75 75 Hinda Mizrahi
Remembering My Brother, O
MOISHIE REISMAN, Z”L
n 26 of Tammuz, my family and I will be com- him (who wouldn’t want someone schlepping for focused on what he could do! memorating the second yahrtzeit of my brother, them?). So now he was really busy. Garbage cans Moishie never stopped trying. He couldn’t read. Yisroel Moshe z”l. It’s hard to believe that two and tools were his specialty. Schlepping, no less, but Yet he went to a daf yomi shiur daily and followed years have gone by. His effervescent personality has assisting nevertheless. Then he noticed Rabbi Basch along with his finger on the place. He attended Reb left a hole in our family which is hard to replace. (Sr.), the learning director of Camp Agudah. Again Chaim Balter’s Sunday shiur where he collected all Moishie, for those who didn’t know him, was de- Moishie noticed an opportunity for advancement the “handouts” and filed them neatly in his notebook velopmentally disabled. Yet he managed to touch so and approached Rabbi Basch and offered to carry his which he brought along every week. Naturally, when many people and accomplish so much in his short 31 clipboard. Rabbi Basch graReb Chaim had to refer back years of life. There is so much to learn from him. Ev- ciously allowed him to be his to a quote, there was only ery simcha, every yom tov, every season had its own “assistant” and follow him one attendee on whom he Moishie moments. But as life moves on and I get older, around. From then on, there could count on to have it – there is one aspect of his personality that truly inspires was no stopping Moishie Moishie Reisman. Moishie me and one that I would like to share as a zecher and in the world of conceptionsat through davening and zechus for him and his neshama. reality. He was successful, kriyas haTorah without talkAs I mentioned earlier, Moishie was developmen- yearning to achieve higher ing and was ma’avir sedra tally disabled. He knew it, and it bothered him. He tried goals. weekly. He read and said so hard to be like the rest of us. My parents told me that By the time he left – the words he knew, but he when he first went to Camp Agudah they put him in graduated – Camp Agudah, couldn’t read them all, so a bunk with children from his special needs school. Moishie amassed an impreshe gargled and mumbled But he wouldn’t stay in camp unless they changed his sive resume and was ready sounds, letting Hashem form Moishie a'h (on the right) bunk to a regular bunk. Once his bunk was changed, he to move on in life. Which the words. He didn’t let his with his brother, Shmuel Zalman wouldn’t acknowledge any special relationships with he did. The family went to disability get in the way of his classmates because he didn’t want to be defined Camp Achim and Moishie came along. He saw Rabbi doing what he knew was right. as a special needs camper. But what made Moishie so Aaron Bash, the head counselor, riding around in a go Moishie, at the young age of 31, touched thouspecial was that he didn’t wait for others to bring out cart and once again Moishie tagged along to see how sands of people. The stories we heard at shiva and the best in him or work with him to make him main- he could help. There, too, he became an invaluable as- the amount of people who came was mindboggling. stream – he, with his limited abilities, looked into him- sistant head counselor. He was given keys, a clipboard, Everything they talked about, all the stories and traits self to find what he was good at and in his own way and chores, not because Camp Achim was trying to that inspired them, Moishie did with the kochos that was determined to make a life for himself. make him feel important but because he was happy he himself recognized Hashem gave him. Moishie was physically strong and willing to do jobs that were We all have weaknesses and shortcomings. We all with tremendous energy and important to keep camp going but have things we wish we could be better at. But the strength. While he wanted to be in a not necessarily the jobs most peo- lesson Moishie teaches me every day is that while I regular bunk, he knew he wasn’t cople wanted to do. Moishie didn’t may want to be smarter, wittier, and stronger, that is ordinated enough to play sports and mind doing the grunt work if it not who I am supposed to be. G-d gave me the kochos could not excel like a typical kid. fulfilled a purpose. To Moishie, it and talents to accomplish what I need to in this world. So rather than sit on the ball field wasn’t about the job; it was about It’s not about what I want, it’s about what I am supand sulk about what he couldn’t the results. He worked his way up posed to do, what my tafkid is. For that I have the do, Moishie focused on what he to assistant head counselor, secu- right tools. Rather than focus on what I don’t have or could do. He could run ahead of rity chief, COO and CEO all with can’t do, I need to focus on what I can do, what I am the groundskeeper and lift the garthe good graces of the hanhalah good at. As mentioned, Moishie was a real person, no bage cans into the go-cart before of Camp Achim. He even became fluff no bluff. He meant it all –and that is what enthe groundskeeper had a chance a “judge” during color war. By deared him to everyone. He didn’t have many capato get off. Soon enough, whenever now there was both the conception bilities but what he had was all real as opposed to havthe boys were outside playing ball and reality. He really did achieve, ing many capabilities with little truth and sincerity. and Moishie saw the groundskeeper he really did grow, he really did Moishie was the assistant wherever he was. The coming to clean the fields, Moishie work, and he really filled a void. assistant garbage collector, tool schlepper, learning was one step ahead, helping him. Moishie became wildly popular director, the assistant head counselor, the assistant to When he realized the groundskeeper with songs and cheers. His sincer- the COO and CEO at Chap-A-Nosh, the assistant gabmade an early morning run to clean ity, his truthfulness, even his na- bai in shul…yet he left a void that is hard to fill. In Avraham Yitzchak, Shmuel Zalman, the camp, Moishie was up bright iveté, made him a loveable, true- some places, they filled it with more than one person. Shaya and Moishie and early to help. It didn’t take hearted and trusted person. In some places, they couldn’t fill it at all. That’s the long for him to become the assistant groundskeeper at During the year, he started out as delivery boy for other part of Moishie’s lesson. To be valuable and to camp. Not because Camp Agudah was being nice to Chap-A-Nosh because he loved to schlep and use his leave an impact in this world. You don’t have to be strength. But before long, his willingness to help get the top person, the one in charge, the CEO. You just him, but because Camp Agudah appreciated his help. Then he decided to give himself a promotion. He things done made him an invaluable worker. There, have to be the best that you can be. observed the handyman going from bunk to bunk too, he rose to be the assistant to the CEO and COO. May the lessons learned from his accomplishschlepping his tools. Moishie offered to schlep for Moishie didn’t focus on what he couldn’t do. Moishie ments be a z’chus for him. Yehi zichro boruch.
T hT He EJ Je EwWi sI ShHHHoOmMe E nn jMuAY ly 2147,, 2012 2014
In Memory