Page 78 - issue

Mr. Friedman noted that the four
ambulances standing outside were only
there because of Lonnie. After the fire
commissioner nixed the idea of the for-
mation of a Hatzalah branch in
Baltimore – since only union members
can drive City ambulances – Lonnie
would not take no for an answer. He
persistently called Mr. Friedman until
they were granted a meeting with
Governor O’Malley and Dr. Bass, the
head of Maryland Emergency Medical,
in charge of all the City ambulances.
The governor threatened Dr. Bass that,
if there was no Hatzalah, Baltimore
City’s money would be cut.
“Lonnie’s appetite for mitzvos and
chesed was contagious,” said Mr.
Friedman. “While he is no longer here
to carry out this type of chesed, himself, back in and sold him the fresh bread, means to do what he wanted to do did-
his legacy lives on through the many
people he taught – his ‘talmidim’ –
who are now carrying out the same
exact acts of chesed.”
Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, Rav of
Congregation Darchei Tzedek, spoke
about Lonnie’s roots in chesed.
Lonnie’s paternal grandmother once
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went to the bakery in Philadelphia, Rabbi Beryl Weisbord, Mashgiach,
where she lived. While she was there, a Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, emphasized,
man walked in and asked for day-old “Nothing stood in the way of Lonnie’s
bread. The baker said, “I don’t have desire. If he wanted to do something for
any.” He persisted, “You don’t have any?” an individual in the community,
The baker said no. After the man whether in chesed or Hatzalah, nothing
walked out, Lonnie’s grandmother said stood in his way. Lonnie had this koach
to the baker, “Tell him you have day-old haratzon – whether he could do every-
bread; give him fresh bread, I’ll pay the thing he wanted to do or not was total-
difference.” The baker called the man ly immaterial, whether he had the
and she paid the difference. She left the n’t play a role. If he wanted to do it, he
bakery, then returned to tell the baker, was going to do it, and he did it.”
‘From now on, whenever he comes in Nechemiah Weinreb, who had
for day-old bread, I want you to give him Lonnie as an NCSY advisor and
fresh bread and send me the bill.” remained close with him, admitted, “I
Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Lonnie’s was one of Lonnie’s ‘projects.’ I was 15
first cousin and a Yeshiva University years old when I met Lonnie. I was a
rebbe, said, “There are people who see kid who today you would call a ‘kid at
the oneness in the world, they see the risk.’ In those days, I was maybe one in
oneness in people, and they are one 10,000; today, I would probably be one
with other people. Lonnie, a”h, was a in 10. I hadn’t made it in the classroom.
person like that. He could look at a I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t learn
person and he could feel one with you. Gemara. I found no success in
We should try to look at others, our- Yiddishkeit at all, and I wanted to be a
selves, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu with half successful person, so I started
the same eyes that Lonnie, a”h, looked looking for it outside of Yiddishkeit.
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at everyone.”