Shomeric Light: Dan Trabulus

As part of our Hanukkah celebration, we are highlighting different members of our community who have been beacons of light in the past year. 

For the third night of Hanukkah, a special shoutout goes to Dan (Mishky) Trabulus, an alum of Ken Nirim in Los Angeles. While there aren't active kenim on the West Coast anymore, Dan has been involved in maintaining the Nirimnik community, and never forgets anyone's birthday there! 

Mishky and his Gdud in 1974; he is in the bottom middle with a white shirt.



"Pa’am Shomer, Tamid Shomer"

A phrase so very true, but a phrase that one cannot fully appreciate until “pa’am” status is attained.

My progressive Jewish parents knew of the movement for many years before they introduced me to it—my mother’s sister was in the movement in London and had made aliyah in the early years. In 1959 we moved from Manhattan to Los Angeles—probably within hours of landing mom and dad somehow managed to hook up with the local movement families. 

I joined the movement in 1967 and you might say I have never left. To this day, the movement informs my humor, politics, way of thinking, love of folk singing and dancing, and, of course, my Weltanschauung.

The movement nowadays is referred to as a “life movement”—the ties that bind us  are not simply memories but a life of unforeseen commitment to each other. Our roots run deep. We were a family of children—we grew up together. Passions blazed and hormones raged. We laughed, fought, and loved each other. 

In 2004 we of Ken Nirim held our first formal reunion. Over 200 people were invited and almost that many people attended. Since then we have our annual Matzapaloozah and Latkapaloozah parties. We’ve held movie and dance nights and other assorted gatherings. We remain in digital contact on our Ken Nirim group page.

More than anything else we are a social phenomenon.