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[Music]
Hello everyone and welcome back to
Inside Art Scroll where the books you
read and the people who write them come
to life. Today I am privileged to be
joined by Rabbi Shimshin Sherer who is
here in honor of the 25th yard site of
his esteemed father Rabbi Mosha Sharer
about whom arts girl printed a biography
published a biography was what is it uh
10 years ago I think 12 years the book
12 years ago that the book came out
thank you Rabbi Sher for being here my
pleasure my very very special to have
you here we're obviously here to talk
about the book and about your father and
uh you know as I was waiting for you to
come I was thinking to myself 25 years
since the Petira of your father what
that means is that there's a whole
generation of people youngster we would
call them youngsters but they're not
such youngsters who correct who really
never knew your father correct your
father as the head of a cisol as as
really the face of clusel in in so many
different facets talk about that part of
it there are people like myself I was a
baka when your father was na but there
are many people who didn't know your
father if you sat down with an audience
of people who did not live at the same
time of Rabbi Moshashar what would you
tell them in a few minutes how would you
describe who he
was what compelled me to do this
interview was specifically because
there's a whole generation that will
never know who he was other than by
reading the or by hearing stories. But
as we know the
aim will talk, we'll hear, we'll speak,
but it's not a comparison to seeing
him to watch his whole demeanor and to
watch the way he was a leader. The next
generation, they're not going to be to
see. So that indeed is what made me
understand, come to the understanding, a
realization that in the one hand it's
sad, but that's the way the world goes,
right? There's a new generation. The new
generation has will have its leaders
does have its leaders and they
have but need to know the
past. When I was sitting
Shiva when I was sitting Shiva there
were many that came in and said there
has to be a biography. And of course and
this must be said at the outset the
personal relationship that
may had with my father which we'll get
up to a little
later was very very unique a very
special relationship I
was certainly an older brother to me
without a question as all his children
are very dear to
And he was the driving force. He pushed
me and pushed me. But during Shiva,
there were a number of and leaders that
said there has to be a book. Has to be a
book. And some of those that said this
to me didn't surprise me. Okay? They
knew him well. And they knew that uh as
many people always described him as a
larger than life figure, which is
accurately put. And so, okay, didn't
surprise me. There was one
God that came to pay me a call that it
just threw me
sobb sits
down
and I I can't imagine he ever read a
page of any biography.
Okay, a page
of a biography or something like that.
sits down and first it was but if it
wouldn't have been was coming to pay me
a shiva call I was so honored by it and
Shiva his opening words to me were
really and I was caught not just off
guard so I said that exact word I said
really
like really and he said something to me
that was so interesting he said looking
for us. I'll tell you why. I'll tell you
why. He said, "You'll ask any rasha and
any yeshiva, they will tell you there
are boys in every yeshiva out there that
their dream is to be claws next to. No
matter what yeshiva you'll be in, there
will be boys that have this dream. They
want to be CL's
next." But they think, I still remember
it's 25 years later. I'm sitting on the
floor and says, "But they think the way
to go about being next to Mish is if
you're a tuml and you're tum in this and
you're tum and you're tum in this
organization and you'll be a tum all day
in yeshiva when you're a teenager. Oh,
that's going to be the beginnings and
that's going to be the prerequisite.
That's going to be my beginning of being
the
next." He says there has to be a book
and they'll see from the book that he
didn't become who he became in through
he tells me he
says someone told me that when your
father was a young man in Baltimore he
was a gald masid I said that's really
true really true to the extent that
during shiva I told
people my father never no matter all the
noness and challenges that he and uncle
Mike had Mike Chess all the nanisters
they had they never ever expressed the
regret they felt so glitless so
fortunate to be doing what they were
doing for
Claus the only thing my father ever said
was as a young fell in he had a dream
that someday he was going to be a major
mariter a major ro of stature that was a
dream that he had he said and all that
that he was going to be so invol
involved in limra
in that all that couldn't come to
fruition because he dedicated his life
to be souls asking his sometimes he
would look at that and he would say o
and when I was repeating it during shiva
many
quarter that there were those that used
to say it to the
pov when he came to and he was
rebuilding literally from the ashes and
they would tell the
pun to comfort him to console him they
would say to him kazal
say is the
key and people during would repeat this
same axiom about my father.
So I said I'll tell you the truth. I
told that to my father many times. Did
he take Did he take sals from that a
little? His main sal was listenar was
this has to be his role in soul says
said this is my role I mean to to the
extent the extent of
aaron it you know everyone's talking
about my father's subjugation and
subservience
to so talked about so talked about we're
talking about a generation that didn't
know my
father today there's a tremendous amount
of and a tremendous amount amount of B
to but on the level of subservience to
Dra that my father and uncle Mike that
they had to build this
organization that level of of of
subservience bit total bit and a a man
that was so bright my father's genius
and all his capabilities and he had a
mind of his own sure it was like amazing
amazing amazing amazing ble do you
remember any particular
circumstance where your father who like
you said was the he was the picture of
charisma sharp as attack you read the
book and I remember seeing him at our
good conventions you remember see every
year I remember seeing you remember him
in his heyday when we would get up to
speak 100% my parents used to take me oh
your father went every year religiously
went still goes when he went my parents
went
every heyday yes sure there was no one
more charismatic that's true I don't
know if there My father was a better
ortor. That's probably it was a master
ortor. We'll get to that. Keep that word
in mind. Charismatic. But I just want to
give you one thing. You're a baron
couple
that my father wanted to be a so
parathetically when I was sitting Shiva
my father's in many ways closest
confidant. There were a number of those
people that
would from
Baltimore from Baltimore. They were best
friends from there. the soul days and
all their lives. He was one of the only
there were a few others but one of the
only people that my father would have
given a blank check to you could use my
name don't even have to ask me
permission and they didn't tremendous
amount
of together he walked into the house to
be there was a room full of people and
with his heavy German Henry Kissinger
accent starts the conversation he had a
pocket full of of of letters I don't
know at first we didn't know what it was
papers sticking out of his pocket coming
out of pocket he sits down. Actually,
everyone got quiet. My newberg is here
and he looks at the audience very heavy
accent. How would you define
temporary? Okay, obviously a question
like that, he must have the answer. It's
a rhetorical question. How do we define
temporary? How do we define temporary?
Okay, so I said I said, "Rabbi Nubberga,
obviously there's going to be an answer
that I don't know. So Rabbi Nubberga
please tell us how we define temporary.
So he takes out a letter that my father
wrote him in
1942 when he left
Ner and he writes him dearest
Nefti I nowashem have tried out for six
different shs for the to be the in six
different shs that was my father's dream
to be aving back to what we said before
and he's reading this letter Barakashem
all six shs after my all Six shooles
offered me
the but none of those shs are really to
my liking of where I see myself being.
So for the moment I turned down the
opportunity of to be the role of these
six and therefore temporarily I've
decided to join the agura and work okay
with Mike.
Sober looks around us and he says that
means that Rabbi Sher defined the word
temporary as 55 years temporary because
he wanted to be
a works in very mysterious ways because
my mother's father was an ortor at the
age of 20 in litter he was born in the
same stle as a moist who look at the
front page the sharablat of Igris Mosha
says
Robin Starin Mosha Feinstein's father
Abd Feinstein was the RV in
Starin. I'm named after him. In fact,
I'm called Shimshi. But my Zed's name
was Shimshin Zelik in Fort and by his
liter friends in he went he was called
Zelik, not Shimshin. My name is Shim. He
was called
Zelikar when I had the to go in to visit
Shak who was my
Zusa for
years
ink. So they would say son is
here. So I would come would say
nikar. So Misa was the R when he came
after World War I all
the was nothing lit and they were all
desperate to do it and push it and they
had the young children and there was
literal starvation nothing to eat after
all one and all the abishellas were and
was seemingly such a an
ortor that someone suggested to him that
the largest shul in New York the white
sh in far away then it was the white sh
not where it is today in a different
neighborhood. Mhm. is looking for a rov
and they think he'd be the perfect
candidate because of his oratory
skills and my dad in the middle of
immediate response
was Canadian English. I don't know one
word of English. Strike one. Strike two.
I'm a coin. I can't go to the funerals.
I can't officiate. I can't come to the
cemetery. So he said go. Just go. your
oratory skills are
such and he had that the word you use
but we're going to take it back that
word in a minute the word charisma he
had all that and he said just go and was
desperate with the royal one they had
major stellas two stellas and he came to
the white
shoe and it seems that he must have
mesmerized them to such an extent that
after shabas the board came to wherever
however's house he was staying and they
immediately offered him the really
couldn't understand it and he told him
you
saw English not one word of English I
don't know word and he again the so they
said to him as far
as we'll find we'll find a solution to
that as far as English we understand but
we were just so caught over shabas it
seems he was such a dramatic speaker and
he had such unbelievable my father
eventually taught in teras my father
taught It was called homalytics a course
of public speaking. How did my father
get that?
Because my za was asked by
and when he became the to come once a
week to give a homics class in medish to
teach public speaking how to give a
sermon to all the many that were going
to go out into the into the rabinet. Ma
passed away as about very young and they
asked my father to replace. So that's
how it starts. Anyway, here Maza takes
the he convince him to take the
condition was that within a year or two
he should learn they will hire the tuda
and he will learn how to speak
English and in fact the tuda my my aunt
Mrs. Hollander had an uncle was a very
famous rabbi my my aunt Mrs. pounder
once told me that the the tutor in those
years we're talking about 1929 the tutor
cost $5 an hour 1929 and they were
teaching him English via the New York
Times and Isaiah eventually how to speak
English but from the beginning he spoke
only in Yiddish but what's what's
relevant to us here in this conversation
he was there 1929 through 19 5th June of
1950 he was all of 54 54 and a half and
in June of 1950 he had a massive
stroke had a massive stroke those years
talking about 1950 not that they know
much today about how to deal with
strokes but in those years certainly so
he was
hospitalized and they came to my
father 1950 my father wasn't yet 30
years old but he had shown the
leadership capabilities to whatever they
are a little fledgling organization with
Uncle Mike dealing with the sher out the
Jews
and they asked him temporarily here
another word temporarily temporarily he
should be thereof
until his
father-in-law is hashem will recuperate
and it'll come back how many years had
he been without at the time my father
started in 42 and this is 1950 5 eight
years later eight years later okay and
it was only temporary and my father's
dream as Rabbi Newberger had read in
that letter to be
avo and that temporarily he was working
in the agura okay as we're about to
hear. So here he is he June of 1950 my
father was the substitute temporary
rabbi of the
congregation till his father-in-law beam
would recuperate June July
August I have sermons that my father
gave that he wrote out um June July that
year I must come out some in June must
be sermons that he gave the shis have
the sermons that he gave sukus high
holidays
that he
gave here my father.
Okay. Works the way the parish works.
February of
51 my passed
away they struggle to bring him back and
for 6 months but has his ways. Ma was
all 55 years old.
Ramosa once told me they were best
friends as from kaism from the young age
in that if he would have lived in
America and he would have really world
would have got to know him who says who
knows how big he would have been when
all the used to come to America used to
stay by in the house used to stay all
the time in the house mar rebellious
father stayed many months at a time when
he'd come stayed
on kids a
story during shiva for mea my baba was I
don't even know I would if I had to
guess I would say she was around 50
years old young
al and the congregation the board of the
kahila came to the house during shiva
and they went over to my grandmother and
they
said there's not going to have to be a
rabbitis because we are going to offer
your son-in-law the stella permanently
it'll be his shaw
So you'll remain rabbitson. Mhm. And
they were trying to give her words of
comfort her so there will be continuity
linkage perpetuation directly in the
family. My my my grandmother was was
thrilled. I mean even though she was
totally totally distraught but oh at
least it's going to stay in the
family. All right. My mother sitting
there Shiva next to her mother on the
floor and my mother didn't say anything
but you know it's not going to be very
simple this for the reason you're about
to hear I only said this story once over
in public and that was six years ago on
my about my mother's levia this story
because talking about my father without
talking about the
asa that was his partner in building a
good soil as Mrs. stress was uncle
Mike's
partner you it not only wouldn't do
justice it would be it would be a
terrible aa if we don't talk about right
so I said this is my mother's la so the
story is as follows my father came home
from that go to office that night middle
of the shiva and my mother told him
together with my baba his mother-in-law
told him okay Rabbar cut that the board
offered him permanently didn't even wait
till after the sh was over the stella is
now naturally young fella ready my dad
built up the white shoed becoming what
the white shoe was eventually to become
so they were all excited so they're
weighing my father and let's remember
this man only took that uh a job in a
gooda temporarily because he wanted to
be a ro here it is on a silver platter
no probas no nothing he they had him if
you have mohasher for six months as your
rabbi anybody's going to hire him right
my father comes in and they tell my
father. My father looks at his
mother-in-law and he looks at my my
mother, a young
Bible. He says, "Listen, I have to go
ask a baron Cutler."
I'm confident that my presentation to a
baron cutler will be such that I believe
he'll answer me in the affirmative will
say take
the but let's know I have to ask and
just whatever he says that's what we're
going to
do my mother wasn't surprised because my
mother knew my father's his whole life
was a baron as this book Jonison Rosen
does a terrific job in many things in
the book but in that
baron my baba was very not happy with uh
that response and she looked at
him is being offered to you here Rabar
Cutler and my baba knew Raaron Cutler
because my baba came from the city of
Slutzk that Mr. Zman was the ra and the
rashisha. So she knew Raaron as a
younger man the young person what what's
the what's what's even the question
what's a baron cutler where you go up I
have to ask but he told her and my
father used to say I made a mistake by
telling my mother-in-law oh but I think
my presentation will be such that will
say he could take the my father he won't
he he said he shouldn't even have said
that end of the story as I said with my
mother's my father I heard this both
from my father and
from barren
The father went to and he made the
presentation and he pushed every button.
He said, "I'm going to
be I'm going to be mish be able to go
back to my life's dream and I'll be able
to sit and learn and give over to I'll
be because one of the things my father
loved most or you mentioned before his
speeches at a good conventions his his
to be innovative and to come up with
thoughts that was classics of you see it
a lot in the safer right we have here
his here you see it here you see it what
you see here that
so and he he was so innovative in I mean
it was literally to marvel at so here
and he presented a list I'm going to be
able to be mar I'll be sitting and
learning to I'll be able to inra and I
won't have when my wife doesn't have
because they are
good you 1950 what was what was cla you
saw in America 1950 and the little there
was when so many that came the work of
uncle Mike and the rescue organization
and blaz my father was much younger so
what were they then like so he made a
presentation to her and you know my
father has a as you use the word for for
charisma which we're going to be taking
back soon so here it is
and listen to this presentation and it's
my dream to be a ro
Baron looks at
him and says to
him, "There's nothing to talk about. It
cannot happen and it will not
happen." That's not just no or let's
talk about it. He makes a
presentation. So my
father says to him, "You're not going to
understand what I'm about to tell you.
But I have to tell you why Bush. Why?
The answer is
no. There are much greater things in
store for young
Mosha to do for
Clau than being the love of any one
shul. No matter how prestigious the
schnella is and no matter how great your
habitats t will be and can be, there's
much greater things in store for you
than anyone
should. My father sitting
there, he never argued ever. But he says
to Rash, "What's greater things in store
for
me?" He was a little boy, a 30-year-old
fell.
Now always uncle Mike you see in the
letters in the Mike Tress book that's
also an arts girl book they call him
Mike and I think it's in there but it's
in here that he would urge my father we
need all he he saw something in my
father so Baron obviously saw the same
thing that uncle Mike saw when he used
to write letters we need you we need you
in says who am I who am
I young
fella in in in February of 51 one. My
father wasn't yet 30. He was born June
21. He wasn't yet 30. And then he says
to Baron something else. He says, "Much
greater things in store for me for
Clyaso." What CLO? Who cla Whatso is a
baron talking
about 1950? What was 1950? So my father
was like so like he couldn't understand
what the was saying the Clyus apartment
himself.
So a baron looked at him and said to
him, "I said that you're not going to
understand, but trust me, the day will
come and you'll see that there are much
greater things in store for you than
being there of
anyone." My father's dream went out the
window. The temporary of Rabbi Newberger
because he's trying out fortellas. Here
he didn't have to try out here. He had
the biggestella handed to him because he
was the temporary Ra while the was not
well. And he's saying and the parents
telling him no. And that no was no did
nothing to him. So as I said my
mother's my father went home and he had
to break it to his young
wife. And my mother looked at my father
said no back to bread and
water. She didn't even ask my father
tell me what was his reasoning. And my
father wanted to tell her maybe she'd be
proud of what Raaran said about her
young husband. Right. Rashiva said, "No,
it's back to bread and water." Now, it
certainly partially was because my
mother had aim, but it was much so she
knew there was nothing to talk about. My
father had
touch said, "No, K, you got it. K's
closed." But my mother was a very smart
woman. And my mother says to my father,
Shiva said, "No, it's back to bed and
water, but I only need one favor from my
husband. You have to be the one to break
it to your
mother-in-law. It's only back to bread
and waters. Back to bread and water. But
you have to break it to your
mother-in-law. Okay. This is a pretty
tough uh tough
assignment. He goes to
his lit and he has to tell her that I'm
not taking the
stellar. He goes to his mother-in-law.
My father used to tell over this story
as you'll hear in a minute with such a
sparkle in his eye and how grateful he
was to my mother except for this one
assignment that he has to break it to
the mother and he
comes he breaks it to his mother-in-law
that he went to Rashiva he made a
presentation everything every button he
pushed that say take but never
underestimate you couldn't
manipulate nobody
manipulate I said what I tell you tells
his
didn't just say no. He
said so naturally my mother-in-law my my
grandmother his mother-in-law had just
become an
am 50 years old and she knew that means
that the is going to go out of the
family
right
said doesn't understand what he's
telling you to say no to doesn't
understand doesn't understand my my
father said
oh he understands his vision and his way
and his seeing panoramic views of
everything with every every ramification
repercussion from every
perspective. My my my father says to to
his mother-in-law end of the story
father didn't take
theem they had they ended up getting a
very beautiful beautiful beautiful
person Rabbi Pelowitz the art scroll
from Pelit
yeah and he treated my my my grandmother
not like rebmeritus but he treated her
with all the dignity and all cover as he
was a a very special man alluded not the
same pok which is still not her
son-in-law and still not the family. So
like they say in literature Yiddish my
grandmother carried on an
embraas means I don't know what the
words anger but wasn't whatever the word
break I don't know brag is one of those
Yiddish liter words doesn't have a
translation she carried on a
bragus on her young son-in-law
resentment maybe oh something good maybe
maybe more I don't know
anyway when neb my grandmother only
lived 10 more this and she
she was I think she was 61 62 years old
in the early
60s but she was really not very happy
with her son-in-law the apple of her
husband's eye his young and she wasn't
very happy with him what changed what
changed so here we talk about the book
talk about my father talk about a story
what it means to listen to that aside
from my father we had that dream as I
bring letters test and my mother le back
to bread and water when did my
grandmother uh decide
oce can't translate these words when
when when did she decide this so the end
of March of
1961 which is exactly 10 years my was
February of 51 this is 10 years later
was when the first time that all cla one
morning wakes
and my father's pictures plastered all
over the New York Times with his black
coping cup and meetings that he had with
President Kennedy and with the speaker
of the house not Nancy Pelosi or Kevin
McCarthy but a man in his 90s Irishman
from Boston Massachusetts named John J.
McCormick was the speaker of the house
on other dignitaries of such stature and
New York Times is is is is reporting on
it. My father's dream of aid to
parochial schools money to yes not being
okay at all a contradiction to the first
amendment to the constitution of
separation of church and state. Yeah, it
was a that he had a that everyone
laughed at like what are you doing? It's
against open constitution like they were
saying
yeshiva like it's against the
constitution like what are you dreaming
we get with that too so it got reported
in that day was I think it was either
March 29th March 30th the end of March
of 61 and it was a major major story a
man with a black yamagon to get such
coverage with a president and he made a
he made a presentation either in the
senate or in the congress or someplace
and the New York Times reporting this
whole dash but the whole spiel and
everybody bought that morning's New York
Times because such kid Hashem he didn't
have their own voice because let's
remember's goal the goal of
Israel when he spoke to uncle Mike about
giving everything up to go work for
their goal was we have to have an
authentic voice we no longer could let
those who totally forge and misrepresent
what Tory is those who don't even
believe in Tyra Msi. They're going to
represent us to help us to build Tyra in
America. They don't even believe in MSI.
The reform movement, they're going to be
our representatives. They're our voice,
which was the case till then. And now
here it is the beginning of Woo. It's
not just like an aberration when Uncle
Mike was to go into secretary in the
states and things in the government.
Yeah, it's the beginning of a thing on a
whole new level for the agura movement
and everybody bought that day's New York
Times. The only woman I came to yeshiva
that day I think I was in second grade.
Where were you learning that tur se was
only I was in and I think okay I think I
was in second grade first I think I was
second grade the only one that didn't
know about that day's New York Times in
my class or by the reby's table by
breakfast was
me everybody was tumbling about their
parents went out and bought that day's
New York Times and the whole
thing my father didn't tell me and he
had his reasons and everyone knew about
the
kit someone that day brought my
grandmother that day is New York
Times a neighbor right there my
grandmother still had the rabbitson shul
right house right across and a neighbor
did her a favor they brought alter
rabbitson who wasn't so old they bought
a copy of that New York Times she
see what's happening here my father was
all of 40 then right? Like like what's
happening and everyone was like tumbling
about it and she's reading she's looking
New York Times is very long pages and
she's looking onto her dining room table
to spread out the pages to look here
look there to see his dra that he made
in the congress and to see the pictures
of so my my baba last called up the good
office. Now that good office as my
father would say in those years was as
big as this here these two chairs and
this table. Uncle Mike had a as a milk
crate as a desk and a milk crate as a
chair and my father had a milk crate and
a as a chair. That was it. And she calls
up the
office and she
says I want you to come right now. Come
right now to I have to speak to you.
Okay. Now for 10 years she was carrying
on in you know in to a certain extent
khal not this slippers right because the
didn't stay in the family come right now
my father immediately ran to farway he
had no idea what he's in for what's
going to happen if no idea comes to far
away when my baba brings him into the
dining
room when she shows him spread out in
the table what her neighbor brought that
day's New York Times
And she says with a big smile, with a
tremendous sense of and pride, she says
to my
father, it would seem, clearly would
seem
as said 10 years ago that there's bigger
things in mind, okay, for knew than
anyone
sho would seem clearly
seem. He was right and I was
wrong. When my father would tell over
the
story with all his sparkle in his eye
that you refer to as charisma, he would
sell over the story with a sparkle and
my father would say, "So what's the
moral of this story? What's the lesson
from this story?" I have no idea if this
is in the book. I don't think more the
way I'm saying it certainly. So I said
what's the lesson of this story? See
what the greatest Torah sage that
America had in the 20th century could
not persuade my mother-in-law of in
1951. The almighty New York Times
influenced and persuaded her in 1961. So
never underestimate the power of the
media because it seems to be so
powerful. So my father would always say
this story. So Baron Cutler, it was a
Baron Cutler that had that vision that
even my father couldn't understand at
the time. And let's remember this that
was in its infancy. This is 1961. My
father was a young man. Things started
falling into place as years went on.
They started building a reputation and
and the Buddha started having its own
strong articulate authentic voice okay
of Torah and Torah and and and an
understanding of integrity and and and
there is no such thing as diluting Torah
no compromise when it comes to and and
and and the nations of the world and
people Jew and non-Jew alike respected
it right there's no I wanted to point
out which I was saying earlier is that
you know if someone is weak-minded
in mind and thought. It's one thing to
be differential. Your father was a
brilliant man. That's he was a brilliant
man. He was well read. He was a big he
was able to think for himself big time.
There was no such So when you talk about
his deference to Das Tyra with Saj B for
such a person that that was that was the
that would be I I'm told that the Aura
is going to be having a a video that
they're giving out in the day of the
yard site on the all over and that they
went to many Gdel to speak and all the
GI said the same thing that if they have
to think about what they marveled most
is that he had such
a bittle means a subservience a
people that would have been
giants and
then that
same
tora deferring whatever word you want to
use he showed
to eventually to
rebel to say he was dealing
with a a total total whatever Whatever
you say Rabbar, he did the same thing
and those that are being interviewed by
of soul for that point all say and like
you're saying it because he had a mind
of his own right but he didn't have a
mind so getting back so here it is Baron
Cer told me you can't be the RV Rabbi
Newberger we got to get back to how we
started here okay we're trying not to go
off on tangents too much sober said
temporary but it was going to be a RV
ice dream because the baron cutler said
no and slowly here it is 1961 Okay. But
all his work for eight parochial schools
you're talking about we're talking about
now from 61 till to
2023 it's probably to say that it's
trillions of dollars is probably not
said enough trillions of dollars that
saw benefits from it but I was sending
Shiva so Rabbi Aaron Tski who did a
tremendous amount of work for my father
on the legal aspects of it and never
took a
dime and as things started falling into
place and my father had first originally
a defeat in the Supreme Court and wrote
him a letter beautiful poetic letter.
It's in the book that you can't give up
hope
a poetic
letter and everybody was being and he
was putting up this battle. Erin Turski
told me during Shiva said at one point
he said I I said to
Rab if we would have had to pay
lobbyists to do the work to get any
level of success to get funding from the
government for
yeshivas it would have run into very big
money so if you don't want to take the
money personally Rab okay said 1% and
then when I was saying 25 years ago I
think it tells me it's a billion dollars
till now 1% of a billion dollars Mhm.
Now, can you imagine what it is today?
He said, "My father looked at him like
almost like a he was like upset with
him. He was disappointed. What are you
saying to me? What's the suggestion? I'm
selling my haba my ticket of haba for
money." And and he wouldn't hear of it.
And and he wouldn't hear of it. But in
the end of the day, and this is
something people need to hear, not just
subservience to people need to hear.
when my father had to prepare one of the
first presentations to President Kennedy
discussing this dream of eight parochial
schools. So, President Kennedy invited
12 different leaders of different
religions of different denominations.
There were two representing the Jewish
people, one pro my father, one con from
the federation and there were from the
paroque from the from Protestants from
the Catholics all there making
presentations to President Kennedy. My
father had to make a presentation which
seemingly he's asking for something that
goes against the American Constitution.
My father asked many Rabbon should he
wage this battle. Mostam said, "It's
this is the Yiddish word. It's a joke.
Never gonna happen. What are you wasting
time waiting a battle for something
that's never going to happen?" But the
last word was always a baron cutler. And
he went to a baron. They told the baron
this plan, let's wage a battle for aid
to yeshivas, aid to parochial
schools. So says, "Why not?" So my
father told me because it's against the
constitution. Baron never heard of the
constitution and if I said many are
telling me this word it's never going to
happen so looked at him and said to him
and this is your name my dear he said
one of the three of us the three of us
have one and we know all three of us
each one is a pillar holding up the
world one of the three of us that's the
pillar that holds up our world his name
is no sound familiar. the names Yitzk
aar says to my father even though his
name was because of the they had that
they were going to have a child but when
everyone hears the name they'll all
remember they're not going to remember
the they had it's going to right away
bring to mind that suru when she first
heard the surah they're going to have a
child she had 90 and he had 100 years
It's a joke. It's a gala. So said to my
father, why would the leave a name of
one of the
three? Why did he leave one of the names
of one of the three
patriarchs, which many will think their
first reaction hearing the name they'll
think means the negative connotation
that sorry said it's a gala. It's never
going to happen. Should have should have
changed his name to a name that doesn't
bring right away to the forefront of
one's mind. Oh, sorry said it's not
going to happen. Give him a different
name. From a public relation standpoint,
don't give a name like that.
to my father. The answer is because
wants us all to know that indeed from
what some might have called a gala an
impossibility that can't happen from
that is
born a pillar that holds up the
world. So the names had to stay and if
there will be those that will think in
it as of a negative connotation open let
them think it let them know from that
there were those that said it's from
them da da deliberately da from that is
going to be built.
So he says to my father, there are those
that say you're the battle that you want
to wage for a to pro schools is
a ta from those that are saying doom and
gloom. It's a waste of time. Okay, we
have to wage the battle. Why am I
telling this to you? My father took out
a piece of paper and a pen. And who
helped him make the legal presentation
by that meeting by President Kenny in
the White House? None other than Ma
Baron Cutler. Now Baron Cutler never
heard of the constitution. Never heard
of the first amendment at the parochial
separation church and state. Let's make
that what the words mean. And my father
would tell with a story to yeshivaite
and he would say when says
in
that not only will say the most famous
from it's not going to just bear
saying the same who never heard of the
constitution who never heard of the
first amendment
in you'll find everything you need to
have the wisdom and brilliance and his
presentation the President Kennedy that
was the forerunner of everything that
was eventually going to take place was a
presentation from Ma Baron Cotton so you
talk about my father would say people
always ask me where did you get
this to such a level of pitting your
soul my father say the truth says it's
really
aim is built into Yiddish said but the
truth is if you
seek the brilliance of these people it's
not a k that you're a in such brilliance
so even though he was a very brilliant
man my father but he saw so just that
alone here it is a baron cot telling him
they're saying it's a
gala's name for neglect was the ammud
the pillar of the world the second
patriarch that's why it stayed that from
that's when we da and he gave him his
presentation eventually that was the
forerun of all the
success for a man of the
caliber and that's when went on and they
had the next generation
of some children of the some of the but
my father would
say they have the
same as the previous generation. He
would say doesn't mean that if some
label some same level going
maybe would have been a
godl doesn't mean that the next ones
maybe yeah maybe no but he said what
does that mean he says if hashem chooses
them to be the leaders of the generation
he'll certainly give
them the exact
same he says that's all I need I okay
want to take their dishaya here which
will be a and I would look at my father
sometimes I said you know I was a young
boy then I was a little cynical the
young age you get a little better as you
get older I said to him you really
believe that that there's people out
there that's possible they could have
the same the way you saw a
baron he said absolutely he says I
believe it because I see it I believe it
because that's the survival of amus and
certainly that and only that could be
the survival
of and he believed it until this day
people that are grandchildren of
their but we have to believe they have
that and we have to
believe if if a god will be tells you
who to vote for and some of us say what
does he know let him stick to the gor my
father would say o let him stick to the
gor is a matas and that was a baron
cutler. Now I wanted to ask you, you
mentioned before about the day the New
York Times came out. Everyone knew about
it except for you growing up. You grew
up in a in a in a house in a warm house.
Your father was the warmest, most
cordial person. What What was that like
growing up? And did you know that's a
very fair question. Did you know that
you were in the presence of great
people? Very very fair question. Very,
you know, they say sometimes when you
peel the curtain away from great people,
that's when you find out if they're
really fair question. and and and
probably children really know the truth
what their parents really are, right?
Because sometimes people can fool not
the entire outside world but you can
fool many people but you can't fool your
children if your children are honest
with themselves and not just
automatically my father's is the gift to
the humanity right so children are the
really they're they're the best to so
it's a very fair question you should
know I said by my father's
laa that my father had four children my
sister Raul my sister Elki little
Shimshi and a good
And I said it and I saw was 24 25 hours
a day, seven days a
week. If there's a
problem, seven days a week. So I said by
he had four children and was in the
walls of a house. It was in the DNA of
all of us and the DNA of Clay was in all
of us and there was four children. So
many people during
Shiva they they would come in and say to
me, "Didn't you say it in the wrong
order? You said Raul, Elki, little
Shimshi, and a good he had four
children. But wasn't it the other way
around? A good was number one, and you
guys were two, three, and four." I said,
"No, if you talk to me in hours, in
time, 100% Auro was number one. But if
you talk to me about how what he showed
his children, his devotion and his love
and his caring, I don't know. I've asked
my sisters, I've asked I've discussed it
with my mother many times. That magic
that my father convinced us that he
loved us more than anything in this
world and we were number one to him in
love even though he was 25 hours a day
preoccupied and his slogan rebel the
individual ye and then the collective
organizational ye and it was truly 25
hours a day especially when we were
younger certainly but I don't know we
were not two three and four and their
good was number one there was something
in the house that he was able to
convince us, okay, that we were first,
that he loved us and we were first and
with all his love and all his belief in
that, but we were still first. I don't
know how that was. So, yes, growing up
now. So, did I know that he was a an
unusually special gifted person and that
eventually he become what people refer
to him as a
mel? It's it's a very interesting
question. He went out of his way in the
house to just let his hair down. Let us
see like I grew up he would my father
had this thing as gift that he was in
public speaking he was so gifted in
telling stories so he made up fictitious
characters that I grew up with and all
my sisters and my children was a little
younger but they also all my sister's
kids and my sister my some of my kids
when they were younger men all my kids
my father had characters they were
called Pinsle was the boy Nisha my
father's character
And Pinch's sister was Khan Fufu, right?
When Pinchi was Goldberg the
Goldberg's teacher was some lady, Miss
Maguire, don't ask me how Mr. Magguire
got. And we were brought up with
stories. Every Shabas morning at 7:00 in
the morning, I would go into my father's
bed and the landlord of our house in
Burough Park would be upstairs singing
with such a niggan all safe forum. He
was upstairs tired and we were
downstairs and every seven o'clock in
the morning I was in my father's bed
that was my time with him and he would
tell me a princle story with fufulla
with Miss Maguire Debbie Goldberg I
would walk the sh and he had all these
stories the flying suka the chocolate
matzah right and there's there are
pictures in the book towards the end
chapters that talks about the family
personal of my father sitting with
grandchildren and you look at the
picture and you can see how he's so into
the story telling his grandchildren
about and Goldberg and the flying muza
and the flying matzah and the chocolate
matzah and the flying suka and it was
always a moral at the end of the story
which almost all the time was that you
got to give your life for the next one
can't live for yourself so I grew up in
a house hey my father would he's a
regular regular daddy
but kind of yeah now was he around much
No, but the time that we had with him
those Shabas mornings or for example
going to sh every Shabas morning walking
to shul was early in the morning was
only an average of two from a unit on
every single block of bor in those
years. So I really had it to myself
walking to and you you were only boy so
you're walking your father quality time
beyond quality time. But as the only boy
I want this I wanted to ask you you're
the son of Rabbi Mosha Shar growing up
did you feel did you ever feel a
pressure they say they talk about
children of greatness children of great
men very
often they cave to the pressure it's
just too hard and they throw in the
towel I want to tell I was that ever a
struggle I I can appreciate that
certainly can appreciate that whether in
yeshiva Rabim I'm sure Rabim looked at
you and said oh I told someone yesterday
a story. I was a little
boy and other kids could have been
misbehaving. It wasn't terribly
misbehave, but doing the same thing
wrong I was doing. I wasn't
saying properly enough by kadesh. Uh I I
I I I was a little bit late for Davin. I
was a little kid. I I didn't keep curfew
to the minute. And other kids were doing
the same thing as me. But by me often
times they would say to me,
you're at Mushara's son, you can't do
this. So I told someone when I was a
seven-y old boy and I was in
campa and I came home after the summer.
Little kid told us yesterday and I said,
"Daddy, it's so difficult being your
son." Oh, really? It's so difficult
being your son. If I would have known I
was only seven, that it would hurt him,
there's no way in the world I ever would
have said it. I said, "It's so
difficult. It's so unfair. Other kids do
the same thing I do and they don't get
gay. You're a mosher son. And he looked
at me. I told his son yesterday. He
looked at me and said, "I'm really
sorry. I hope someday you'll be proud
that you're my son." Wow. But I'm really
sorry. Wow. So I told this person
yesterday many years later when my
father my father was putting on my
kit right before I'm walking down
the I took him and I hugged him. I said
it never was difficult being son. It's
the most proud thing in my life. It's
the happiest thing of my life that son
and he knew that I was referring to way
way way back way back. So before we get
to the charisma thing, we have here my
father
say my father was put out by art scroll
many many years
ago and he writes a preface he writes a
hak to his holy safer with many of his
vera it's very difficult Hebrew
but so I want to read you a closing
paragraph towards the end of his preface
to answer your question. Not did I feel
pressure and not was it hard for me, but
I want to read you what my father
obviously he thought as far as the
children. Mhm. So here it is right here.
He writes a paragraph in the closing of
his introduction of his preface almost
the very end of his preface he
writes with a special special
obligation. I'm coming here to express
as my deep deep
gratitude to the to the poor. So
great for over 40 years. No the book the
came out 15 years 15 years before.
Yep.
In my work for over 40
years to my precious dear
wife all my
work I have to
express which absolutely true as we said
before back to bread and water right
that she gave her
life in the spirit of that was so
embedded within her the fact that she
was a daughter basia
one of the greatest
in
America. Okay, my wife. Now listen to
the next
words. My dear
children, when I saw this, when this
came out, I read this paragraph. I went
running to the house. I think I was in
the house. Went running upstairs.
They
sacrificed as true Muslim they paid
dearly a very heavy
price in
that they had to tolerate a lot from a
husband from a
father that he gave up night and
day to give his life to communal work
for Savo Nome and for their tolerance
and patience have and their
understanding to let me do
it. They're worthy to stand. I read
this. I went upstairs and said, "Daddy,
what are you talking about? What did we
sacrifice?" Mommy, yeah, mommy 100%. But
we your children, what in the world did
we sacrifice? What does it say here?
deser they paid a heavy price I said the
love that you showed us what does this
mean and he looked at me said to me
really you don't feel that way I said
absolutely not and when I said by the
laba he had four children I deliberately
said how good is she so was the fourth
maybe timewise not but it was the fourth
but obviously by my father if you would
have asked him the question did we feel
pressure did we feel that sacrifice he
obviously lived his whole life. Uhhuh.
He was cognizant of that. Yeah. Feeling
that thing and and it was so far from
true. I made a statement by his Levia in
front of tens and tens of thousands of
people. I made a statement and I
said for the last 20 years of his life,
he was the busiest man in the world. The
last 20 years of his life, I never
missed a day that I didn't say hi on the
phone to him. Unless he was so there are
people that told me during Shiva I think
Rabbi Risen for told me he had balab and
his told him that they heard that that
spoke to his son every single day the
last 20 years of his life. What father
when you're not busy at all speaks to
his son every single day married son
right and they he told me there were
people in his said if Rabbi Sher could
do that with his son they want to commit
themselves to do the same thing. As I
said, and the reason that was is because
my father was truly my best friend in
life. Wow. And people came to the shim
and said, "How could you even say that?"
He said, "The man was so busy with CLO."
I said, "It's true, but to me, he was
daddy Pinskll and Kafu and it all." And
to me, it wasn't this business with the
sacrifices. How he managed to do it, I
don't know. But I want to get back to
something you said before. We talked
about charisma. So we talk about you you
asked about bital subservient
subjugation the dasta talked about that
for him that was he saw it almost as not
even a challenge because he saw it proof
in the pudding from parl's genius look
what he did JFK years later people would
give him all the credit that would
happened to him all the monies that went
to yeshivas my father said one second I
had a partner I had a speech writer I
had a partner a baron cutler like give
him give him credit
my My father was very very gravely ill
towards the end.
So one of the last
visitors that my mother allowed in
because not only because the situation
was so grave then but you wouldn't
recognize here he is that melik look
what you described in the beginning in
he was really all the treatments it was
very difficult to very it took a real
toll
but there is an art book on his
life
came and he asked my mother if he can
come special from Toronto just for 10
minutes, just wants to come. Of course,
he didn't say to say goodbye, but that's
in essence what he was doing. And he
came to see my father. When he came to
see my father, he was certainly one of
the last that we my mother let in. They
had unusual closeness and respect for
one for the
other and we all walked out of the room.
So the gist of the conversation, we'll
never really know in its entirety what
it was. But when we came back, we were
able to pick up on some of the things my
father said to us that what Mr. Rashman
must have said to him in the give and
take of that conversation for the 10
minutes. Came back in the room and
somewhere in the middle of the
conversation my father says to me like
this says I don't know books going to be
written about me articles going to be
written. So obviously Mr. books,
articles. I'm a man of history. I said,
I don't know if any of this is true. So,
obviously, whatever he I don't know if
any of this is true. Books, man of
history, I'm I'm a legendary all. He
says, I don't know if any of this is
true. He says, but I want to ask you a
favor. He
said, "If ever people," he says, "if
they're ever going to write about me and
they're going to attribute a part of my
success with theat desire that I had
that he was saying he was so weak at
that point, but he wanted me to hear his
point. If they're going to attribute
that I am a man blessed with great
charisma and
charm." Now, it's obviously something
Mr. who must have said something along
those I don't know he said I don't know
how it was said or maybe he implied it I
don't know I have no idea what that
conversation was my father loved him
respect him so I have no idea what that
said but if it's going to be said he
kept saying I don't know if they're ever
going to write about me I don't know man
of history I don't know but if they're
going to write about me that a part of
my success was due to my charisma and
charm says please my son don't let that
be said listen to this so I look at him
I said to
Daddy, you said this before. I said,
"Daddy, who in the world, Jewish world,
not Jewish world, who has more charisma
than you? Who has more charm than
you?" Like, it's true. Who has more
charm than you? Rabbiank when Debbie
told him he can't grow a beard and he
was astounded and said to him because in
my opinion says in kazal ponim usually
means a beard but sher's case maybe
you're a part of your success for cla
representative in allim whatever it
might be maybe it comes because of the
way your hide pun is without your beard
and then he said to my
father if I'm not right?
that doesn't oblige you. It's a sophic
if I'm right. And even if maybe I'm
right, you can't grow a beard. My father
was like astounded sitting there. So
here he is. I said to my father, what's
going to be so wrong if they say as
Rabbiti His just said a very true
statement, who had more charisma and
charm than him? So he said like this,
this is so important. He
said just parathetically that period of
time Bill Clinton was president of the
United States and he was going through a
very difficult time right there on very
it's always has to do with Jews whatever
it is a very difficult time he was going
through because of his quote unquote
charm right so he says to me like this
my
father says every Friday night you sit
down and you sing
And you proclaim the words
of charm. Charm bluff. It's absolute
bluff. He
charisma
bluff. So he says to
me, you start your shabas proclaiming
it's bluff.
And then you eat the shabas and he sings
and then you're about the
bench and we
beseech and we
ask he says what just happened to you
started your suda
proclaiming it's bluff and you end your
suda
of what happened in the course of the
suda What he asked is a friendic like
like what's what's happening to you? So
I remember I don't remember if he said
it from an or he said it from somebody
his mom is talking so low he was like he
says the answer
is if will ever be defined in English
incorrectly as charm and
charisma which he said was which was
really what's reserved for politicians
the charming the
charismatic when we define it that
way comes along slam initially he says
or is it a bluff? It's one big bluff.
But if aid understands that the
word cannot possibly mean charm and
charisma because at the end of benching
we
say so he says to
me says so I want to ask you something
what was charismatic to the he was
charming
to beseeching the atm
give me charisma in's eyes. He says from
that you
see can never be defined as charm and
charisma because that's bluff and she
has no shech can't
have
a has
no English
definition but when we ask
forem he says you know what that is
in we
What's we ask gives us a that we should
have what should
have should be
a
divine divine. We asked to repent,
please give me
that something from the divine. That's
what we ask for. So if it's is Bill
Clinton's, it's the
politicians. If it's that you're going
to be to be able to build an
organization
with that's not charm and charisma. If
anything, it's antithetical to charm and
charisma because that's bluff.
It's given you a ghetto. He says so
please don't let it be said that I had
charming but throughout the Shiva every
politician that came the first thing
they would say to me from Giuliani on
everybody they would talk about my
father's integrity mask that he never
asked anything for himself every time he
asked for a favor he never asked
anything for himself
never and the next thing they would all
say I still rings in my ear every
politician would come and says and his
charm and his charisma nobody had such
Then you would think back to what he
said. I think back then this is what he
would say. And there there are many yin
that you look at them they will get
benched with
unusual. Take for example
pal. Nobody could tell me and and and it
would maybe if you if you're not a
thinking person you would maybe say
Rafal he was very charismatic and very
charming. But when you think about what
my father was teaching me at the very
end of his life, you can't say that
about Raam or I would be remiss if I
didn't say right
now. He's
tako. You're going to come to me as a
tell me he's very charming and very
charismatic. When I was a young man, I
would have said, "You're dawn to right.
He's right." But when I heard this
lesson from my father, I said, "Whoa,
whoa,
whoa." has the DNA of
his divine that they have within them.
And that was
the that my father and uncle Mik and
those that were theim and
the there was a that they had that that
was a that was emis and through emis you
could conquer the whole world and it
wasn't just charm and charisma but when
the books come out about my father and
all the articles that come out about my
father I got to make this speech hang up
a sign please don't say that he had
charm and charisma because if I would
sell it to someone he think he would
think I'm nuts. How could you say it?
You said it right in the beginning of
this conversation. I didn't know when I
said that that I was open up a Pandora's
box. It's true what you said. It's true
what you said. It's not true what you
said. And it's really true what you
said. Now there there are many people
listening. Many people are going to go
out now and especially in honor of the
25th yard site to buy the book to remind
themselves of of who we who we missed,
the void that was left. Uh really
irreplaceable. Really irreplaceable. He
was he was one in a generation. I don't
think we've had anyone be able to step
into those shoes. Bend told me many
times he had a very close kesha. He for
a small period of time even worked with
my father in the youth division before
he
to full time. He told me that he took
his young children to my father's
la and he told his young children then a
statement that he says at the time he
knew was true but as years went on he
said it's more true now than even when
he said it then and he said it wasn't
something that he had ever said he told
his young children in the car I don't
know if it was another way to home for I
don't know he said to
them what you are here this
la he is truly
irreplaceable cannot be replaced. And
when he said it to me, I said, "Listen,
the brother should make sure everybody
will have a replacement." He said, "No,
no, no. If you understood really what
your father was and what he was, he
cannot be replaced." So, I don't know. I
I believe will give us people, but
that's a word that he told me as the
older he gets, the more he he believed
that that's true. There's no question
that there no Minska in his hespid in
one of his opening line said how
grateful we have to be to
the that he gave us this maton for our
generation. So yeah no question. What
would you think is the takeaway for
simple people like us whether people who
are involved
inadus and especially those people who
are not right. So so number one you
spoke you spoke about your father's
devotion to his family. That's vital.
You spoke about his deference to to what
you he lived his life knowing he had a
responsibility to claw yourself every
rebu and every individual. But I would
say in campa that very last summer that
his doctors did not want to let him go.
No, it wasn't the last summer. It was
during it was right after he he went
into remission baram for a few years. It
was the summer right after he had gone
into remission. And the doctors were
afraid that he should be surrounded with
little children in the camp. They used
to hug him and he used to make a whole
spiel when he came to the camp. And the
doctors didn't want to let him go. And
my father felt he had to go. It was his
life. The
camps just to see the shakind in a camp
and he had to go and the doctor finally
gave permission. They made a deal with
the doctor that he won't shake anyone's
hand. He didn't even keep the deal.
Yeah. The whole famous story. when he
got up to
speak he was really he was a skeleton of
himself. He eventually did get back to
that charisma and all that. But that
summer came to the camp was after going
through treatment came to the camp and
he said
kind as long as
the gives me air in my lungs to breathe.
I will go around telling people you
cannot live for
yourself. You must live for others. And
then you are first glow how do you
translate glick in English then you are
first lucky whatever I don't know
fortunate fortunate lucky some words in
Yiddish have no then your first glickl
when you realize you can't live for
yourself you have to live for everybody
else the first takeaway
is so we're too small we're small people
and gives all of us you
give there are certain that we literally
could emulate and it's not just giving
you means he gives you the tools the
wherewithal and the capability to have
the that we're talking about. So
everyone you can't live for yourself. I
would look at my father's little boy but
say that was my time my private time. My
sister didn't even have that. That was
me. I used to tell him get up and come
to sh and you'll have it. And so often
he would tell me she
everybody could be me. Now, when I was
younger, I then I clearly didn't realize
who I had as a father, but I did realize
to a level, this was going on after that
New York Times thing that I didn't know
about, right? At first, I knew about it
in school. And he's telling me,
"Everybody could be me." He says, and I
couldn't understand what he meant. He
said, "If everybody would live their
life and no, you were put in this world
on a mission. We're all put in this
world on a mission and we're given the
tools to tools to execute and the tools
to be successful on that mission." And
we would understand a big part of that
mission is you can't live for yourself.
You have to live for others and then
know you'll be fortunate for yourself
when you do so. He said, "Then anybody
could be me." Now, of course, that's
uh not exactly right, but but what he
his point was true that those were his
marching orders. Yeah. Everybody were
here on a mission. You you live you
can't live for yourself. Just want to
end this whole thing before we close
because I'd be remiss if I didn't say
this. In the Rabbi Mayor's lad's
biography, it says that once we were
walking home, I believe it was Simra and
Rabia was very very young and my father
loved him so and then he eventually
became my older
brother and I believe it was in the
afternoon that my father met him on the
street. My father hugged him and kissed
him. Not something he did very often but
people in the street and afterwards and
he walked away and my father
said, "See this fellow mayor? He's so
brilliant and so
bright. He's gonna make a major
contribution to Claio. I looked at him
said, "Wow, I know at that time I think
maybe then no. Yeah, maybe I think he
had a few kids, but I knew him. He
started off as a campa stole him. Camp
Mon take all the talent they used to end
up camp right but what he's going to
make a major country. He's so brilliant
and so bright and it's in the book that
my father made that prediction of Amea.
My father had a gift from the Aisha that
he was able to assess talent talent and
believe in them before they believed in
themselves and one of those people was a
mayor. My father had a special reverence
and love for Abnus by sermon without a
question but may as a young man and a
kesher to my father and my father
believed in him told it to him and I'm a
young boy standing my father I think we
were walking to Ma on 14th Avenue and
Barakar and he was walking I don't know
and my father said that now that part's
in the book I believe not in that book
just I'd be remiss if I didn't say this
to you not in that book but I believe
it's one of Rabbi Cronhn's books but
maybe it's in the Rabbi Zawit's
biography But in somebody's it says that
I had a close relationship with
me and the first shabas that our moved
into a beautiful building no longer
being in a basement rented from a
yeshiva and we moved in and gave us the
honor that they came to our shabas for a
kdish and no nobody was coming for me.
They knew that my father was coming that
shabas to honor me being there for
Shabas. Nobody came for me. Anyway,
mayor already was having a difficult
time walking in life. It's hard to walk
as even earlier years. He walked very
far and he walked to camp for davening
that shabas.
Now I think it's in Rabbi Cronhn's book
or it might be in one a recent book or
might be in the biography of of
of says and he said he came because he
wanted to give me and he wanted to show
me how much he believed in me. This is
what this what it says in the book.
What's missing whatever book it's in
either Rabbi is Bessa's book or one of
Rab was missing is the real part of the
story which is when I came to the Shul
that Friday night in the new building of
Ashul there were boxes and boxes and
boxes many many of brand new sedurum for
the shul boxes and boxes and boxes of
kum for the sh and each one each one and
you were talking many many many many not
like one bag of many. Each one had
inside a sticker in honor of the RV.
Wow. Okay. Each one. So when he came
Shab this morning to the shul a big walk
for him and he came to mazak me because
he believes in me and all that. Said to
mayor I'm so touched that you walked so
far. I believe Gdalia Reb gadalia now I
believe he walked with his father at
Shabas. I said to Mayor I'm so touched
that you walked there me but I said but
you know you're here for my father. He
said to me absolutely not. I'm here for
you. You'll hear my father speak. He
said, "I'm here for you. I speak to you,
Father Lord. I'm here for you." I said,
"Maybe I have only one question for you.
Besides, I'm so grateful you walked."
What do you give me so many boxes? What
does the shoe have at this point? 30.
What What did it have in there? So, you
could have given one box would have been
ample sufficient for what the Killing is
right now. One box of one box of
kamoshim. But you you can't imagine how
many boxes you come to the still that
those those boxes and boxes of sudurum
and he looks at me and says to me, "Let
me tell you
something. I was giving all these
sudurum not for this shabas. I believe
in you and I know that you're going to
make it in this field and this kah is
going to be successful." And that's what
I was doing. I was giving the boxes for
the future, not for today. I looked at
him. I said to him, "Mayor, it seems to
me that what you're doing is
reciprocating the belief that my father
believed in you. You're reciprocating
that and you're trying to show me you
believe me." I said, "There's only one
difference. I'm not Mayor Ladawitz. My
father believed in you." He says to me,
"No, no." He says, "There is no
difference as far as me and you may
lit." He says maybe the difference is
I'm not Ramos believing your father was
Abasher believing in me and he
reciprocated with such a belief in me
mayor that throughout the years
reverberating and resonating off the
walls of Alakahil on not only a major
amount of art swarm that he would
constantly send but was the belief not
me a belief in a cahila a belief in a
kahila that Ramea that forever and ever
our kahill and me personally Okay. Have
such a debt of gratitude to a man who
was a
visionary unparalleled. There's no way
to
describe
now. But for me personally that it
wasn't even true. What's what's he
believe? Who am I? Who am I? But he gave
me that shabas the walk but all those
boxes and all the
stickers that was something uniquely
special about Raa that's
what really is the
fundamental of the of
the of the art
scroll
that nothing nothing was insurmountable
if you
follow as he so did okay there's nothing
insurmountable so for me to be here
today on a very personal level I'm
sitting here with you I have such from
you on a very personal level on many
levels but the my father had
from that the my father would have
from the
whole here
the truth is that the circle circle. It
came full circle with the publication of
my sitting here today. It comes full
circle. Comes full circle that the
stickers in the Surim his walking to my
and it wasn't just one box and I looked
at him like he was off his rack. It
comes full circle in the belief that my
father had in him which was there. It
was warranted there. It made sense. His
belief in me made no sense. But it was a
of my life and it was so similar coming
back to the very beginning of our
conversation to a baron cutler told a
man 30 years old. Okay, there's much
bigger things in life for you than
anyone shu and my father took that and
my mother said back to bread and water
but they believed in that. I thank the I
believed in people such as my dear dear
Rebellia who was the driving push for me
that seven years ago by the 25th
anniversary of was the only time he ever
came to flat pbush for a shabis he
surprised me to be part of our kah's
celebration of that 25th
anniversary at the time when they pushed
me to become a wasn't something had any
any for whatsoever for 100 reasons but
my father said to
How could you not listen to your then
you said besides for the fact that they
happen to be right but it doesn't need
to hear right not right how could you
not listen to them and mayor was one of
those that pushed me so in such a big
way that besides for all the other love
that I feel for him that spills down to
his children he spoke by every one of my
children's sim may really and I spoke by
many many many of his kids simas even
though he would get nervous you're
speaking too as I am now here. But he
would say, he would say, "You're
speaking too long, but I'm going to
still ask you next time." Which you
did with
continued to give out the true
unadulterated unadulterated. No
compromising. Unadulterated.
as my father did in as our school is
doing through
this and together we should
be with all these Jews and my father was
first thing he's going to tell me when
he comes back when comes don't
forget I know is going to tell
me okay we should be
together amen thank you again my great
honor
[Music]