I’ve been asked to imagine five objects from my childhood bedroom and write about one.  Five easily come to mind with one standing out.  My black and white portable TV, positioned across the room next to my desk.  Rabbit ears and all.  It was quite a luxury back then.

One moment sticks out clearly.  The night of April 17, 1970, four days after my 13^th birthday, the eve of manhood.  Tomorrow I would be having my bar mitzvah.   However, there were more important matters.  The Knicks were playing Game 3 of the Eastern Division finals, up 2 games to none, facing the Milwaukee Bucks led by Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  Next year’s world champions.  But not this year.

Dad pops his head in the room, wondering if I’m nervous.  Why would I be? I’d been practicing my haftorah, Malachi III, for about a year, still not sure what the Hebrew words meant.  Too young to be nervous. He just smiled. I reluctantly agreed to dad’s request for TV off, lights out at half time.  Good thing, it’s the only game they lost that series.

And there was the drama of the explosion on Apollo 13 on my birthday, with some talk of postponing the bar mitzvah.  Then the safe splash landing in the Pacific Ocean on the 17^th.  April 18^th a day of celebration

On May 7^th, the Knicks went on to become World Champions, beating the Lakers in 7 games.