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Joe McConnen was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, activist, and philanthropist, but his greatest passion was being an unwavering New York Giants fan. He lived and breathed football, revolving his schedule around NFL games.
Introduced to football by his father Phil, Joe took his love for the game to new heights. He was known for analyzing every play, calling into sports talk shows, and making meticulous predictions each week. Attending every game, Joe’s dedication was unmatched, even attending the Super Bowl after his wife’s passing.
Despite Joe’s deep connection to football, he never involved his son Mike in his football world. This lack of inclusion left Mike indifferent to the game, fulfilling Joe’s final wish to carry on the family’s football legacy reluctantly.
As Mike tried to instill the same love for football in his own children, they showed little interest, leading to frustration and disappointment. A conversation with his father’s friend made Mike realize that to pass on the love for the game, he needed to genuinely embrace it himself.
The same principle applies to transmitting values like Torah and Judaism. It’s not enough to lecture or guilt-trip; we must embody the values we want to impart. By living with passion and emotional attachment to our beliefs, we inspire future generations to do the same.
Our ancestors’ declaration of “na’aseh v’nishma” reflects this deep connection to our heritage, demonstrating the power of living our values authentically.