It was the June 7th, 1984 and we were living in Mazkeret Batya, Israel.  My wife and I were expecting our first child and my wife turned to me and said “It is time”.  Everything was packed and ready right next to the front door.  We got into the car and drove to Kaplan Hospital just a few kilometers away on the main street and my wife was working there as a registered nurse.  We got there and checked in.  Hours passed as we waited and the 7th turned into the 8th.  Finally the birth process began.  The baby was in breach position and the doctor turned to me and told me to leave.  I turned and told him to leave.  And in the end I stayed in the doorway and did not fully leave.  Then the baby emerged without any major problems and in my son’s greatest hour he pissed on the doctor and totally immersed him in urine.  The moment will forever be etched in our memories as an omen for anyone who opposes us and the retributions from one generation to the next.

Next the nurses moved the bed on wheel to the recovery area which was actually only the hallway.  My wife were engaged in conversation when suddenly I hear a voice call out “Elie”.  I looked and it was Aviva, the wife of a good friend of mine, who had just given birth to a baby girl, Ilil.  From here on we joked that my son, Yossi, and Ilil were twins as they were born in the same place at the same time.

Nearly a year had passed and we decided with Moishi and Aviva to celebrate the first birthday of the “twins” together. 

I was a gymnast, acrobat, judoka, performing folkdancer, table tennis player and more.  So when Yossi was two month old I held him on my lap with him grabbing both my thumbs and my other fingers double secured him as I repeated “1-2-3 UPPIE” and pulled him to a standing position.  We repeated the exercise several more times and he got it.  He could pull with his arms, push with his legs, and a chieve a full body coordinated motion with his entire body.  Starting him out from two month old has paid enormous dividends through the years and we followed up with each of our three children Yossi, Dudi, and Cheli.  From leaning to pull oneself to a standing position at 2 month we continued to standing on my hands as I lay on my back or stood upright.  Then flips and twist came.  And when I was asked on forms to list my hobbies I would write “Baby Juggling”

It was June 8th 1985 at the first birthday party for Yossi and Ilil and the parents and other children arrived.  Yossi and I showed them all of our gymnastic achievements.  Yossi was running, jumping and all kinds of other physical activities.  We looked at poor little Ilil and she could barely stand.  But then she picked up a Fisher Price musical instrument and began to play music like we never thought possible.  We were not musicians.  And we learned that each child is unique and must not be judged by others but nurtured to develop their own achievement according to G-d’s blessings upon them.  Each of us is unique and through parents, teachers, others and mostly ourselves must learn to understand our individual bodies, minds, and all aspects of how they all work.  When one learns to understand their minds and bodies there is no limits to what one may accomplish