On the occasion of her 60th birthday, Mary expanded her usual celebration and rented the Social Hall at Temple Israel in Alameda. She was standing alone at the far end of the darkened social hall making a final inspection before she went into the library to unpack her prints when a man walked through the door. He was backlit by bright sunlight from the doorway and she couldn’t see his face. All she could see was his silhouette surrounded by an aura of light. It was 6:30 and she wasn’t expecting anyone aside from family until 7:00.

She walked toward him until she could see his face, but didn’t recognize him so she asked how she could help him. He told her that he had come for the community potluck at 6:30. When she told him that this was a birthday party he said that the Rabbi had told him that the potluck was at 6:30. She remembered that there had been a potluck dinner the day before and told him.

He apologized for the intrusion but she immediately asked him to stay anyway. He declined saying that he didn’t want to barge into a private party. She told him that there was plenty of food and that she had several cancellations. She also said that since he was early she could use some help setting up her prints in the library if he wouldn’t mind. He agreed to help, but was still reluctant about intruding.

As we went into the library he introduced himself as Arthur Gold and told her that he had recently moved to Alameda in February and that he wanted to meet people in the Jewish community. She told him that a lot of people who would be at the party were members of the congregation. He also said that he was interested in meeting single women so she informed him that she was single and that there would be other single women at her party. He admired the prints as he was unpacking them and told her that he had been the art director of an advertising company but now he was retired.

He mentioned that he was 74 and she told him that it was her 60th birthday. A member of the congregation, Charlie, walked into the library at that point so she introduced the two men. Arthur tried to explain that he had not been invited but she interrupted him and encouraged him to stay. Charlie struck up a conversation with Arthur and Mary was quickly distracted as her guests began to arrive. Later in the evening she saw him sitting with Charlie. Arthur said that he had wanted to dance with her but she seemed busy with her guests. She danced mostly with David but was also asked to dance by Jim, Ken and Rafael and it didn’t seem to Arthur that she was as single as she claimed. He asked Charlie about her but Charlie said that she was already taken.

The next Friday night Mary saw Arthur at services and greeted him by name afterwards saying that she was glad that he had come to her birthday party. She told him about the Sunday morning services hoping that he would come. He not only showed up for services, he also asked her for their first date the next day on Memorial Day. Yes that was a memorable day.