Israel Matzav

Lowi the Levite passed away

This is a bit off topic, but it's a great story that was shared with me by GP, who has been a friend for longer than many of my readers have been alive.

Lowi the Levy [Levite. CiJ]walked out of Dachau literally without the shirt on his back and ended up a multimillionaire in Beverly Hills and one of the gabbaim [managers. CiJ]in shul [synagogue. CiJ]. Stood 4 feet tall, weighed 90 lbs soaking wet.

When I got divorced and was at Stanford I davened [prayed. CiJ] there all the time. He pulled me over and explained that none of these people were real Jews because they Daven [pray. CiJ] to a Santa Claus who does nothing but celebrate their good fortune and answers their every wish and demand. But now I will learn the true secret of tefila [prayer. CiJ] out of terror of hakadosh Baruch hu [God. CiJ], that

ראשית חכמה יראת ה׳

[The beginning of wisdom is fear of God. CiJ] and we two can sit and Daven [pray. CiJ] together in fear and terror of what the slightly mad & unscrupulous Omnipotent One might do next to us, the heck with these idiots clueless in their wealth and luxury.

So all through my divorce and loss of children, loss of wealth, loss of good name, Lowi the Levy and I had our own private little pew amidst the oblivious larger minyan [prayer quorum. CiJ]. We would study the second Tochacha [set of curses - Deuteronomy 28. CiJ] together, over and over, and its 4 very significant distinctions from the gentler first Tochacha [Leviticus 26. CiJ].

He shows up at mincha [afternoon service. CiJ]one day with the biggest black guy you ever imagined on the face of the earth and helps him stutter out Kaddish [mourner's prayer. CiJ]. No one questions Lowi the Levy. The gorilla of a guy comes back the next day, and the day after, sits quietly with Lowi the Levy and they say Kaddish slowly together. No one dares ask. Turns out it is Lamar Odom, All Star for the LA Lakers basketball team who tragically lost a 2 year old son and had no vehicle for grief. The guy knows Lowi the Levy (don't even ask...) who convinces him to come say Kaddish in the afternoons before home games. Lamar turns out to be a huge Chevraman [socialite. CiJ], gives a great kiddush [food buffet. CiJ] on Shabbat yahrzeit [the Sabbath before the anniversary of a relative's death. CiJ] and to this day is a welcome "member" of the shul.

Only in Beverly Hills.

One of the truly great mentors of my life.

Nice story, huh? May Lowi the Levy's memory be blessed. And yes, the picture at the top is Lamar Odom, now with the Mavericks.

Labels: Jewish

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:43 AM