“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln
As a long standing friend of Shirley and Itzie I had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Itzie for almost 5 decades. We became acquainted in the summer of 1971. They had their Yisroel, who was 18 months and I had my two children, Tobi and Yitzi. Little did we know at the time that our friendship would span nearly half a century.
There are a plethora of memories — too many to mention here—but when I reflect back at what is most salient—I would have to say it was the Shabbosim spent at Shirley and Itzie’s home in Brooklyn, New Rochelle and Manhattan. Their home always exuded the beautiful spirit of Shabbos. Itzie’s erudite and interesting d’vrei Torah were a joy to listen to—always engaging and intelligent The conversation at the table, was vibrant and the topics, varied. Itzie was so incredibly knowledgeable about a multitude of things and when he shared his insights, it was always articulate, perceptive and astute. As their guest, it was a true delight for me. I got to know their friends and it was obvious how admired and beloved they were, both individually and as a couple. It was a pleasure to be enveloped in their world.
When I was moving from Brooklyn to Manhattan in 1998, there was a 3 month interval between selling my home and the completion of construction on my apartment. I was prepared to take a sublet in Manhattan for the interim, but Shirley and Itzie would not hear of it and insisted I stay in their guest room. The New Rochelle guest room, which served as Itzie’s work space, and in spite of that, he graciously and warm heartedly relinquished it to me, Those were a magical 3 months spent at the Friedman home. This enormous kindness, extended to me by Shirley and Itzie, with such love and hospitality, will never, ever, be forgotten.
This is just a mere snippet from a multitude of memories. Itzie embraced life with both arms, and all its many facets — his family, his work, Torah and learning, helping others, traveling, art, biking, running, reading, music — and is a shining and exemplary example of putting so much life in his years.
He will be dearly missed!
With love,
Edith