Memories, 2010
From Tani's Friends:
From Adam Kromer Tani’s Dear Friend,
“Dear Maggie and Jerry,
8 is such a big number. I found it quite unbelievable to read this. I am in India and will not be able to come but I wanted to tell you that I still think of Tani quite frequently. He was a dear dear friend and your house was always a wonderful place to visit.
Yesterday I remembered the time when it snowed just a week or two before Tani's death. We walked on the train tracks, covered with fresh snow, to where now is the fancy bar area. Then there were just a few old buildings there and we climbed to the second floor of a crumbling shack and sat there on broken plastic chairs looking at the snow. It was basically a piece of junk in the middle of all the white, but I remember it as a calm palace.
Memories... I guess that is what we have now. I bet that shack is also long gone.
Lots of love to all of your family.
Love,
Adam”
From Yonina Murciano-Goroff, Tani’s Friend from the American Bronfman Fellows, 2001
“Dear Goodman Family,
I hope that this note finds you well. I was an American Bronfman Fellow the year that Tani participated, and I still feel constantly grateful to have had contact with someone who was truly such a great tzadik. (righteous one)
Tani had a special vibrancy. I remember his absolute excitement about everything from the beauty of the stars over the lake at the Bronfman retreat in Connecticut to his joy in teaching the group the dance routine for "noladeti la-shalom". He was always anxious to share with others. Even just the way that he taught a new nigun (tune) on Shabbat made clear his love of teaching and his ability to be a great leader.
What most struck me about him, though, was his pride in being Jewish. He knew what his ideals were, and he pursued them with total dedication. In particular, I remember being quite moved when he said that the greatest compliment anyone could give him was to say that he had lived a Jewish life. It's a motto that I regularly quote in his name, and that I come back to in shaping my own path as a Jew.
Tani continues to serve as a model and inspiration for me - and I know for many others- of what it means to live a Jewish life.
May his memory continue to be a blessing.
Yonina Murciano-Goroff”
From Michal Gaizer, Tani’s dear friend {translated}
“Maggie and Jerry Dears,
I know that the memorial for Tani took place today and I missed so much not to have been there. Idit told me that the talk by Micah was amazing as usual, I do not doubt that. I am with you from far away, (New Zealand), and think of our dearest Tani more than just once. I wish you only good things, and send you many hugs and kisses.
Much love, Michal”
From Boaz Shifman, Tani’s dear friend from Hartman High School
“Dear Maggie and Jerry,
I'm sitting in a hostel in El Kalafate Argentina, and I wanted to write to you about a something that happend to me this week.
As you may have noticed I was not able to be at the "yardsite".
On tuesday I was in the middel of a Treck in "Tores Del Piane" in Chile. During the treck I was sitting in a beautifull place on the shore of "Lagoon Gray" that is full with icebergs, it was very cloudy and I found a nice place alone to try and connect to Tani and you guys in Israel.
I started singing "Beshem Hashem" and then a strong, beautifull and warm sun beam came out thru the clouds and I felt that Tani is smiling back at me.
It was just an amazing feeling, I was sitting there for a while and talking to him, trying to imagine how things would be today with him alive. Ohc, I miss him so much!!
Thats it. Just wanted to share it with you guys and tell you that I wish I was there with you guys.
Shabbat Shalom!
Love you guys,
Boaz.”