Orel Family

Aaron and Ezra, May 4, 2025, outside Crisler Center, Ann Arbor The moment it hit me was at the start of Aaron's Nursing School graduation at Johns Hopkins . The ceremony started promptly at 9am at the school's lacrosse field, with Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" being piped over the loudspeakers. The last graduation. After more than a quarter century of pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and, finally, this post-graduate degree, this would be -- to the best of my knowledge -- the last one. Earlier this month, Ezra went through the graduation ceremony at The University of Michigan. While the two suites of ceremonies were vastly different, they both provided closure. One child struggled mightily during the COVID-19 pandemic and arguably because  of the pandemic, ultimately withdrawing entirely from two full semesters and nearly a third semester before finding a path back to completion of two majors. The other thrived in the isolat...

A few weeks ago, The Detroit Jewish News published its annual "Cap and Gown" issue. This issue has a section with the names and faces of all area students who sent their information to the newspaper; generally, this consisted of the high school name, some information about their activities in high school, and what they're doing next. Although the list is by no means comprehensive -- many families may not subscribe to the paper or, like us, may simply have forgotten -- it seemed to me to provide an interesting slice of the local community. Between the listings in The Jewish News and a handful whose information I have because we know the families, I found I had records for 283 students. Of these, 20 have not listed a college, either because they listed only a gap year in Israel, or because they listed themselves as "undecided." I decided to take a look at the other 263. Of the 263 students with a listed decision, 99% are headed off to a 4-year (or more) college...

We just returned from a week at Michigania , a one week family camp for University of Michigan alumni . One of the great things about the camp is its range of activities for youngsters. Aaron was able to spend his mornings with other 8 and 9 year old boys, and Elianna with other 5 and 6 year olds. The nursery staff handles the 5's and 6's. They teach them songs, go on hikes, go swimming and boating, and engage in a bit of story-telling, including the legend of the sunken pirate ship in Lake Walloon ( Ernest Hemingway once lived by the lake ), and of the Michigania unicorn. Elianna soaked it all in. When we took her kayaking, she refused to go near the buried ship. When we crossed the bridge in to north camp, she told us of the unicorn's home. Aaron was skeptical. Aaron: There's no such thing as a unicorn. Elianna: Yes there is! Aaron: No there isn't. Elianna: Yes there is! I know everything about unicorns. Aaron: ok, then, what do they eat? ...