Those words speak of hope, vitality and a love of life. The fact that they were spoken by Mildred, a 95-year-old New York native who lives alone with arthritis, cataracts and a heart problem, make them all the more remarkable. In spite of the challenges she faces, her spirit remains strong. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through,” she says, “It matters that you’re a good person.” And it good people like Mildred, who live alone, often in poverty and unable to leave their apartments, that Citymeals-on-Wheels, an outreach effort to deliver food and human contact to disadvantaged senior citizens was founded to serve. And it the help, hope and nourishment the groups provides that have made Ira Riklis a long-time supporter.
The statistics for the number of seniors in similar situations in New York City alone are sobering. Chefs James Beard and Gael Greene formed the group in 1981 to meet what was thought to be a temporary need. But the need has grown steadily over the years and CityMeals has grown to keep pace. Another thing that Ira Riklis appreciates about this group is that they not only provide nourishing food to nearly 18,000 seniors, they also provide equally important human companionship for these people who have great difficulty ever leaving their apartments. And that’s vital for keeping their spirits strong.
It’s safe to say that few of us ever spend much time thinking about bone marrow, either ours or anyone else’s. But whether we think of it or not, healthy bone marrow is vital to staying alive. Ira Riklis can tell you that bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones that contains immature cells (stem cells) that produce all of our blood cells. It’s a simple equation: no bone cells mean no blood cells mean no life.
That’s a scary thought for those whose bone marrow has been damaged by disease or as a side effect to treatments for cancer. Fortunately, there is hope for them in the form of a bone marrow transplant. That’s why Ira Riklis long ago registered as a potential bone marrow donor. It’s much harder to match bone marrow than it is to match blood. Those who register as donors have their type taken through a simple cheek swab and then go into a national database. The greater the number of registered donors, the more likely it is that a match can be found for someone in need. And that’s reason enough to put at least a little thought into bone marrow.
Ira Riklis remembers an innovative new idea for ski bindings that appeared back in the 1970s. Called Burt Bindings, they seemed like a great idea to an eager, young skier. They were a plate binding that had spring-loaded cables attached to anchors on the skies themselves. In theory, they were wonderful. Once the tension of the springs was properly adjusted, the ski and boot should always remain in contact and at the proper angle.
But like many things that seem brilliant at first blush, the bindings had a serious flaw that wasn’t readily noticed by a skier who was still developing his skills and knowledge. At greater tension levels, the skis and boots would pull apart. In those cases, the cables would extend then automatically retract. That prevented your skis falling away from your boots in a fall. The system did work; Ira Riklis recalls a fall where the bindings performed as promised. The problem was that they caused an angle of fall such that it slammed his face into the hard-packed snow with painful results that caused him to ache for days after.
According to the old saying, it’s the early bird that gets the worm. But sometimes, others have to get up even earlier to give that proverbial bird a boost towards getting, if not a worm, a good breakfast and lunch. That’s the case with volunteers, including Ira Riklis, for the Central Synagogue Caring Committee. These dedicated people get up and get going in order to help the group serve meals to the homeless between Thursday and Friday mornings between 5:30 and 8:15 a.m.
Why so early? Does it really make a difference to a homeless person to get meals at that time of day? Ira Riklis can tell you that it certainly does for those who, while they may not have a home, do have jobs they need to get to and do well at. It also provides a much-needed source of nourishment for those who are trying to get an early start as they go out to look for a job that will help them raise themselves up.
Vail, Colorado is one of the best places in the world to ski. Indeed, for some, including Ira Riklis, it is THE best place in the world to ski. Other places have plenty to offer, including great slopes and world-class facilities. But Vail has all these and more. It’s easily accessible from anywhere in the U.S. It was built from the ground up specifically for skiing. And it takes great care to keep its many, many miles of slopes well groomed each day.
So why talk about a Winter destination like Vail with Summer just a week away? Because, as Ira Riklis well knows, Vail is also a great Summer and Fall destination! The area’s beauty is there to be enjoyed year round, and there are plenty of activities to take part in, including golf, tennis, river rafting, mountain biking, hiking, four wheeling off road trips and many more. Plus, the area’s much less crowded, which makes it easier to find peace and solitude and, of course, much easier to get reservations in the many top-notch restaurants!
We’re all familiar with the phrase “preaching to the choir.” And most of us have done our fair share of that, expounding our beliefs to those who already feel the same way. If we do express our point of view to another who doesn’t feel the same way, more often that not we’re trying to convert them to our way of thinking. But one of the things Ira Riklis appreciates about Aish HaTorah, a network of educational centers dedicated to teaching about the Jewish holy book, is that they welcome all who come for learning without trying to change them.
The group’s name translates as “Fire of Torah,” and their mission is simply to offer teachings about the book and about Jewish traditions and heritage. The group does come from a position of strict Orthodoxy, but Ira Riklis has been able to turn to them for loving support even though he’s much less strict in his practices. And it’s that spirit of offering welcoming support that has made him a strong supporter of the organization.
What do you like to do while on vacation, sleep in or get up early? Many vacationers, whether at the beach or skiing in the mountains like to sleep in. They get a lazy start, enjoy a nice breakfast and get out on the slopes sometime by mid-morning. There’s nothing at all wrong with that, but as an avid skier Ira Riklis wants to be out on the slopes. When he goes on vacation, the goal is to make the best runs and the most runs without waiting in line or dodging other skiers, many of whom have questionable skills and lack good slope etiquette.
At Vail, Ira Riklis’ favorite place to ski, the numbers tell the story. While there are plenty of lifts to get you back into the large network of trails, these are fed by just four main feeder lifts which most skiers use. Even though these are remarkably fast, you still face long waits in long lines when the slopes are crowded. But get up and out early, before the rush, and you’ll have them to yourself. By the time the late risers get to the slopes you’ve already had some great runs on untouched slopes. And by mid-day, while others are fighting the crowds, you can be back at the lodge enjoying a nice lunch and a lazy afternoon!
Besides gaining a quality education, one of the benefits of attending a top business school such as Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, is the chance to make connections and form friendships that will last a lifetime. That was certainly the experience of Wharton graduate, Ira Riklis. He’s remained grateful for his experiences there and especially for his connection with Dr. William Zucker, who started as his advisor and went on to become his mentor and his dearest friend.
In honor of that friendship, Ira Riklis recently funded an Entrepreneurial Intern Fellowship program in the name of Dr. Zucker, who passed away in 2006. The fellowship, which is in addition to the support the Ira Riklis’ currently provide to the university, provides paid internship opportunities for outstanding students to enable them to spend a summer in an entrepreneurial setting. Students receiving the internship support then become Ambassadors of Entrepreneurship who pass along what they’ve learned by working to promote the entrepreneurial career path to other Wharton students.
Last year was one of gala celebrations throughout Tel Aviv as the first Hebrew city marked its 100th birthday with a whirlwind of gala events. In all, more than 400 activities including a flower carpet in Rabin Square, top Israeli performers wowing revelers in a grand kickoff performance, and a special Milan opera house performance of ‘Aida’—were spread out over nine months. To give bog readers a taste of the experience, Ira Riklis sent us this link to the beautiful YouTube video.
His links to the city go back to those early years when his great grandfather, Zelig Krinkin, opened city’s first pharmacy. (Look closely in the video for an old-time photo of an early pharmacy’ one of the individuals shown there just may be Zelig himself.) Ira Riklis’ connection continues to this day. Recognizing that in the midst of the city’s achievements and modern wonders pockets of great poverty still exist, he’s been a staunch supporter of the American Friends of Tel Aviv Foundation for the past twenty years.
Having spent plenty of time on ski slopes over the years, Ira Riklis has noted an interesting, if somewhat disturbing, fact. Some skiers seem to think the laws of physics somehow don’t apply on steep, snow-covered mountainsides. Either that, or they’re under a delusion that they’re much better skiers than they actually are, or that they’re so privileged that everyone else must yield the right of way to them. Or (perhaps the most likely) they never learned proper manners or courtesy.
A case in point was once when Ira Riklis was speeding down a short, but narrow funnel. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of another skier barreling towards him from above and to the left. An expert skier, he made a quick, hard turn to the right to avoid the skier. Fortunately, he was able to avoid a collision that could have injured them both. Unfortunately, the slope was too steep and the snow too hard for him to hold the tight turn. Ira went down hard, and (grateful that he was wearing a helmet) skidded to a bruising stop. The other skier? He stopped just long enough to shout out something rude that indicated he took no responsibility for his actions.