BOAORKT S
A RABBI SHARES
LIFE LESSONS FOR ALL
By Aaron R. Fodiman
I am a great believer in fate, destiny and the fact that as
much as the world has grown, it is still a “small” world.
When this book crossed my desk, I immediately decided
I didn’t like the title, and since I do judge books by their
covers, I set it aside. Eventually, I picked it up again because
I was raised in a family where the highest compliment that
could be paid anyone is to call them a “Mensch.”
In fact, all through my life, that is how I wanted people to
see me. For those of you who do not know what a “Mensch”
is, I can only explain that it is a Yiddish or Jewish word that
has a multitude of meanings, ranging from a gentle man, to
a saint, or in the case of Jews, a prophet. However, my view
of a Mensch was and is anyone who you admire because of
their kindness, honesty, generosity, integrity, or any multitude
of desirable traits or actions. If someone was extraordinarily
good, they would be elevated to the status of not just a Mensch,
but a “real Mensch.”
I picked up the book to see why I had left it on my desk and
not moved it to another pile of books that I had no intention
of opening. As I began to read about the author, I learned he
was the rabbi at a temple in the town where I grew up, and
although my family belonged to the other synagogue, was
struck by the coincidence. Therefore, I opened it at random
to read a passage here or there to see if maybe I could learn
something from this man with whom I suddenly found a
connection. Lo and behold, the page I turned to was about
Mel Allen. To many, Mel Allen was the best sportscaster
ever and was known as the voice of the Yankees, but to me he was one of my parents’ best friends and the
epitome of a “real Mensch.” He and his parents, the Israels, and his brother Larry, shared Jewish holidays
and special occasions with our family. My father and Mel were about a year apart in age and Mel, who was
from Alabama, had the same southern psyche as my New Orleans born and raised mother. At this point, my
eyes welled up with tears. This coincidence was not something I was prepared to deal with unexpectedly.
In this book, Rabbi Joshua Hammerman writes about officiating at Mel’s funeral, and as I read his account
of this man I remembered so well, I realized that I was meant to read this book of 42 essays, each with its
own message. The author’s views on civility and the importance of character are certainly evidence that he
also is a “real Mensch.” 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mensch.Marks – Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi – Wisdom for Untethered Times
by Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is available on amazon.com.
126 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019