'פגישת מחזור ד

צביקה פפר: ם
 

I moved to Savyon from Holon during my 8th year of elementary school and there I became friends with Aloni Traub (RIP).

 

I remember playing team hand-ball with him, I remember his father Rafi who used to drive us to Agudat Savyon’s team hand-ball games and I remember him as a good looking kid with big heart and very friendly personality.

 

We went on to two different high schools but for the first 2 years we stayed friends and we would coordinate to go together by bike to dancing parties when they took place at the Savyon-Ganei Yehuda school hall.  

 

A lesson I learned from him is the one when once trying to ride fast to the partyת he said: "Zwika, why are you rushing?”

 

I said, "To get there on time."

 

He responded, “No, we want to get there a bit late so everybody will notice when we arrive”.

 

That lesson of a 14-year-old kid stayed with me my whole life.

​

As I went to the army and eventually came to the USA to study hotel management at the university and stayed here, we lost touch. I kept getting updates on Aloni’s life (during my visits to Israel) from another good person who also left us prematurely (Paul Surovich-RIP). Paul told me of his ups and downs, but I always had fond memories of this young soul who left us too soon.

​

May his memory be a blessing to all who like me had a relationship with Aloni during his short 48 years.

 

Eric (Zwika) Pfeffer

Miami, Florida