Ira Riklis Blog

For people of many faiths, this is the season for joyous celebration and religious observance. And no matter what their faith, Ira Riklis wishes everyone healthy, happy and prosperous holidays. But he knows that not everyone will be so graced, either during this season or in the year ahead. Consider the plight of New York’s homeless. Nearly one-quarter of them are employed, yet still struggle to get enough to eat, let alone put a roof over their heads. Others are working hard to find jobs that can help get them back on their feet.

That’s why Ira Riklis has spent many a Friday morning (including holidays) over the past twelve years serving up hot breakfasts and sack lunches with the Central Synagogue Caring Committee. He knows that the Caring Committee—staffed almost entirely by volunteers—is the only food kitchen in the neighborhood which serves meals between 5 and 8:30 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Their goal is to give the working poor, and those looking for work, a head start on the day. Odds are that similar groups exist near you, so in this season of joy and giving, why not seek them out and lend a hand. By volunteering, you’ll help bring joy and hope to those less fortunate while earning for yourself the satisfaction in knowing you made a positive difference in the lives of others.

What makes an expert skier? Many people associate that level of skiing skill with making bumpy runs on slopes covered in deep moguls. But for Ira Riklis, it’s all about fast runs down steep, groomed slopes. To make those types of runs, he relies on long, stiff racing skis, which aren’t designed for carving tight turns through the crevices between moguls. He considers himself a “mountain cruiser,” and as such he’s content to leave the leg-straining twists and turns to others.

His racing skis are designed to maintain contact with the snow while he banks high-speed turns. And when conditions are just right, these skis, combined with his well-honed technique, allow Ira Riklis to reach speeds of up to forty-five miles per hour. That means he can make the run down Vail Mountain—non-stop from top to bottom—in just fifteen minutes! And since he hasn’t worn himself out maneuvering around obstacles, he’s got the energy to ride the lift back to the top and make another run.

December has rolled around once again, the month when Ira Riklis traditionally takes part in the annual blood drive sponsored by his synagogue. He’s been doing so for nearly fifteen years now, and he strongly encourages others to do the same. Of course, any season, any month is a good time to give blood: donors are always needed to help save the lives of patients with injuries, surgeries and illnesses ranging from cancer, to anemia to leukemia.

Every day 43,000 pints of blood—that’s one pint every two seconds—are needed in the U.S. Individuals are allowed to donate blood once every eight weeks, yet few of us ever get around to doing so, except during times of emergency. That’s one reason Ira Riklis makes  two or three additional donations throughout the year, not just in December. If you aren’t doing so, now’s a good time to start. Unlike giving gifts to loved ones, where you can share in their excitement, blood donors remain largely unknown to those who receive their precious gift. But in this holiday season, knowing you’ve helped save the life of another is reward enough.

Ask Ira Riklis about his favorite place to ski and he’s quick to tell you that it’s on the slopes at Vail. To be sure, there are plenty of fine ski resorts in the West, including such famed venues as Aspen, Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge in Colorado alone. But unlike Vail, those other resorts were actual towns before they became skiing destinations. Put another way: Vail was built for skiing from the ground up.

During World War II, the area was used for training the 10th Mountain Division. And after the war, some of the veterans who had trained there returned with dreams of creating a world-class ski resort. To say they succeeded in realizing those dream would be to put it mildly. Vail offers top-notch facilities, great powder and a great number and variety of runs. But on top of all that, what impresses Ira Riklis the most is the quality and extent of daily grooming that keep the slopes fresh and accessible. Each day, Vail staff groom up to 1,600 acres of trails!

At this time of year, you see and hear the message everywhere: ‘Tis the season to give to your loved ones and to be jolly! People are enjoying parties and revelry. But amidst all the merriment, it’s easy to overlook the spiritual underpinnings of our holiday traditions. As Ira Riklis knows, the concept of giving unto others who are in real need is a key component of living a spiritual life. Many people consider such giving as an act of charity. But in the Jewish faith, this type of giving is a way of restoring justice and fairness in the world.

The Hebrew word for this is tzedakah, and in Jewish tradition, the gifts you give in this way were never truly yours to begin with, they have always belonged to the recipients. And while performing acts of tzedakah can arouse deep joy in the hearts of those who give, they are not to be made carelessly or frivolously. Rather than giving randomly, Ira Riklis is careful to review the credentials of the organizations to which he gives to ensure that his gifts will be used wisely, efficiently and effectively.

Have you ever donated blood (and if not, why not)? Even if you haven’t, you likely know someone who has. But few people are aware of the need for bone marrow donors. Bone marrow transplants are still a relatively new procedure in the medical world. But over the past few decades, they are becoming more commonly used to treat diseases once thought incurable. While bone marrow transplants now save thousands of live each year, seventy percent of those who need them never receive one because a suitable donor can’t be found. That’s why Ira Riklis has registered in a national registry as a potential bone marrow transplant volunteer.

Registering to done bone marrow is different from giving blood in that you’ll more than likely never be called upon to actually make a donation. Bone marrow tissues must be closely matched between donor and recipient. For a transplant to succeed, doctors search through a database of tissue types to find a match. If match can’t be found, the patient can’t be treated. That’s why Ira Riklis encourages others to join the list of potential donors. The more there are, the more likely it is that matches can be found,

As Ira Riklis became more and more involved with skiing, he began to take lessons. Over the course of nearly two decades, he took a series of lessons, both group and private, with many different teachers. His skills grew from those of a rank beginner to those of an advanced skier. Along the way, he had a lot of fun on the slopes. But his ultimate goal—becoming an expert skier—still eluded him. It wasn’t until he met instructor Mike Bartasuis that he finally made the breakthroughs that elevated him to the level of an expert.

He would never have reached that next level had he given up on his goal. Ira Riklis believes the words of fellow businessman, Mark O. Haroldsen: “Being smart or having a particular talent is certainly helpful, but the most successful people aren’t necessarily, or even usually, the smartest or most talented. They are the ones who put in the time and mastered the skills they needed to succeed.” How about you? Do you have the kind of perseverance needed to keep looking, keep practicing until you achieve your goals?

Tel Aviv spends more, per-capita, on education, culture and social welfare than any other Israeli city. It serves as Israel’s center of commerce and higher education. And it’s an important center of Israeli art and culture. But as Ira Riklis knows, there’s another side to Tel Aviv. Nearly forty percent of it residents live in poverty. That’s why he and his family have supported The American Friends of the Tel Aviv Foundation for more than two decades.

The Foundation, which began in 1977, creates projects that provide for the needy and raise the quality of life for city residents. To date, it has raised more than $300 million worldwide, money that had been used to launch more than 300 projects. Other donors have given more than Ira Riklis and his family, but none to date have taken on more projects. The Riklis family has focused their efforts over the years on one neighborhood: Schoonat Ezra. Among other projects, they’ve helped establish parks, playgrounds, kindergartens, science centers and a school with Arts, Science and Library facilities.