Remembering Captain Ben Sklaver

October 11, 2009 · Filed Under Baum's Blog 

It was a week ago yesterday that I heard some tragic news about a childhood friend.  Last Friday, Captain Ben Sklaver was killed in Afghanistan.

Ben and I grew up at the same synagogue and pool club and although I hadn’t talked to him in quite a few years, I received an email from Ben just days before his untimely death.

On September 19, Ben wrote thanking me for setting up the online congregation and indicating that he was looking forward to watching our High Holiday services online – it would be “a taste of home,” he wrote.   I was so touched to know that those serving our country would be watching.  Ben’s email inspired me to call a military chaplain so that he could spread the word about our videostreamed services and make them available to other soldiers.

In that email, Ben also asked me to include two names of fallen soldiers in our online Memorial Service.  We did, and seeing photos of their young faces in the service was extremely touching.  It breaks my heart to think that next Yom Kippur we’ll be remembering Ben during the service.

Ben was an extraordinary person.  He worked in the field of humanitarian work since 2003, and he was the founder of ClearWater Initiative – “charitable organization dedicated to providing clean water to populations affected by natural or man-made humanitarian emergencies.” There is no doubt that Ben’s memory will be a blessing to all those whose lives he touched.

Ben’s death last week is profoundly sad – to think of an extraordinary person whose life was taken so early.  I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Ben and his incredible story this week.  Unfortunately, it took Ben’s story to remind me that there are dozens of fatalities in the military each month.  Each of those soldiers has a story.  Each one has family and friends.  Each one has made incredible sacrifices.  I hope the rest of them come home safely.

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