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On Father's Day, remembering the daughter I lost twice

JL;DR SUMMARY Reflecting on the profound loss of his daughter Meleia, Jon Kalish recounts his struggles with faith, identity, and memory on Father's Day. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CustomsEstrangementSocial JusticeIdentity CrisisGriefParenthoodInterfaith FamiliesGun ViolenceFather's DayMeleia Kalish

Places mentioned

Midwood, New York, United States
"While Meleia was still an infant, I moved to Midwood where I rented an apartment owned by a prominent Orthodox rabbi."
Berkeley, California, United States
"During these westward treks I gradually learned some of the basics of fatherhood: how to cope with a toddler careening through the terrible twos, how to do the burrito fold on a spent Pampers."
California, United States
"My visits to see Meleia werent all traumatic. She and I once spent a week at a circus arts camp in Northern California."
Cuba
"Their class was en route to Cuba."
Vietnam
"A year later she visited me again when the kids were bound for Vietnam."

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Cairo Item ID 54383
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Retrieved 2025-06-14 05:30:54 UTC
Curated 2025-06-14 08:31:28 UTC