He's like a son to me

The photo below was taken this week in Eilat, Israel. The Red Sea in the background. This is my favourite nephew in the world. I love this kid to death and would drop everything in the world if he ever asked me to. He's like my own son and everyone in the family knows how I feel about him.

The "kid" you see here (he turns 18 in two months), has a heart of gold. He's the most popular in his school, has the highest grades at his school, and was recently invited for the most elite brainy unit in the IDF - a unit that only takes the brightest soldiers with the highest exam scores in the country. Last week he completed a training course to become a scout leader in Israel (our scouts are co-ed and VERY different from the American scouts). This was at the request of younger kids who love him and wanted him to be their leader.

But what amazes me most about him is that he's six years older than his younger brother and unlike his father (my brother) has not teased him or hit him in his entire life. He showers him with hugs and love. Always there for him. He's the most amazing older brother I've ever seen in a family. Whenever I see the three of them together I'm blown away by how well they get along and enjoy each other's company. They always find things to do together and they have a ton of fun doing it.

Every time someone tells me about something he's done or a demonstration he's attended, I just want to go over and give him a hug for being the most wonderful person I know. The last demonstration he's attended - he drove all the way to Tel Aviv to join a mass protest against the government's mistreatment of Holocaust Survivors living in poverty. To remind everyone, Holocaust Survivors in Israel are in their 70's, 80's and 90's. And here's a young 17 year old who cares about them!