What a douche bag...

They affect the little people, the people that make the university run. The administration is the bread and butter of the university. Had all the senior staff taken a two percent cut it wouldn’t have been necessary to cut all these jobs for the people that aren’t making that much money… Richard Joel makes half a million dollars a year. Why didn’t he take a pay cut?

Wall Street, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is NOT so good.” And you didn’t even have to go to a fancy Business School to learn that! Just ask 90 year old former retiree Ian Thiermann who had to abandon his retirement after losing his life savings of $750,000 to Madoff. Thiermann, who used to own a pest-control company in Los Angeles now works in a grocery store handing out fliers. Yup. That’s perspective for you.

Anyhow, you can see the full text of Yeshiva University President Richard Joel’s letter at the Jewish Star.

Hat Tip: Dani the lazy bastard who really should have written this post…

2008 has not been a good year for the perception of some prominent Jewish businesspeople. First there was Virginia Beach, and then Iowa. And now, this morning’s papers have news of a new outrage. The Chairman of the YU Sy Syms (”An Educated Consumer is our Best Customer”) School of Business has been acused of creating one of Wall Street’s largest ponzi schemes. Bernard L. Madoff, 70, a top trader, has been accused of a massive fraud, with estimated losses of $50 billion. His firm operates funds with $17 Billion in assets.

Mr. Madoff was released on a $10 million bond. “Bernie Madoff is a longstanding leader in the financial services industry,” said Daniel Horwitz, one of his lawyers. “He will fight to get through this unfortunate set of events.”

Hillary Lewin (pictured on the right) is a PhD candidate at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (Yeshiva University) and spent five memorable weeks in Mumbai with Yeshiva University on a Global Health Seminar. Rivky Holtzberg is pictured on the left. Thanks to Menachem Butler for helping bring this article to us.

To Rivky and Gabi: My Heroic Friends, Role Models and Family in Mumbai, I Will Miss You Very Much

Many of you first heard of the Holtzberg family three days ago when news of the Mumbai hostage situation emerged. I feel compelled to write this letter, because I want the world to know who Rivky and Gabi Holtzberg were in life and to tell you what I witnessed of their accomplishments in their brief 28 years on earth. While I am devastated by their death, I am thankful that my life and so many others were touched by their purity, friendship and spirit.

Before I entered the Chabad house in Mumbai, I thought, “What kind of people would leave a comfortable and secure life in a religious community to live in the middle of Mumbai; a dirty, difficult, crowded city?” As I got to know Rivky and Gabi over the course of this past summer, I understood that G-d creates some truly special people willing to devote their lives to bettering the world.
I was first welcomed by Rivky, who had a big smile on her face and her baby Moishie in her arms. She ushered me and my fellow travelers into the Chabad house and immediately offered us something to eat and a sofa to rest on. We quickly became good friends. We bonded with the Holtzberg family and the staff at Chabad, including Sandra, the heroine who saved baby Moishie’s life.

Like his parents, Moishe is a sweet, loving, happy baby. He was so attached to Rivky and Gabi. He got so excited to sing Shabbat Z’mirot (songs) every Friday night with his father, and I could tell by the light on Gabi’s face when they were singing together, that he looked forward to it too. It breaks my heart that I can still hear Moishie’s voice calling, “Ima, Ima, Ima”, and she will no longer be able to hold him or rock him in her arms.

On my second Shabbat at Chabad, Rivky told me there were two Israeli men staying at the house who were just released from an Indian prison. When I saw these men sitting at the dinner table, I was startled. One man had only a front tooth and a raggedy pony tail, and the other looked like an Israeli version of Rambo. I observed the way that Gabi interacted with them and how they were welcomed at the Shabbat table the same way everyone else was, and my fears melted away. Over the course of the night, I learned that these men were not the only prisoners or ex-convicts the Holtzberg’s helped. Gabi frequently brought Kosher meals to Israelis in prison, spent time with them, listened to their life stories, and took them in after their release.

I realized that Gabi and Rivky’s job was not only to run a Chabad house and provide warm meals and beds for weary Jewish travelers, it was much greater. The Holtzberg’s were running a remarkable operation. They took their jobs as shlichim (emissaries) very seriously. Their lives never stopped. There was no such thing as “personal space” or “downtime”. The phones rang constantly, people came in and out like a subway station, and all the while Rivky and Gabi were calm, smiling, warm, and welcomed everyone like family.

Rivky spent each day cooking dinner with the chefs for 20-40 people, while Gabi made sure to provide meat for everyone by going to the local markets and schechting (koshering) chickens himself. They also provided travelers with computers for internet access, so that they wouldn’t have to pay for internet cafes. They even took care of our laundry. Having spent much time abroad, it was clear to me that Rivky and Gabi were unusual tzadikim (righteous people).

On my last Shabbat in India, I slept in Rivky and Gabi’s home, the 5th floor of the Chabad house. I noticed that their apartment was dilapidated and bare. They had only a sofa, a bookshelf, a bedroom for Moishie, and a bedroom to sleep in. The paint peeled from the walls, and there were hardly any decorations. Yet, the guest quarters on the two floors below were decorated exquisitely, with American-style beds, expansive bathrooms, air conditioning (a luxury in India) and marble floors. We called these rooms our “healing rooms” because life was so difficult in Mumbai during the week. We knew that when we came to Chabad, Rivky and Gabi would take care of us just like our parents, and their openness and kindness would rejuvenate us for the week to come.

The juxtaposition of their home to the guest rooms was just another example of what selfless, humble people Rivky and Gabi were. They were more concerned about the comfort of their guests than their own.

The Holtzberg’s Shabbat table was a new experience each week. Backpackers, businessmen, diplomats and diamond dealers gathered together to connect with their heritage in an otherwise unfamiliar city. We always knew we were in for a surprise where an amazing story would be told, either by Gabi or a guest at the table. For each meal, Gabi prepared about seven different divrei torah (words of torah) to share. Though most of them were delivered in Hebrew (and I caught about 25%), his wisdom, knowledge and ability to inspire amazed me. Rivky and Gabi were accepting of everyone who walked through their doors, and they had no hidden agendas. Rivky once told me that there was one holiday where they had no guests. It was just herself, Gabi and Moishie. I expected her to say how relieved she was not to have guests, but she told me it was, in fact, the only lonely holiday they ever spent in India.

I remember asking Gabi if he was afraid of potential terror threats. Although his demeanor was so sweet and gentle, Gabi was also very strong-minded and determined. He told me simply and sharply that if the terrorists were to come, “be my guest, because I’m not leaving this place.” Both he and Rivky believed that their mission in Mumbai was far greater than any potential terror threats.

Everything Rivky and Gabi did came from their dedication, love and commitment to the Jewish people and to G-d. I cannot portray in words how remarkable this couple was. If there is anything practical that I can suggest in order to elevate their souls, please try to light candles this Friday night for Shabbat, improve relationships with family members and friends, try to connect to others the way that Rivky and Gabi did- with love, acceptance and open arms. There is so much to learn from them. May their names and influence live on, and inspire us in acts of kindness and love.

Sincerely,
Hillary

Last week, a friend returned from a trip to Egypt and the pyramids. “Was I interested in a trip there,” she asked. “No,” I responded, “I was already there, thousands of years ago, in Goshen and at the Sea.” I thought, I have no desire to return to Mitzrayim; I could get cucumbers and garlic at the local grocery. I had no intention in getting stuck in mitzrayim again.

Professor Joy Ladin

Ladin, 47, returned to YU this semester as Professor Joy Ladin. Still an excellent teacher and administrator – just dressed differently from before. While some embraced her and learned from her courage, others were horrified and feared that it would hurt YU in its pocketbook. That saddened me. Here was the opportunity to open wide the tent of observant Judaism and teach Jews of all ages that all are accepted. This chance was sullied by thoughts of the potential damage to institutional development’s bank accounts.

But no matter what fund raisers, administrators, rabbinical leaders and students will say, either yeah or nay, Ladin is there and teaching. YU is the only known religiously conservative university to employ a tenured transgendered professor, and University President Richard Joel told a local NY newspaper that, “I’m proud of my university and all my faculty.” Thanks. Talk about checkbook Judaism. My check is in the mail in support of Ladin. Maybe the naysayers will see that doing the right thing has economic benefits.