A friend departed
My friend and great teacher Rabbi Bernard Lipnick passed away on April 20. I had the amazing fortune to spend some wonderful hours with Rabbi as we began to write the companion biography to a book of his sermons that he was putting together. As we discussed those sermons and made plans for a series of interviews to be conducted by members of our congregation, he expanded on his Rosh Hashana sermon, showed me pictures of a younger Bernie Lipnick and then told me the story of why he never served in the military. It wasn’t for a lack of trying to be sure.
You see, Rabbi had been a friend to me and my wife’s family for many, many years. He had even touched my mother’s family by serving as a Rabbi in Palm Springs. But for me, sitting with him in his study, going through the box of sermon’s he was to prepare, he sprung on me this final boat ride. “It will be my last trip,” he said. “I hope you aren’t upset that I am going. I was worried you would be mad that I put a crimp in our plans.” Of course I told him we would work around it and communicate via email or however else we could. That was Rabbi though, worried about me. He would be going on the trip of a lifetime with Harriet around the world and he was worried about me.
When he patted me on the back as I walked him to Minyan and watched him great everyone as warmly as the next person, he told me how excited he was to write the biography to go with his sermons. There was a gleam in his eye as he told me good bye and went inside. I had the sad feeling that the smile and warm handshake was the last I would lay eyes on him. I almost broke down in front of him and almost, not quite, but almost, begged him not to go.
My Last Pictures of Bernie – Images by Drew Selman
It is incredibly fitting that he should pass on the Anniversary of Israel’s independence. This giant of a man marched in Selma too and after I got off the phone with the nun that walked with him, Sister Antonia Ebo, I am reminded at just how giant of a man he was. But, for all of it. For all the fights for Israel, for equality for all people regardless of race, gender, orientation or disability, he was my friend.
With a heavy, heavy heart I went to his funeral and then followed the hearse to the cemetary where I helped bury him with a scoop of earth with an overturned shovel, so its harder to do. I said Kadish and I cried. I said good bye to my friend and great teacher and then turned back to writing his biography.
Thank you Rabbi for all you have meant to this community and to the world. I will not let your legacy go unheralded to the obscure pages of history. You have taught us so much and still have more to teach. Your warmth and “booming voice” will not slip our memories. I won’t let it happen. Good bye my friend and Godspeed.
