My Story
As we were going through my father’s papers a few days after he died, my brother, sister and I found a sealed letter he’d left for us in the top drawer of his desk. My father was a rabbi; he was wise and had a way with words. But more than that, he was warm and had a terrific sense of humor. The letter he wrote captured all this and he wrapped every word in love. I reread his heartfelt message when I need encouragement or just want to hear his voice. I can only imagine how satisfying it would have been to have talked with him during his lifetime about what he wrote.
His letter became the inspiration for Family Love Letters.
While I knew my father’s values and many of his stories, his letter has been such a gift to his children and grandchildren. He's provided us with an enduring connection and, perhaps, an even a better understanding of ourselves. I created Family Love Letters to help others craft such a letter of a lifetime.
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6 Step Guide to Preserve Your Family Stories or Capture Your Loved One’s Stories
“I am writing this letter to you because I want to share my ideas and values. I am writing something you will always have and be able to come back to time and again. I hope that as you grow and change, you keep coming back to this letter and learn something new each time you read it.”
— Ilene Keys, Client, excerpt from letter
About Aviva
I earned a B.A. in political science at the University of Vermont and a Masters of Education at Hunter College. Among my many hats, I have been a history teacher and Vice Principal, a yoga instructor and synagogue board member. I continue to enjoy my role as a mother, coordinator of my temple's Intergenerational Connect and, yes, as a rabbi’s kid.
I live in Oakland, California with my husband, daughter and son and my mother who lives nearby.
