My father, Arthur Aaron, Z’L, died one month before his 83rd birthday on 1 Heshvan. He was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, entrepreneur, coach, and friend. But in his eyes, his most important role was being an observant Jew.
He started reciting Tehillim later in his life, and it was a practice he held dearly. He would often end phone calls saying, “I have to say my Tehillim.” He said Tehillim for his family, loved ones, friends, and people who were sick. He believed in the power of prayer and the privilege of having a direct conduit to Hashem.
My father was a Zionist and marveled at the incredible development of the State of Israel. He was so proud of my brother for making Aliyah with his family—as did 2 grandchildren—often commenting that parents would not believe he had 7 Israeli great-grandchildren, K’AH. Since his death, we’ve added 2 more to the fold — both bearing his Hebrew name, Asher.
My last lucid conversation with my father was erev Sukkot, when he asked me to show him around my Sukkah on FaceTime. To commemorate his love for Israel and to showcase the values he held dear, I worked with Micol to design this Sukkah decoration
that I hope will grace your Sukkot for many years to come.
You can trace the development of Israel, moving from the Beit Hamikdash and Tower of David to the old train station and the windmill, then to the bridge, skyscrapers, the Israel
Museum, and the Ahava statue. 3 trees represent his children, and the hadassim (myrtle branches) at the top represent my mother, Julia Aaron, whose Hebrew name is Hadassa. The myrtle vines are wound around olives, as the Biblical blessing for the
tribe of Asher is that their portion of the land will be very rich, flowing with olive oil.
Above all, my father cared about unity for the Jewish people. He believed that once we could all agree, we would herald the coming of the Messiah. This is represented by Jews of all types holding hands, including the little boy with a basketball (one of my father’s passions). His other passion was music, which is reflected in the notes punctuating the verse: “How fortunate are those that dwell in Your house; they will praise You forever.” The name Asher is included in the Hebrew verse; my father always
tried to acknowledge God’s help and blessings.
It is my sincere wish that my father will be remembered for his dedication to his passions: his family, music, Torah Judaism, and the power of sports to teach life lessons. May his memory be a blessing for all of us — especially at a time when we so
need God’s face to shine upon us.

A portion of every Sukkah banner sale will be donated to Hoops for Kids, an international organization that teaches life skills through basketball. They are very active throughout Israel.
 
Ahava Leibtag
Silver Spring, Maryland
August 4, 2026