Eulogy for Cantor Issac Goodfriend 20 Av 5769 Aug 10 2009

I am sure we have all attended funerals of loved ones who have lived long and full lives. On those occasions it is not unusual to hear the funeral be described as a celebration of the life of the deceased. My dear friends I do not intend to celebrate the life of the Chazzan at this time. I intend to mourn his loss and to share the grief that I and many of you feel at this moment. Nor do I intend to review the litany of worthy organizations and noble causes that the Chazzan identified himself with throughout his very full and active life. I will leave that for the obituaries and other memorial services which I am sure will follow. Right now we want to say goodbye to our dear Chazzan who will be taking the first step in his journey to find his appropriate place near the heavenly throne by leaving from here to Eretz Yisrael and we want to express how diminshed we feel because Isaac Goodfriend will no longer be among us.
Of course this was short notice for many of us but I want to applaude the family for moving swiftly to bring their dear father to Israel because Betty is waiting for him and we don't want to keep her waiting.

85 years ago Shaul and Pesha Goodfriend brought their son into a world that would soon cease. The Goodfriend family were close and devoted Chasidim of the Alexander Rebbe who chasidus was arguably the largest in Poland. Young Issac was realted on his mothers side to the the illustious Rabbi Meisels Chief Rabbi of the city Lodz. His Uncle served on the bes Din of that prominent Jewish center. Young Issac was raised in Jewish nobility and steeped in chassidic tradition. On the High Holidays the Chassidim would travel to celebrate the holidays with the Rebbe. Annually the rebbe of Alexander would compose a new niggun or tune to be sung during the services. Before Rosh hashanah a select group of chassidim would gather at a secret location where they would be taught this years new release so that they could be the choir. Shaul Goodfriend was in the choir. As a little child Issac was posted as a guard outside the door to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. Soon he grew and his talents were noticed and he was no longer outside the door. Issacs world was filled with Holy men, saints and sinners. Characters, colorful people passionate people devoted people. His people. And then it was all tasken away before his very eyes. From beloved family, to holy rabbis, even the town idiot all wiped out through pestilence and starvation and brutal murder. I don't need to review his amazing story of survival the chazzan left us his book. But I do need to be amazed and humbled by this mans' soul. He had evil thrust upon him yet he decided to be good. He was a product of war but lived as a man of peace. He heard the most awful screams yet produced the most beautiful sounds. How many people will reminice of their happiest moments and the sound track is the cantor. He didn't mourn the lost beauty of his rebbe and his court. He resolved to share that experience with others and that is what he did when he opened his soul in prayer before the Almighty. He didn't rail against G-d, he drew other closer to him. When we sat together in the Succah he didn't lament the lost succas of his youth he taught us what they used to sing in those Succas. In doing so he gave them life and survival because he was above all a survivor.

He survived them all and gave them life. He even survived the loss of Betty because he had to be sure she was memorialized. Last week I came to see him and he had stopped being the great converastionist we all treasured. No longer was he showing me something that he had just read in a sefer. Telling me "here take it and look at this you will enjoy it" After the sefarim piled up on my desk I had to start declining the offered sefarim. This time I walked in and sat down and he said "It was taken care of". I understood that "it " was Bettys monument. He clearly did not need to survive any longer. He had meemorialized the last soul he needed to memorialize. Now it is time to join Betty and Mark who will lead him to be reunited with his parents and family and community. And they will all journey to the rebbe and sing this years new tune.

To sons Enoch and Kim Avi and Miriam Perry and Christie your father and zayda really wasn't larger than life he was life. He gave you life but he gave us also life and we all mourn his passing.
Before I conclude with the memorial prayer I would like to add another prayer. that is a prayer for the memory of all of the martys. It was a prayer that the chazzan would recite with awesome emotion at the conclusion of Yizkor. The chazzan would sing this particular memorial prayer to the tune of the anciet yiddish lulabye oifen pripichuk. Oifen pripichuk is a lulabye that evokes warmth and security. When the Chazzan recited the prayer for the martyers he knew that they are in G-ds loving embrace. Not bitter memories but goodbye my beloved sweet dreams.