Dr. Adler kept me alive while I was a student at YU. During my first year at YU, I struggled a lot with mental health issues. As a student in the honors program, I crossed paths with Dr. Adler very frequently, but my introversion and depression prevented me from ever speaking with him. After he heard of my intense interest in neuroscience, Dr. Adler came over to me and asked to talk. This conversation quickly switched from intellect to emotions, from professor- student to father-son mechanisms. He probed, gently. He cares, deeply. 

Fast forward a year: we became best friends. We emailed, spoke on the phone and in person every week. I’d go to his office once a week to chat about life, Neuroscience, and health- both his and mine. I worked in a lab down the hall from his office, and very frequently I’d see him working late; I’d pop into his office and remind him to go home and relax. 

Why do I say he saved my life? He pushed me- constantly- to deal with my mental health issues. He really pushed me. He’d email me reminding me to see a therapist or meditate that day. He forced me to care for myself beyond what I was comfortable with doing. 

After I graduated, the one person at YU I stayed in contact with was Dr. Adler. I had a deep love for this man. I cared for his well being, and the feeling was mutual. When things got hard in life, I emailed him for career and life advice. I can’t get into the details, but I must telll you one thing: when everyone else stopped caring, he didn’t. He cared so much. And he didn’t let politics or rumors get in the way. 

Yes, taking many courses with him at YU was superb. I have endless stories about those classes. But my story is far beyond his amazing classes; it’s about who he was. In my darkest time, a professor across the country took the time to guide and help me. 

I wish I could go into more detail as to why I say I’m alive because of him, but I can’t. But I’d like his family to know that Dr. Adler saved my life. He was a father figure to me. He never gave up on me. He pushed me. He made me grow. He was gentle and kind beyond words to me. I will always miss him. 

Sheila was going through my father's Judiaca books and came across the Tanach that I gave him that I receieved from my swearing in ceremony at the Kotel over 15 years ago.  This picture shows the inscription that I wrote to Pop when I gave him this Tanach:

My dad made all his grandchildren, biological and step grandchildren, as well as his kids and step kids all feel special.Zaidy/papa got down on the floor to Ted and play with all the kids. A highly intelligent and academic genius, he was loved by do many.

Papa metany if my friends in LA and Israel. He also knew many friends from when he was Dean at YU.

I spent many single years visiting my dad and stepmom for Rosh Hashana, and then single, married, and as a mom at my stepmother's Pesach program.

Papa was Dean at Penn and gave me my diploma when I graduated. He also came to Canada from NY when I received my MA in education, with honors, and reading specialist credential from Cal State University Northside.

In addition to making us all feel loved,my dad took me and my siblings growing up to the Philadelphia symphony He would buy us hello with whipped cream, or strawberry shortcake. Intermission, my dad would buy junior mi ts and orange juice. We never had to stay through the whole concert.

I now love classical music, as do my kids. I am a voracious reader. Papa bought me a Kindle for an aliyah present. my dad knew what each child of his liked. He went with me to a museum, just me and him, to a concert and did the same for kids.y dad attended my daughter's piano recitals, talked science and gave my son dinosaur bones in a kit, played with my little one, and loved my husband like a son.

My dad talked music and halacha with my husband, spent time with us so much h that my kids and husband and miss him beyond words.

My brother, dad and I called each other always the same times. I miss you so much, papa. I just got new fish, which you also got us excited about. 

I am glad most of the days you were in the hospital I visited you. I wish you were still here.

Tanya

One of my all time favorate times of my entire  life was when my older Norman z"l would take me to the moves on Sunday afternoon to the Shore Theater  usually for horror fiilms of one sort or another.

Although the years have passed all to quickly and  the distance between Chicago Philadelphia, New York and California kept us apart much of our adult life,Ill treasure the early years growing up on the South Side of Chicago and hold them close to my heart forever.
I  love you.
Stuart 

This picture was brought to us by Harriet Elazar, a lifelong friend. If you can't tell, Norm is fourth from the left in the second row from the top. 

Dr. Adler was one of my favorite teachers ever (and I have had quite a few). He had his own style and his own way of thinking (and his own schedule) which challenged and inspired his students to think differently. We could always tell that he loved neuroscience (and music...and all wisdom for that matter) and he loved teaching students (he would sit in the sky caf and shmooze with students for hours). He also loved bringing Torah into our discussions (I remember him bringing in Dr. Feit and Chaim Soloveitchik--that was awesome). He was a real model of Torah U'Madda. I always left his class more interested than I was before. How can a teacher be more successful than that?

This was taken from when I flew in last week to visit Pop in the hospital.

He loved the hat and we shared plenty of smiles....

Thanks, Menachem Lazar, for sharing it!

When I was Director of Advising at Yeshiva College, he invited me to give a lecture to his class about Paganism and the Druids. He was a lively participant! It was a unique experience. Norm was a unique experience. I will miss him.