Ira Riklis Blog

In the minds of many people, giving to others is “charity,” a magnanimous act by someone who is well off, to someone poor and needy. But such a view has negative connotations for those doing the giving and to those on the receiving end. But in keeping with his Jewish faith, Ira Riklis believes deeply that performing philanthropic acts is an important part of living a spiritual life. The Hebrew word for this is “tzedakah,” which translates to justice or fairness. In this view, the gifts you give were never truly yours to begin with. Instead they are something that have always belonged to the recipients and which you are simply returning to them.

Highly valued among the varying levels of giving are gifts to unknown recipients via organizations which are trustworthy, wise and can perform acts of tzedakah in a most impeccable fashion. And in this regard, Ira Riklis knows that it is not enough to just give in a random fashion. Instead, he careful reviews the credentials of the organizations to which he gives to ensure the effectiveness of his giving.

It’s skiing season once again! Vail opened its doors—and its slopes—to skiers just a few days ago. Just a few of the runs are available to skiers at this point. But nearly three feet of snow has already fallen at Ira Riklis’ favorite ski resort, so the season’s off to a good start. Vail’s website indicates a base of eighteen inches and their web cams show snow-covered runs with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Only a few beginner and intermediate slopes are open so far, and the back-country bowls are still closed, so expert skiers such as Ira Riklis won’t be showing up anytime soon. But as the season progresses more and more of Vail’s extensive and well-groomed terrain will become available. As it does, skiers will flock to the mountain to try their skills in the unrivaled powder at one of the premier ski venues in the world.

Those who don’t truly know Ira Riklis might be surprised at his steadfast support for Aish HaTorah. After all, the Jewish educational organization is strictly Orthodox while he considers himself to be somewhere between Conservative and Orthodox, “Conservadox” as he calls his spiritual practice. But what appeals to him is the fact that rather than trying to impose their views on others, they welcome all who come seeking to understand the Torah’s wisdom as they seek guidance on their personal paths to faith.

The group’s name, “Fire of Torah,” reflects the passion of teaching and learning about the Torah, the Jewish holy book. Their goal is to make sure that every Jew has a chance to learn about and connect with their heritage and their faith. Ira Riklis has personally experienced the group’s warmth and support as he as turned to them during low periods in his own life. The donations he makes to them are his way to express his gratitude and of helping them provide comfort and support to others.

Non-expert skiers tend to lean into slopes. That way, if (or, more accurately, when) they fall, they fall just a short distance and land on their behinds. For a long time, that’s exactly what Ira Riklis did. Other than a certain loss of dignity, falling on his tushy, which he describes as “extra padded” didn’t really hurt. But the technique—born from the fear of falling face first—kept him from his goal of becoming an expert skier.

It was ski instructor Mike Bartasuis who finally convinced Ira Riklis that he needed to get over his fear and learn proper technique. Doing so meant performing “face plants”—falling face first heading downhill time after time. And unless you’ve done so, you can’t know how painful it can be. Each time feels like a punch in the face when you hit the snow or ice. Pain radiates down your entire body, especially your chest because after the face plant you land with a thud on your chest. Then there is the fact that your face is covered in freezing snow, which, as it melts, saturates your clothing. But as you improve, you fall less often, and the pain fades to a distant memory. In its place comes a sense of joy and exhilaration as glide gracefully and confidently down even the most challenging slopes.

They say that once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget how. But even after the training wheels come off, children still have a lot to learn. Youthful exuberance and inexperience leads to accidents and the inevitable injuries that follow. In fact, children age five through fourteen account for nearly half of all bicycle-related injuries each year. So when a child safety organization in Charlotte, North Carolina approached Ira Riklis for help in providing helmets for children, he was more than happy to help.

Traumatic head injuries often lead to concussions or death. The good news is that they can be prevented simply by wearing properly fitted helmets, the key words being “properly fitted.” The bad news? Less than one in four children wear such helmets. Concerned by these facts, Ira Riklis agreed to provide 5,000 helmets to be given free to any parent that brought their child in to be fitted on one beautiful spring weekend. He also stresses that helmets protect adults, too, and encourages everyone to visit this bicycle safety website.

For many, many years Ira Riklis aspired to be an expert skier. He finally achieved his goal with the help of an excellent instructor, Mike Bartasuis. Over time, Mike taught him the techniques needed to make skiing second nature. But one of the most important lessons Mike taught was that there no safe and easy path to master the sport.

Non-expert skiers are scared of falling, a fear that Ira Riklis, who has broken both an arm and a leg, knew all too well. But to make an expert turn, skiers can’t be hesitant or afraid. Instead, they have to faith that they will execute every move properly and on time without even thinking about it. If anything is off, you’ll wind up launching yourself FACE FIRST down the mountain like a missile, a maneuver that Ira has come to call a “face plant.” And if you’ve never done this, be assured that it gives new meaning to the old adage, “no pain, no gain!”

Giving to others can mean more than just donating money. Volunteering your time connects you directly with your community and with those in need. That’s why most Friday mornings from 5:00 to 8:15 you’ll find Ira Riklis serving nutritious hot breakfasts and sack lunches to the hungry and homeless for New York City’s Central Synagogue Caring Committee. He’s been doing so week in and week out—holidays included—for nearly twelve years now.

The Caring Committee began serving meals more than twenty-five years ago in response to an appeal from Mayor Ed Koch. The need (at the time thought to be temporary) has grown larger and more urgent in the years since. Many of the homeless who come for meals have (low-paying) jobs or are looking for employment as they try to rebuild their lives. Ira Riklis knows that for these people the meals are a lifeline. The Central Synagogue Caring Committee is the only food kitchen in the area with morning hours designed to give them a boost as they start their day.

Do you remember what it was like when you first learned to drive a car? You had to think through every step. Chances are that now you never give those steps a second thought, it’s all become second nature. That was Ira Riklis’ experience as he began taking skiing lessons from Mike Bartasuis. Mike’s style of teaching is to identify the ONE item in your technique that most interferes with your rhythmic motion and get you to understand how that piece needs to be changed. Then he has you practice, practice, practice until that movement becomes second nature to you. That movement becomes so ingrained in your muscle memory that you don’t have to think, you just do. And then it’s on to the item that’s keeping you from your ultimate goal!

Today, Ira Riklis doesn’t even notice the current turn he’s making as he glides down the slopes. He relies on muscle memory that turn. That leaves his mind free to think ahead about a half mile down the mountain choosing a path that flows with the terrain and steers him away from other people and obstacles. In other words, the path which will make for the most effortless, care-free and enjoyable run.

When disaster strikes, many Americans come to the aid of those in need. Within 24 hours after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for example, a half-million people had flocked to blood donation centers. But Ira Riklis notes that at other, quieter times, few people find time to donate blood, even though 43,000 pints of blood are needed everyday to treat patients with injuries, surgeries and illnesses ranging from cancer, to anemia to leukemia. Yet just fivepercent of us ever get around to making that life-saving gift even once a year.

Giving blood is something not everyone can do. Stringent health regulations mean that less than forty percent of adults are eligible to donate their blood. But that makes it all the more important for those of us who are eligible to make it a point to donate regularly. That’s why, for nearly fifteen years now, Ira Riklis has been donating blood to local blood centers several times a year. He urges all who read this blog entry to join him in helping to save the lives of others.