Eliezer ben Naftali Hertz, my friend

 Eliezer ben Naftali Hertz, my friend
Louis Sneh, died last night.  
He was 90 something, I didn’t 
Pay attention to that; his
Journeys, his hopes, pains, 
Sorrows, optimism, held my
Attention, as he’d speak of 
His Hungarian village and retrieving, 
Decades after deportation to the German
Annihilation factory, the Torah scroll
From which he was bar mitzvah’ed; 
Or off the boat in ‘48, and armed, off to the
Front facing the Arab legion’s onslaught;
Or collecting Leica cameras, commemorating
The heroes.  There is more to his story, 
Some of which I know, most of which 
I don’t.

He was for me a last living link, gone And now we’ve only a few left, and Books, transcripts, tapes, audio, movies, To remember, zachor, zachor. The breath Of testimony grows more shallow, and Now the duty of memory, more and More, rest on those who are distant from The event, yet witnesses to the witnesses.

We who loved Louis, and we are still Many, will try to do our best, as his Surrogates, to remember and to testify, To read Torah in Devotion to the One, and to honor All the memories, Louis’ too. Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

Louis Sneh died on my daughter’s birthday; He told me at the shiva that His feelings at her funeral Matched the Intensity of his feelings when Liberated.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet; Blessed is the true Judge; May his soul be settled in The supernal heights.