Shomeric Beacon of Light: David Prager Z'l

Tribute from David's friend, Efrat Levy:

"David Prager, who died in early November after a gallant three-year battle with pancreatic cancer, was born in and raised in Queens, New York. He swooped into Camp Shomria and Hashomer Hatzair in 1968 along with five other “Pecoho” boys, sons of families who had vacation homes in a community near Peekskill, New York. In 1971, David went on the movement gap-year program to Kibbutz Yasur, and along with others, went on Aliyah in 1974 to Kibbutz Harel, returning to the United States about a year later. David went on to a successful career as a labor attorney. He was an active member of the West End Synagogue and loved singing Broadway tunes, something that came in handy when he met his life partner Sarah Wright at the Marie’s Crisis karaoke bar. David was a highly ranked chess player, once winning six simultaneous matches against other chanichimot while blindfolded. And he was a serious baseball fan, amassing during his lifetime an astonishing baseball card collection.

All this is true but it does not entirely capture who David was or his connection to Hashomer Hatzair. David, like many other people who cannot quite find a comfortable place for themselves in the wider world, was sometimes bullied and excluded as a child. However, like many other quirky people, David was accepted and cherished for who he was in Hashomer Hatzair. Like thousands of others, he went through his youth movement years without ever becoming a “super shomer.” He held no leadership positions, was not a madrich, and his decision to leave Kibbutz Harel was at least in part out of the realization that he was not so much against the stream as was everyone else in the youth movement. As described above, David flourished in the mainstream world, but always with the spark of Hashomer Hatzair in him. After returning from kibbutz life, David was not in close contact with Hashomer Hatzair. Until a reunion in the year 2013, which touched that spark and reignited it. David recognized that his core values were those he gained while in the youth movement and using his giant intellect and drive to contribute, he turned that recognition into activism to ensure that future generations of shomrimot, no matter what their level of involvement, will have a youth movement to grow in. David took on irreplaceable leadership in strengthening our endowment fund and educating alumni about legacy donations." - Efrat Levy

We honor David, just as he honored us through his unwavering commitment to the Shomeric community. He exemplifies the enduring light of our collective spirit—a flame that may dim in memory but never truly fades. This enduring connection is beautifully expressed in the phrase, 'Paam Shomer/et, Tamid Shomer/et' ("Once a Shomer, Always a Shomer").