ROBERT L. NOVAK EULOGY
BY RABBI MAYER H. MAY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2007

BEFORE THE MUSSAF SERVICE ON ROSH HASHANA, THE CANTOR CHANTS HIS PERSONAL PRAYER – “BEHOLD, HERE I AM, TOO INSIGNIFICANT FOR THE TASK AHEAD.”

AND YET, I FEEL COMPELLED TO EXPRESS MY LOVE TO A DEAR, DEAR FRIEND – A BROTHER – WHOSE IMPACT ON ME AND UPON ALL OF US WAS SO PROFOUND AND SO MEANINGFUL.

NO DOUBT, WE ARE ALL IN SHOCK BY THE PASSING OF OUR LOVED-ONE, OUR COLLEAGUE AND OUR FRIEND AT SUCH AN UNEARTHLY AGE.  INDEED, THOSE OF US WHO STUDY THE TORAH, OFTEN QUESTION WHY THE FIRST TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE GIVEN ONLY TO BE IMMEDIATELY BROKEN – YET WE KNOW IN OUR HEARTS, THAT WE DO NOT JUDGE LIFE BY ITS QUANTITY, BUT BY ITS QUALITY, AND BOB’S LIFE WAS LIKE AN EXQUISITE CRYSTAL – MANY FACETS, AND MANY SPARKLES, IT HAD SO MUCH MEANING AND PURPOSE AND WILL HAVE A LASTING AND ENDURING LEGACY.

20 YEARS AGO, I HIRED BOB AFTER MEETING HIM FOR AN HOUR AND WALKING THE MIAMI BOARDWALK – WE BOTH KNEW THE TRUTH.  I WAS HIS BOSS, BUT HE KNEW MORE ABOUT FUNDRAISING THAN I WOULD EVER KNOW.  AND HE WAS ALWAYS VERY PATIENT WITH ME AS THE YEARS WENT BY AND I LEARNED THE TRADE FROM HIM.

TO BE SURE, BOB NOVAK WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING WELL OVER $50 MILLION IN MAJOR GIFTS FOR THE SWC, MOT, AND FOR OUR MORIAH FILMS DIVISION, TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST THROUGH OUR FILMS; AND NO ONE WAS MORE INSTRUMENTAL IN SECURING THE CAPITALIZATION OF MORIAH FILMS, THAN BOB NOVAK.

HE WAS A FEARLESS “ASKER,” WHO BELIEVED SO DEEPLY IN OUR MISSION, THAT IT WAS ONLY NATURAL FOR HIM TO WADE IN COLDLY, WITHOUT RESERVATION, WHERE EVEN THE OTHER TRIED AND TRUE PROFESSIONALS WOULD HAVE FEARED TO TREAD.

HE WAS A MASTER CULTIVATOR, MOTIVATOR, NEGOTIATOR, AND SOLICITOR.  HE WAS TENACIOUS AND NOT EASILY FRUSTRATED.  HE WAS UNSTOPABLE AND NEVER SATISFIED.  IF HE RAN A DINNER AND DID NOT PERSONALLY CALL 500 PEOPLE, HE CONSIDERED HIS EFFORT MEDIOCRE.  WHO CAN FORGET THOSE HANDWRITTEN YELLOW PADS WITH PAGES AND PAGES OF NAMES OF PROSPECTS TO BE CALLED?

MY FRIENDS, I HAVE LONG CONSIDERED, WHAT  SECRET DID BOB KNOW THAT MADE HIM SO SUCCESSFUL AND SO BELOVED?

IN THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION, MOSES IS COMMANDED TO COUNT THE JEWISH PEOPLE.  THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME AND SINCE THE LAST TIME, HOW MUCH OF A CHANGE COULD THERE HAVE BEEN?  SO, ASK THE COMMENTARIES, WHAT’S WITH THE COMPULSIVE COUNTING?

RAMBAN TELLS US THAT THIS TIME MOSES WAS INSTRUCTED TO PERSONALLY COUNT THEM.  EACH AND EVERY JEW WAS TO PASS BEFORE HIM FOR HIS BLESSING AND HIS ENCOURAGEMENT.  AND HE WOULD KNOW BY LOOKING AT THEM AND INTERACTING WITH THEM, THEIR PARTICULARS AND THEIR NEEDS.

EXPLAINED THE RAMBAN, THERE ARE TWO PURPOSES OR GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACT OF COUNTING.  IN THE FIRST CASE, ONE SIMPLY WISHES TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS, “HOW MANY?”  IF ONE WISHES TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN HIS POCKET, HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT INDIVIDUAL COINS OR BILLS.  JUST THE TOTAL!

BUT THERE IS A SECOND KIND OF COUNTING -- LIKE THE COUNTING OF DIAMONDS, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN ONE SAVORS EACH PARTICULAR GEM THAT HE IS COUNTING.  OR SIMILARLY, WHEN COUNTING PEOPLE, OFTEN THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS NOT THE HEAD-COUNT PER SE, BUT TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE EACH INDIVIDUAL.

BUT, HOW COULD MOSHE KNOW ALL THE MYRIADS OF PEOPLE PERSONALLY TO BLESS THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS?  AFTER ALL, THERE WAS MORE THAN 600,000 MEN ABOVE THE AGE OF 20!

THE TRUTH IS THAT MOSES DID NOT ALWAYS KNOW THEM SO INTIMATELY.  AFTER THE SIN OF THE GOLD CALF – MOSES IS COMMANDED TO GO DOWN FROM MOUNT SINAI BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAD SINNED.  MOSHE RESPONDS, “LAMA YECHERE APCHA B’AMECHA?”  WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME ANGRY WITH YOUR NATION?  MOSES IS ACKNOWLEDGING HERE THAT THESE ARE NOT TRULY HIS PEOPLE, EVEN NOW, BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE PERSONALLY!

BUT, WE ARE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A SILVER LINING TO THE BREAKING OF THE TABLETS, BECAUSE THIS WATERSHED EVENT LED TO A  TRANSFORMATIONAL EVENT – MOSES WENT FROM BEING A MERE DIVINE EMMISARY, TO THE TEACHER AND MENTOR OF ISRAEL WITH ALL THAT THAT ENTAILS.  HE EMERGED AS MOSHE RABBEINU – MOSES, OUR TEACHER.

AS RABBI OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, HE HAD TO LEARN ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF HIS CONSTITUENTS.  MOSES WAS NO LONGER CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MANY JEWS THERE WERE, BUT WHO EACH AND EVERYONE WAS AND HOW HE COULD BEST SERVE THEM AS INDIVIDUALS.  THEY WERE NO LONGER SIMPLY, “YOUR PEOPLE,” THEY WERE HIS PEOPLE.

AND THIS WAS BOB’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS, AND A MEASURE OF HIS GREATNESS.  BOB KNEW MORE PEOPLE THAN ANYONE I KNOW, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, HE CARED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE – THEIR BIRTHDAYS, THEIR FAMILY HISTORIES, THEIR INTERCONNECTING LINKS.  HE LOVED PEOPLE – HE SERVED PEOPLE – HE HONORED PEOPLE!

BOB’S FRIENDS WERE SO MANY, HE COULD NOT KEEP COUNT OF THEM, BUT EACH ONE COUNTED IN HIS HEART, IN HIS MIND, AND IN HIS SOUL.

BOB’S LOYALTY KNEW NO BOUNDS AND HE DEMANDED LOYALTY IN RETURN. 
WHEN HE FIRST GOT SICK, HE WANTED HIS OFFICE TO SEND A NOTE TO JUST A FEW FRIENDS, TO LET THEM KNOW, BUT THE LIST WAS IN THE HUNDREDS.

BOB LOVED THE SWC AND HIS PASSION AND DEVOTION TO RABBI HIER, TO ME, AND TO ALL OUR COLLEAGUES WAS UNPARALELLED; AND HE WAS A TIRELESS WORKER WHO WOULD DO WHATEVER HE WAS ASKED.  NOTHING WAS BENEATH HIM IF THE SWC MISSION WAS AT STAKE, OR THE HONOR OF ONE OF HIS COLLEAGUES.  LONG TIME SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER TRUSTEE, IRA LIPMAN CALLED ME THIS AFTERNOON TO EXPRESS HIS LOVE AND RESPECT  FOR THE INTEGRITY OF BOB’S SERVICE.  HE PRAYED FOR HIM FROM THE DAY HE BECAME ILL, TWICE A DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY.  AND SO, THE SWC FAMILY IS CRYING TODAY AT THE SIGHT OF OUR BROKEN TABLETS.

BUT NOT JUST HIS COLLEAGUES ARE MOURNING; EVEN OUR OWN FAMILIES ARE MOURNING.  UPON HEARING THE NEWS, MY WIFE, SHULAMITH AND ALL SEVEN OF MY CHILDREN CRIED – MY MARRIED CHILDREN AND SINGLE CHILDREN KNEW BOB, CARED FOR AND ADMIRED BOB, AND THEY TOO ARE BROKEN.

AND I HAVE LOST A BROTHER.  THERE ARE TWO BIBLICAL BROTHERS, WHO, NO MATTER WHAT STOOD FOR UNITY WHEN ALL ELSE FAILED – BENYAMIN AND JOSEPH.  I AM NO JOSEPH, BUT BENYAMIN NOVAK WAS A TRUE BENYAMIN.  I COULD ALWAYS TRUST HIM!
 
HE AND I LOOKED AFTER EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME; DEFFENDING EACH OTHER; CHALLENGING EACH OTHER; EVEN RELAXING TOGETHER.

ONE DAY, ACTUALLY IT WAS RABBI HIER’S 60TH BIRTHDAY; WE HAD A FREE AFTERNOON WHEN ALL OUR APPOINTMENTS FIZZLED.  BOB SUGGESTED THAT WE GO TO A BALTIMORE ORIOLES’ GAME AND HE SPENT ALL AFTERNOON HAWKING CAL RIPKIN FROM THE SIDELINE, BEGGING FOR AN AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALL.  BOB DIDN’T WANT THE BALL FOR HIMSELF, BUT TO GIVE RABBI HIER A MOMENTO ON SUCH A MILESTONE BIRTHDAY!

AND WHEN I MADE A WEDDING FOR MY DAUGHTER, CHANA, IN LOS ANGELES, I IMPOSED UPON BOB, A MASTER ORGANIZER AND EVENT PLANNER, TO HELP KEEP THE WEDDING ON SCHEDULE.  AND HE CAME TO LOS ANGELES WITH HIS TUX AND RED BOWTIE, JUST TO LOOK OFFICIAL!

WE WERE SO CLOSE, THAT HE HAD NO COMPUNCTION WHEN HE CAME TO NEW YORK TO MEET HIS SURGEON AND ONCOLOGIST, TO INVITE ME INTO THE EXAMINATION ROOM WITH EDIE AND HIM.  THE DOCTORS TO THIS DAY COMMENT THAT THEY NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH A SCENE – A PATIENT, HIS WIFE; AND THEIR RABBI.  AND IT’S APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME, THAT I THANK SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER TRUSTEE, AND CHAIRMAN OF MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK, PETER MAY, FOR ALL HIS EFFORTS TO GIVE BOB A FIGHTING CHANCE AGAINST HIS DISEASE.

AND IF HE WAS SO GOOD, AND SO COMMITTED TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND TO HIS CLOSEST ASSOCIATES, HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO MEASURE HIS LOVE AND DEVOTION TO HIS FAMILY?

I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW BOB ONCE TOOK A LONG AWAITED TRIP TO ISRAEL WITH HIS FAMILY.  NOT ONLY DID HE TAKE EDIE AND THE GIRLS, BUT HE ALSO PAID FOR EDIE’S PARENTS AND HIS MOTHER TO JOIN WITH THEM.  AND HE SEATED THE 3 PARENTS IN FIRST CLASS, EVEN AS HE SAT IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN!

HE CARED SO MUCH FOR HIS DAUGHTERS AND WORRIED ABOUT THEM, TOO!  TOGETHER WITH EDIE, HE WOULD GUIDE THEM TO BE COMPASSIONATE AND CARING WOMEN.  EVERY THANKSGIVING WAS SPENT FEEDING THE HOMELESS AS A FAMILY COMMITTED TO TEACHING THEIR VALUES OF GIVING AND SHARING WITH THOSE LESS FORTUNATE.  THEY EVEN VISITED OUR DONORS IN HOSPITALS TOGETHER, AS BOBBY MADE MORNING ROUNDS AS GOOD AS ANY DOCTOR.

HOW, SO MUCH, HE WANTED TO FOLLOW IN MY SHOES – TO WALK HIS DAUGHTERS; RACHEL, JESSICA AND ALEEZA DOWN THE AISLE TO A CHUPAH AND THEIR JEWISH SPOUSES.

AND HE HAD NO CLOSER PARTNER THAN HIS BELOVED, EDIE.  AFTER EVERY ONE OF OUR BUSINESS MEETINGS, I WOULD TOUCH BASE WITH RABBI HIER AND HE WOULD SHARE THE NEWS WITH EDIE.  NO DETAIL WAS TOO SMALL, AND NO OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, TO INCLUDE, WAS LOST.

THEY WERE AS DEPENDENT UPON EACH OTHER AS ANY COUPLE I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.  THEY COULD NOT BEAR TO BE APART.

EDIE WAS THOROUGHLY DEVOTED TO BOB FROM THE MOMENT HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THIS HIDEOUS DESEASE SHE NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE.  [EDIE] YOU SLEPT ON COTS FOR DAYS ON END, EVEN AFTER BOB’S GRUELING 10-HOUR SURGERY IN NEW YORK, AND THE EXCRUCIATING AND INTERMINABLE WAIT FOR THE RESULTS OF THE SURGERY, YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE HIM, EVEN FOR DINNER.  EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN MOUNT SINAI’S INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, RECEIVING WORLD-CLASS TREATMENT, YOU WOULDN’T ALLOW ME TO STAND THE FIRST NIGHT’S VIGIL. 

NEXT WEEK, ON THE HOLIDAY OF SHAVOUT, WE WILL READ THE BOOK OF RUTH.
A MANS DEATH IS MOST ACCUTELY FELT BY THE WIFE HE LEAVES BEHIND.

EDIE, I KNOW THAT TODAY YOU FEEL THAT YOU CANNOT GO ON, AND THAT LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING WITHOUT YOUR BELOVED BOB.  BUT YOU CAN GO ON, AND EVERYONE HERE, AND EVEN THOSE NOT, WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY FEEL FOR YOU AND ROOT FOR YOU AND YOUR GIRLS.

THE MIDRASH TELLS US THAT WHEN A PERSON’S TIME COMES TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT WORLD, HE OR SHE WILL BE ASKED THE FOLLOWING QUESTION, “DID YOU MAKE YOUR FRIEND YOUR KING?”  BOB, YOU CAN ANSWER THAT YOU MADE ALL YOUR FRIENDS KINGS.  AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WERE A GIANT, A GENTLE GIANT AND YOU WERE OUR KING!

MAY YOUR SOUL BE BOUND UP WITH ETERNAL LIFE AND MAY DEATH AND TEARS BE SWALLOWED UP FOR EVER.
AMEN.