The Ilowite Family Tree

Sixth Generation

Orli Chaya (Nutkis) (b. 4/1/2022)

Parents

Siblings

From Orli's naming speech:

Good morning,

Thank you all for joining to celebrate the birth of our daughter, Orli Chaya. Jill and I would like to take a few moments to share the meanings of the names we chose and a little about the relatives for whom she is named.

I’m going to start by explaining the middle name, Chaya, which is Hebrew for Life (it also means animal, and if her older brother Zev is any indication…). We named her Chaya after Jill’s maternal grandmother, Ida Cohen, whose Hebrew name was Chaya, and my father’s sister, Chaya Lauer.

Jill’s Grandma Ida was strong, resilient, and would do anything for the people she loved. She and her husband Aryeh (who big brother Zev Aryeh is named for) were always there to help Jill’s mom, in any way possible, and after Jill was born, Ida came over every day for more than a month. Even after that, despite her arthritis making it difficult, every Shabbat she would walk over to play with Jill (and Gary once he arrived). Jill also fondly remembers that Grandma Ida made eggceptional egg salad, ensured that Jill wouldn’t forget to wash behind her ears, and taught Jill how to play Rumikub and Gin Rummy – and she wasn’t easy to beat.

My Aunt Chaya was gentle, kind, and humble. Her optimism, dedication to family, and strong moral compass made her an inspiration to everyone who knew her. When I moved to Israel and joined the IDF, I was entering a world I knew very little about. She and Levi opened their home to me without hesitation, helped me navigate the intricacies of Israeli bureaucracy, and gave me the support that my parents, being 10,000 miles and 8 time zones away and unfamiliar with the IDF, despite their best efforts, were ill-equipped to provide.

In giving her the middle name Chaya, our hope for our daughter is that she will grow up to be, like Jill’s grandmother and my aunt, strong yet gentle, assertive but kind, and caring for those around her and those less fortunate.

We’ve given her the first name Orli, Hebrew for “my light”. We chose this name to honor my maternal grandmother, Gert Nutkis, whose Hebrew name was Tova, and Jill’s great-grandmother, Guta Glick.

To explain the connection, as I mentioned, Orli is Hebrew for “my light”, and Tova and Guta both mean “Good”.

In בּרְֵאשׁיִת פרק א׳ (Genesis Chapter 1), it says:

הִים אֶת-הָאוֹר, כִּי-טוֹב 􀃏 הִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר. וַיַּרְא אֱ 􀃏 וַיּאֹמֶר אֱ .

(And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.)

Grandma Guta was a helper and a giver. She was welcoming, generous, and a wonderful baker to boot. In the 1920s, when immigrating family would arrive in the community with nowhere to go, she and her husband Chaim would open their home and take the new arrivals in. Every Shabbat when guests would come over, food was always waiting and her delicious made-from-scratch coffee cake was out. Being the Zionists they were, in the 1930s, she and Chaim decided it was time to go back home and returned to pre-state Israel.

My Bubbie, Gert, was selfless, generous, and kind. Strongly Zionist and extremely involved in her local Jewish community, she was a tireless volunteer for the Jewish National Fund. She and her husband Abe sacrificed financially not only to send their kids to Jewish day school and Hebrew-speaking summer camps, but also to ensure that no child in their community would be denied the same opportunity simply because their parents couldn’t afford it. She cared deeply about and was most proud of her family, and always asked about her grand and great-grandchildren, eager to hear all the details. She loved to sing, play mahjong, and watch baseball, even keeping her own box score on small notepads.

In giving our daughter the name Orli, our hope is that she will grow up to be, like Grandma Guta and my Bubbie, generous, loving, warm, and an ardent Zionist, and like the meaning of her, Guta, and Tova’s names, a bright beacon of goodness to those around her.

We would be remiss if we didn’t thank our amazing families for the wonderful support they’ve given us. My parents and Jill’s mother generously stayed with, played with, and cared for Zev while Jill, Orli, and I were in the hospital. They’ve come over early and stayed until late at night every day since we got home, making lunch and dinner, cleaning up, holding Orli while we get much needed rest, and continuing to entertain and care for Zev. If I gave you a list of all the ways they’ve helped and supported us, we’d be here until next pesach!

Zev, Mommy and I are so proud of how you’ve responded to such a big change. You continue to show us what a kind, sweet, gentle, and loving boy you’re growing up to be. Your baby sister Orli is very lucky to have you for a big brother, and we are so excited that you’ll grow up together. We can’t wait for you to teach her things like saying “god bless you” when somebody sneezes, how to use a stethoscope to listen to a heart beep, and how to open the pantry to get your favorite snacks. We love you so much and are so proud of the wonderful big boy you’re becoming.

Finally, I’d like to thank my wife. As many of you know, we had a difficult time beginning our family, and for 3 years Jill had countless procedures, pills, shots, scans, and doctor visits, capped off with a difficult pregnancy that continuously tested her. This pregnancy, while not as difficult to start, was even more physically and emotionally taxing. Jill, you went through hell to start our family, and you willingly went through again to expand it. You are a true Ayshet Chayil, (a woman of valor), an amazing wife and mother, the love of my life, and you continue to be my inspiration every day. I love you.