Page 43 - issue
P. 43
Death of A Salesman 39
Eretz Yisrael
My parents had tremendous hakaras hatov to Hashem and
to America and were very patriotic. I remember the tears in
my mother’s eyes when she sang “G-d Bless America.” Yet
both my parents had a special place in their hearts for Eretz
Yisrael, and they instilled a strong love for Eretz Yisrael in my
sister and me. My sister was born in 1948, and my parents
named her Aviva from the Hebrew word aviv, springtime, the
season when Israel became a state. I guess you could say we
were ardent frum Zionists.
It was my parents’ love for Eretz Yisrael, I am sure, that
helped my sister Aviva and her husband Uri Sondhelm to
make aliyah with their family after living in Baltimore for
many years. Prior to the move, my parents had been able to
enjoy the entire mishpacha being together in Baltimore. This
enabled their son-in-law Uri and daughter-in-law, my wife
Ronnie, and all the grandchildren to be close to Opa and
Omi. They all had the zechus to learn so much from them.
Time Out for Kids
Busy as he was, Dad always made special time for his kids:
an occasional sports outing, sleigh riding, family trip, or vaca-
tion. We would go to Atlantic City as a family or to the moun-
tains or to Bethlehem, New Hampshire. I loved business trips
with Dad, and it was on those occasions that I learned the
kavod habriyos he had for all people. He was a wonderful
father, and he got tremendous simcha and nachas from his
many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Today, baruch Hashem, great-grandchildren carry his
name, Avraham. There is Avraham Goldstein, son of Rabbi
Yossie and Devorah (Sondhelm) Goldstein of Beit Shemesh,
Israel; and Avraham “Avi” Schlossberg, son of Mark and
Shavy Schlossberg of Lawrence, New York. Another great-
grandson, Avraham Shalom, was born in 2005 to Dr. and
Mrs. Menachem Walfish, in Kew Garden Hills, New York.
Fond Memories
When I think of Dad, I think of his sweet smile and the twin-
kle in his eyes. I see a true eved Hashem, a sincere, ehrliche
mentsch with a great sense of humor and a lively, fascinating
personality. Dad was a professional salesman, an honest
businessman, a talented musician, and a friendly, kind, con-
siderate, and charitable person. Dad had a great deal to sell,
and he sold it to everyone with whom he came into contact.
In actuality, what he had to sell was free for the taking. His
commission was making people happy. He made people feel
good, and they enjoyed being around him. For all of us, he
was an example of what it means to be an eved Hashem. Dad
taught us just by living his life. Yiddishkeit has lost a great
salesman who was a true kiddush Hashem to all.◆
This article is part of the author’s soon-to-be-released mem-
oir, My Shtetl Baltimore.
u 410 358 8509 u
Eretz Yisrael
My parents had tremendous hakaras hatov to Hashem and
to America and were very patriotic. I remember the tears in
my mother’s eyes when she sang “G-d Bless America.” Yet
both my parents had a special place in their hearts for Eretz
Yisrael, and they instilled a strong love for Eretz Yisrael in my
sister and me. My sister was born in 1948, and my parents
named her Aviva from the Hebrew word aviv, springtime, the
season when Israel became a state. I guess you could say we
were ardent frum Zionists.
It was my parents’ love for Eretz Yisrael, I am sure, that
helped my sister Aviva and her husband Uri Sondhelm to
make aliyah with their family after living in Baltimore for
many years. Prior to the move, my parents had been able to
enjoy the entire mishpacha being together in Baltimore. This
enabled their son-in-law Uri and daughter-in-law, my wife
Ronnie, and all the grandchildren to be close to Opa and
Omi. They all had the zechus to learn so much from them.
Time Out for Kids
Busy as he was, Dad always made special time for his kids:
an occasional sports outing, sleigh riding, family trip, or vaca-
tion. We would go to Atlantic City as a family or to the moun-
tains or to Bethlehem, New Hampshire. I loved business trips
with Dad, and it was on those occasions that I learned the
kavod habriyos he had for all people. He was a wonderful
father, and he got tremendous simcha and nachas from his
many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Today, baruch Hashem, great-grandchildren carry his
name, Avraham. There is Avraham Goldstein, son of Rabbi
Yossie and Devorah (Sondhelm) Goldstein of Beit Shemesh,
Israel; and Avraham “Avi” Schlossberg, son of Mark and
Shavy Schlossberg of Lawrence, New York. Another great-
grandson, Avraham Shalom, was born in 2005 to Dr. and
Mrs. Menachem Walfish, in Kew Garden Hills, New York.
Fond Memories
When I think of Dad, I think of his sweet smile and the twin-
kle in his eyes. I see a true eved Hashem, a sincere, ehrliche
mentsch with a great sense of humor and a lively, fascinating
personality. Dad was a professional salesman, an honest
businessman, a talented musician, and a friendly, kind, con-
siderate, and charitable person. Dad had a great deal to sell,
and he sold it to everyone with whom he came into contact.
In actuality, what he had to sell was free for the taking. His
commission was making people happy. He made people feel
good, and they enjoyed being around him. For all of us, he
was an example of what it means to be an eved Hashem. Dad
taught us just by living his life. Yiddishkeit has lost a great
salesman who was a true kiddush Hashem to all.◆
This article is part of the author’s soon-to-be-released mem-
oir, My Shtetl Baltimore.
u 410 358 8509 u
