 Good afternoon. We join together with heavy hearts, with our thoughts on our beloved Alan. We join together as one family, as we remember the beautiful life and legacy of Alan Winecrance. Death will come. We cannot enter in judgment with it. Our question why will always go unanswered. But this does not mean that we are helpless in the face of death. We can and we do rob death of ultimate victory by living our lives so that when death comes, it takes us from a world, one corner of the world, because we were there. Alan and join our hearts together to give comfort and strength to his family. Morning is a time filled with many emotions and memories, both bitter and sweet. We begin our service with a recitation of psalms and prayers, thus linking Alan's life with the millennia-old tradition of the people Israel and the eternity of God. Many of you know that Alan had a real love of Israel. And so I begin our service with the short recitation of Ailee Ailee, a poem written by Hannah Sinish, another lover of Israel. Ailee Shalom Oh God, my God, I pray that these things never end. The sand and the sea, the rush of the waters, the crash of the heavens, the prayer, Psalm 23. Adonai roi lo achsar, b'no deshe yarbitzeni, oh me minuchot yannachaleni, n'avshi yeshovev yanncheni v'maagley tserek v'ma'an shamo. Ga'am ki'elich begei tsalmavit, lo irarah ki'etah imadi. Shif t'chao misant'cha, heima yannachamuni, ta'aroch l'fa'nai shulcha neget sorarai, disant ha'va shemen roshi, ko si revaya. Ach tov v'chesid yurdifuni kol yemei chayai. Beshav ti'bevait Adonai v'orech yamin. Adonai is my shepherd I shall not want. God makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside still waters and restores my soul. You lead me in right paths for the sake of your name. Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You have set a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil and my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of God forever. Psalm 121. Esa e'nai el-heharim me'ain yavoh ezri. Ezri me'im Adonai, osay shamaim v'arets. Al yutin lamot raglecha, al yannum shomrecha. Hinay lo yannum belo yishan shomer Yisrael. Adonai shomrecha, Adonai tsikhah al yad yimanekah. Yomam ha-shemesh lo yakekah. Ve'yareach b'layla. Adonai yishmarecha mikol ra. Yishmore et navshecha. Adonai yishmore tsetikhah uvoh echa. Me'etah ve'yad olam. I turn my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come? My help comes from Adonai, maker of heaven and earth. God will not let your foot give way, your guardian will not slumber. See the guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Adonai is your guardian. Adonai is your protection at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night. Adonai will guard you from all harm. God will guard your life. Adonai will guard your going and coming now and forever. Just as we turn to the words of our sacred scriptures for comfort, we also turn to our own memories. At this time I invite forward Gary, one of Allen's cousins, who is more like a brother to Allen, to share a few words on behalf of his brothers as well. My name is Gary Wollens. Allen's mom and my mom were sisters. While technically this meant that for my two brothers and me, Allen was our first cousin. In practice Allen was actually our fourth brother. It's only appropriate, therefore, that after today's service, Allen will be laid to rest next to my mother and his mother. For Allen landed out wine crates, regardless of the circumstance. Every glass was not just half full. It was overflowingly full. As I mentioned, Allen being the fourth brother visited us frequently while we were growing up in Corsicana, and being similar in age, we did everything together, including we were even bathed together. For which Allen became forever famous for instructing our housekeeper, just bathe the top, don't bathe the bottom. Allen was a proud Dalasite and even a prouder Texan. We heard that he was very proud of Israel, and he referred to Israel as the other holy land. He happened to be visiting us in Corsicana the weekend he turned 13. Being Shabbos, he was called to the Torah and perfectly recited the blessings. After returning to his seat, next to me, he was so relieved and mentioned that he hoped he could do as well at his Bar Mitzvah, which was the following week in Dallas. He was horrified when I pointed out to him that being his first Aliyah, he had actually just been Bar Mitzvah in Corsicana. Leave it only to Allen, though, to be able to have two Bar Mitzvahs. Allen had a love of music, which he expressed by playing the drums with a group, but as all the neighbors surrounding 70-30 North Haven Road will attest, Allen always played with gusto. While I lived in London for the past 30 years, it was actually Allen who introduced me to the UK. I visited him while he was spending his junior year of college in London. I can attest that he introduced me to a unique experience that had never been replicated. Getting up at 4 a.m. to go to the flower market. Hanging out in the most obscure pubs where he insisted on playing endless games of darts. And, of course, eating lots of heart-stopping and heart-clogging fishing chips. Being a fourth brother, Allen, of course, was at every Simca we celebrated. During my son's Friday Bar Mitzvah, the goby stunning the list of Aliyahs, asked, you know, who is this Allen Wycrance? Why is he on the Aliyah list? I explained to you as my first cousin. I wanted to know why he was asking. It turns out that his grandmother's maiden name was Wycrance. After services, they had a discussion and discovered they were related. Needless to say, Allen became a fixture at Wycrance family reunions in London. Allen had a fondness for people. Technology and Israel. Which only he could figure out a way to combine by assisting startup technology companies in Israel. Allen enjoyed helping others achieve success and he was adored by everyone he met. Whenever I visited Allen and Tel Aviv, he would often be holding court in his favorite hotel restaurant as entrepreneurs came up to seek his advice. He was the truly the technology mayor of Tel Aviv. Upon hearing the news about Allen, I was contacted by an executive of a well-known Israeli technology funding platform. She said, life works in mysterious ways. God must have his hands full and needs Allen for help. He'll be dearly missed. We now continue with more memories from his beloved children, Lauren and Erin. I don't even know what this should be about. I did not think I was going to be speaking about that funeral just a week ago. What I'm about to say is inadequate and lacking of my father's life as a whole. My father supported whatever I wanted to do. Go travel for two weeks and go see a handful of fish concerts and go to the national parks in Utah. Have fun and be safe. Ride my bike across the country. Have fun, Erin. I'm going to quit my job and travel to Southeast Asia and bum around for two months. If I had a parent would, they would worry, but he would never discourage anything I wanted to do. So when I was on a cross-country bike ride last February with plans on riding my bike to San Diego to New York City, I was pretty mad at myself. When in El Paso, I hit a pothole, flew over my handlebars, tore my liver and spent three days in the hospital and had to cancel my plans. While I had so much support and help from friends and family alike, my father who cut his trip short in Israel and flew home on a moment's notice. I tried to discourage him. I really didn't think I needed his help. I was able to just rest at his house and that was more than enough. And I didn't, you know, he didn't want to overstep his boundaries either by coming home, even though it was his house. We were both trying to be considerate of each other. Finally I told him, Dad, look, I'm going to be staying at your house. It's your house. If you're going to come home, your house, come home. He came home. Looking back on that month of living together at his house, just him and I for the first time since ever, I will, because Lauren was in New York City, and I will forever cherish my bicycle accident that led to spending time together like that. While I was still his son and he was still my father, our relationship turned into what I have, what I had with close friends or roommates, one that is a choice and not forced at all. Weekly or bi-weekly email communication or quick catch up on the phone as our normal conversations were like, it turned into conversations every morning over coffee on the patio. We talked about relationships, jobs, technology, future goals and plans. He helped me with my resume. We watched TV, new TV shows. We played music. He cooked me dinner most nights on the grill and once I had the strength and was recovering, I cooked for him. Well, he always tried to drill in family history into Lauren and I's brain. It was the first time I started asking about our family history, you know, with genuine curiosity. Who, what, when, where, why, wine crants. He knew all the answers and expressed them with pride and joy. Thank you, Dad. Thank you for everything. Thank you all for coming, seriously. One second. To my father, I was supposed to see you yesterday. I kept looking at the calendar visually and mentally thinking I was so ready to see you again. When you came to visit the last time I saw you, you brought my inner self out, the one where I was totally comfortable and free. I don't have a favorite memory in any, in nothing stands out because what we were is something so unexplainable. The feeling of being with you, the freedom to speak my mind and push the limits on what exists. Feels like it has been taken away from me. I am shocked. I don't want to talk about a lot of things and it is too painful. But I want to share my love, my throat choked heavy heart that misses you in ways I've never been prepared for. The meaning behind this all, the cluelessness I feel about everything. I pray you are still with me because I still need you. Thank you. Word MENCH gets thrown around a lot. But it's rare that you meet someone who truly embodies those qualities. Alan Winecrantz was absolutely, unequivocably, undeniably a MENCH. In the past week, the outpouring of love for Alan has been remarkable. The impact he had on so many lives has not gone unnoticed. And the obvious mark he left on the world will certainly be remembered. As we've heard from his family, Alan was dedicated to his career and an innovator in his field. His love and passion for all things technology infused both his work and personal life. Alan's phone was filled with hundreds of brand new apps, whether he used them or not. And mostly he didn't. He was the first to understand many of the complicated technologies arising daily and made sure that the people around him knew how to use them as well. In fact, Alan even took his children's 90-year-old grandfather to the Apple Store to help bring him into the 21st century. Most people would shy away from an endeavor like that, but not Alan. True to his menchiness, Alan worked tirelessly to help others. Many of the stories found on social media and the internet in the past few days have shared Alan's desire to help every single person that he met. He always took time out of his day to do something for another, and in doing so, he created lasting friendships and relationships with many. He had an ability to make everyone around him feel special and worthwhile. In addition to his work, Alan's love of Israel knew no bounds. One of his greatest joys was returning to Israel several times a year and even more so knowing that he passed that love down to his children as well. Israel was more than just a place to visit, more than just a place to increase business. It was a place to live and love. Israel's significance in Alan's life was beyond the usual affection most people felt, and it was clear how much he loved that incredible country. His love of Israel is inspiring, encouraging all of us to see beyond the typical to the amazing. As we've heard, Alan had a great many interests. He was known for his eclectic taste in food, music, world travel, and good old Jewish humor, in particular Larry David and Woody Alan. But more than Alan's love of music and humor, of good food and good friends, Alan had a completely unending love for his family. His children Aaron and Lauren meant everything to him, and his pride in their accomplishments was known the minute he mentioned them. His infectious smile would light up any room when he could talk about the wonderful people both Aaron and Lauren have become. His extended family, his cousins, and their families were more like brothers, bringing laughter and joy into his life just as he has done for so many others. And so as we sit together today remembering Alan's life and legacy, our hearts are with all of the mourners, in particular his family. Aaron and Lauren, your dad's love for you was unconditional. He told you how proud he was of you, not where you worked or what you did for a living, but who you were and what kind of people you have become. Your dad knew that a person's character was far more important than their worldly possessions, that how they treated others was what truly mattered in life. That is his legacy. That is his lasting mark on the world. As you sit here today surrounded by so many family and friends, know that your dad lives on in you, in the work that you do, in the generosity you show to others, in the kindness you give to every person, in the warm handshake and bright smile you offer to each person you meet, whether it's for the first time or the 50th time. As you remember the amazing moments you had together, the awesome Paul McCartney concert, the incredible meals you shared around the table, trips to beautiful places in Europe, and so much more. Remember that your dad's love of life was an inspiration to every person who knew him. May that love and passion continue to guide each of you to give you strength during difficult times and to light your own paths towards goodness and peace. Zichronolivracha. May Alan's memory forever be a blessing, granting all of us shlemut and shalom, wholeness and peace. Amen. We take a few moments for our own silent prayers and meditations of our hearts. In just a moment, I will invite those who are able to rise as we turn to the words of El Male Rahamim, our prayer that asks God's protection over Alan as we send his soul into eternity. Immediately following El Male Rahamim, I would ask that the Paul Bears come forward around the casket and invite the rest of the congregation to either continue on by foot following the hearse to the gravesite, or you are welcome to drive as well. Those who are able, please rise. El Male Rahamim Shochin bam romim Hametze menukha nechonah Tachat kanfe ha shechinah Im kedoshim uthorim Kezo masheiri Et nishmat Ilan ben Pesach yoel Shal halach le olamo Ba'al harachamim Yastirayhu besater Kenafav le olami Yitzrur, Yitzrur, hachayim et nishmatur Chalatoh V'yanuach beshalom Amishkavoh Benomah God of abundant mercy, God most high May the soul of our beloved one, Alan Weincrantz, Who has gone into eternity find the gift of perfect peace In your embrace, together with the holy and pure Whose light shines like the radiance of heaven Compassionate God, hold him close to you forever So that his soul may be bound up in the bond of life eternal May he find a home with you And may he rest in peace as together we say El maleh rachamim Shochin bam romim Ham etzei menucha nechona Tachat kanfei ha shekhina Im kedoshim kezo ha Masheiri et nishmat Ilan ben Pesach yoel Shal halach le olamo Ba'al harachamim Yastirei ho besayter Kenafav le olami Yitzrur, hachayim et nishmatur Chalatoh V'yanuach beshalom Amishkavoh Benomah