Tennis

Swimming

Gymnastics

one of those moments in time where -
the community was given an opportu-
nity to be one.
A private joke. Steve had private
jokes with so many. We talked all the
time about "signing the papers." We
liked each other's children, and we
were going to "sign papers" to match
them since about the time they were
10. Before we moved to Baltimore,
Steve's words to me were, "Don't for-
get, you signed an agreement."
Were he only here to hold me to it.
The Wednesday before his death, I
had an opportunity to visit Steve. And
again, it was so, well, so Steve. He was
asleep in his bed. There was one friend
saying tehillim (prayers) by his bedside.
Others sat around the bed watching
him and making small talk. One
friend, knowing I was back from Bal-
timore, asked about Tamir Goodman,
the Orthodox high school basketball
phenom who will be attending the
University of Maryland in two years.
There we were, sitting around the
bed of our dying friend, talking about
basketball. I think Steve, who I'm sure
heard us, loved it.
Friends remained at his bedside
until the early hours of the Morning,
and then some. Steve Levitz made
Shabbat a beautiful thing for a small
number of neighbors in Southfield.
On Sunday, the funeral procession
left Chesed Shel Emes. It made stops
at the Sally Allen Alexander Beth
Jacob School for Girls and at Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah. At both stops, the
prayer, El Moleh Rachamim (Oh God,
full of mercy) was recited. A light
snow blanketed the serenity of the
scene.
A friend told me he almost expect-
ed Steve to come out of the Yeshiva
and say, "Okay, can we get this traffic
moving, I'm busy."
"Steve taught his friends that when
you focus on something, you focus on
it with your entire being," said Hos-
pice of Michigan Rabbi Bunny Freed-
man.
Steve, I still disagree about some-
thing with you. Yes, it's important for
spirituality to come from within. But
if you could ask the guys who davened
at your house Friday night, they'll tell
you that you, Chayala and your home
brought it out of all of us.
I cannot believe that I'm writing
this column about you now. I wish I
could read it to you. On second
thought, you'd ask me why I was even
interested. Then you'd say "Forget it,
you want to go to a Wings game?"
Anytime, Steve. Anytime. 7

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RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIPS AT OUR TWO LOCATIONS

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2 / 1 2

1999

Detroit Jewish News

29

