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My dad, Gunter Herbert Stern, was born on October 10, 1918, in Munich, Germany, and came to the United States on the Queen Mary via Cherbourg to New York on February 23, 1939. My father was in the textile business and along with his father-in-law's family, launched a business in Cincinnati named Standard Textile Corporation. In 1964 he moved to St. Louis to launch a new business called Continental Textile Corporation, which became a leading textile distributor in the Midwest until my father passed away in February 1975.

Still to this day, to commemorate his life and feel close, my mom and I visit dad's gravesite each month, and it has become a ritual to visit him on Yom Kippur. 

This year, my mom, stepfather, and I streamed Temple Israel's Kol Nidre evening service, and the technology worked seamlessly. That next morning, I went to visit my dad's gravesite as I usually do. The weather was beautiful and fall-like, the sun was warm, and I had the impromptu idea to pack some chairs and a makeshift table and use my iPhone to stream TI's Yom Kippur memorial service right there at the gravesite. I called my mom; she loved the plan.

Attending services on my father's Yahrzeit and during the High Holy Days are important to me and have a special place in my heart. Though I've been coming to memorial services with my mom for as long as I can remember — and I love the personal touches that have been introduced, such as the opportunity to place stones up on the bimah for loved ones lost — there was nothing like being next to the loved one for whom you're remembering. We were the only two people in the entire cemetery that day; it was an experience that I’m sure my mom and I will never forget.

As an international traveler, watching services online has always been a part of my routine. TI's streaming capability has come a long way over the years, and it's a really great offering for us as congregants. The video is sharp, with good picture quality and camera positioning. The acoustics are solid, and at the High Holy Days, the integration of screen graphics with prayers and the names of individuals on the Bimah adds a personal community touch. And now that my kids have moved to different parts of the country and the world, knowing they're able to access TI services from afar helps them connect to the community in which they grew up, which comforts them, as well as comforts me knowing they have that option. 

If you're interested in supporting TI's Shabbat broadcast, find out more here.