though
the circumstances were not always easy to navigate as a parent.

An example: I chose to teach in a school in Washington Heights so that I would be able
to do carpool since Dani was attending MTA for high school. His introduction to this
new experience occurred on the first day of class as the rebbe called the roll and as he

came to the name Rapp a stern voice asked, “Are you related to David and Marc?” The
response was an honest “yes” and Dani was informed that he was to be seated near the
rebbe. Guilty without a crime — however the crimes followed.

As I was returning home from work one day I approached the 181 Street Bridge and

came exceedingly close to causing a major accident. I passed a Carvel soft ice cream
parlor and thought I saw Dani serving a customer ice cream. I pulled over, left the car
and crossed the street. Cheerfully he greeted me as I was about to have a major stroke.

On asking him what he was doing he replied that he was learning Spanish…vanilla,
chocolate, pina colada, etc… With that response I drove directly to the school and asked

the principal if anyone had noticed his absence (stupid on my part) and of course the
reply was no. And so high school continued until one day a wonderful rabbi asked to see
Jack and me. He was truly kind in recommending that we take Dani out of high school

before they threw him out. Parental dilemma … where was a 16 year old to go to school?
Fast forward 25 years and he was asked to serve as principal of that high school.

Dani was and still is a blessing for myself and all those who have had the benefit of