| Dear
Sandy and Judy,
I had
the pleasure of meeting Jascha in law school. He and I were in the same
section during our first year, so we had all of our classes
together. As countless others have described him, I found Jascha
to be a compassionate and caring person. He also had the ability to
bring humor and laughter to any situation.
I would
not characterize my relationship with Jascha as "close."
Clearly, there were others in our class who knew him better than myself.
There were others, unlike myself, who socialized with him outside of
class.
However,
I have never been as affected by the death, and ultimately the life, of
someone as much as I have with Jascha's. When I received the phone call
from a classmate that Jascha had died, I was shocked. To some degree, I
still am. Jascha's funeral was perhaps the most fundamentally moving
experience of my life. The outpouring of support and compassion for your
family was inspiring. The stories and memories invoked by this
outpouring of love brought tears to my eyes.
Looking
back, I did not appreciate how much Jascha had affected me. It was not
until services the Friday following his funeral that the full force of
Jascha's death hit me. As the familiar sounds of the Kaddish began, I
lost whatever composure I had.
I think
I now realize why Jascha's death affected me to such a great
degree. In Jascha, I saw all of my hopes, fears, and dreams. His
death forced me to examine my own life. How many times have I driven
through that same intersection on my way to court? It may be an overused
saying, but it is true: you need to live every day to its fullest,
because no one knows when our time in this life is over. Jascha's live
was a brilliant example of how to live this precious gift we are
given.
I will
forever miss Jascha. My deepest sympathies are with you and your family
always.
One
more quick story. Shortly before his death, Jascha and I saw each other
for the last time. It was just outside the doors to the Circuit Court in
Macomb County. I think we both had motions up that day. We only had the
chance to speak briefly, as we had "important" legal work to
perform. Although few words were exchanged, that last encounter
with Jascha remains with me today. Even though he was walking with
others and was in mid-conversation, as soon as he saw me, and our eyes
met, he did not hesitate to stop and say hello. Typical Jascha.
That's why we loved him, and that's why we will always miss him.
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