A Great Humanitarian - Mark Wahlberg

Mark Whalberg in the just released movie The Gambler

The following letter written to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was written by Yanky Ostreicher on behalf of actor, Mark Wahlberg. It was first published in the New York Observer and republished in Matzav. It follows in it's entirety.

Dear Governor Deval Patrick:

I respectfully write to you today in support of Mr. Mark Wahlberg’s petition for pardon for a crime to which he pleaded guilty in 1988.

My relationship with Mark is unique, in that he can literally be credited with saving my life. Last year I was under house arrest in Bolivia following nearly two years of incarceration at Palmasola Prison, the only American among 3,500 of the world’s most dangerous criminals, despite never being formally charged with a crime. The details of my ordeal are complex, but for one to appreciate the magnitude of Mark’s actions, which eventually helped save my life, I must provide you with context, beginning with my time inside one of the world’s most horrendous prisons.

A routine business transaction inexplicably turned my world upside down. One day I was a successful businessman—a family man living the American dream—who was pursuing a venture in Bolivia. The next day I was plunged into an indescribable hell that will haunt me until the day I die. To most, hell is an abstract concept. To me, hell is an experience that has left me in a state of perpetual emotional struggle, fraught with isolation and discord. I must accept that, ultimately, I will never be able to sufficiently articulate my ordeal to another person. No frame of reference exists to communicate the Kafkaesque experience of being wrongfully incarcerated in a foreign country under such deplorable conditions.

During my nearly three years of captivity in Bolivia, many efforts were made on my behalf, including a petition to the White House, signed by over 35,000 citizens. Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey traveled to Bolivia to meet with government officials and upon return led multiple hearings in front of Congress to call attention to my situation. And hundreds of supporters attended a rally at New York’s Bolivian Mission in 2012. Sadly, all of these efforts proved futile against the deep-seated corruption within the Bolivian government and legal system, which virtually ensured that, despite my complete innocence, I would remain incarcerated for the rest of my life. My family and I lost hope that I would live to see another day of freedom. Nevertheless, the efforts on my behalf continued.

A young rabbi, Zvi Boyarsky of the Aleph Institute, began reaching out to anyone with influence who might be able to assist, and mentioned my plight to Mark Wahlberg. Mark felt instantly compelled to act on behalf of a complete stranger, his sole motivation being the desire to help an innocent American rotting in a Bolivian prison. Mark decided to make every effort to pursue my release. One of those efforts was a call to his friend, Sean Penn.

Mark considered Sean Penn’s relationship with various Venezuelan leaders—including then President Hugo Chavez—as potentially useful on a diplomatic level. He implored Sean to use his relationship as a tool toward opening a dialogue with the Bolivian authorities. Having thoroughly researched every facet of my imprisonment, Mark briefed Sean on the intricacies and persuaded him to take a dedicated interest in the matter. Like Mark, Sean was deeply affected by the insanity of my situation. Together, they agreed that inaction was simply not an option. My life was at stake, and regardless of the fact that I was a complete stranger, they could not stand by and allow a miscarriage of justice to perpetuate itself. Sean immediately initiated a dialogue with the Bolivian government.

Actor Sean Penn with Yanky while still in Bolivia and confined to house arrest

After Sean’s meeting with the President of Bolivia, I was released to a hospital weighing 107 pounds (down from 180) and subsequently confined to house arrest, still never having been charged with a crime. Over the course of the next year, while remaining under house arrest, 15 Bolivian officials—prosecutors for the Bolivian Minister of Government, an official in the Ministry of the Presidency, the Head of Internal Affairs, the judge who arbitrarily decreed my imprisonment, and many others—were arrested for their involvement in what is now understood to have been a widespread government extortion ring. As I write this, the criminals involved remain in prison.

Despite the fact that the corruption was being exposed, I remained under house arrest in Bolivia. Moreover, as additional Bolivian officials were implicated, threats against my life, as well as my attorney’s life, became increasingly frequent. I was in danger, and waiting for a release was not an option. For me to survive to see my family again, to return to US soil, I would have to escape. With the aid of experienced professionals, a plan for my escape was constructed and painstakingly executed, the understanding being that failure would almost certainly result in my death. I wish I could elaborate in greater detail, but the sensitive nature of the information prohibits me from doing so. I can simply state that I would soon find myself on a plane back to America, arriving in California on December 16th, 2013, a free man after nearly three years in hell.

This letter is written near the one-year anniversary of my return to the US, the day that I reclaimed my freedom. One year ago my parents, elderly Auschwitz survivors, put their arms around me and with tears streaming down their faces told me they were convinced they would never see me again. My children, my grandchildren, my entire family and my friends had all become resigned to the fact that I would die in Bolivia, never again to experience the gift of life together with them.

Recent photo of Yanky Ostreicher (Times Union)

I am alive today in large part because of Mark Wahlberg. That is not hyperbole. Had Mark Wahlberg not dedicated himself to pursuing my release, I would still be in that hell today, without a semblance of hope or a reason to live. I thank G-d for Mark’s efforts.

It is extraordinarily difficult for me to recount and articulate this most devastatingly harrowing experience. The mere thought of Bolivia, of a single moment in prison, is traumatizing. But this is a matter of urgency that supersedes my own struggles, because I am cognizant of the fact that without the aid of Mark Wahlberg, I would be living said trauma, rather than describing it in writing.

At the age of 16, Mark made a mistake that has haunted him each day thereafter. The assault of two young men was an unconscionable act that ought never be minimized or trivialized. However, Mark has never hid from the mistakes of his youth. He has confronted the issue time and time again, expressing not only his contrition, but an understanding that accepting and admitting one’s mistakes is necessary if one is to learn from them. How one responds to one’s mistakes is what defines us as individuals; it’s what demonstrates our character.

I know Mark Wahlberg through his efforts on my behalf. We do not socialize regularly, and I’m not a member of his entourage. I don’t attend dinner parties at his home or sit courtside with him at Lakers’ games. Rather, I know him through his actions, which are in fact the truest indicator of one’s character and one’s essence. Following my escape from Bolivia, Mark visited me, expressed his concern for my well-being and insisted that I not hesitate to contact him if I needed “anything.”

Mark has committed himself to myriad philanthropic and charitable causes over the years. He founded the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for inner city youth. He is actively involved with the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children, St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters, The Wounded Warrior Project, The Red Cross, and several other organizations and causes. He strives to be a dedicated husband and father as well.

Mark went way beyond any imaginable limit to help save the life of a complete stranger, and did so with the purest of motives. That speaks to his innate compassion and the type of person he has become since the unfortunate episode of 1988.

The Hebrew word ‘L’chaim’ translates as “to life.” It’s used as a standard toast at Jewish gatherings and celebrations, “to life!” Mark Wahlberg saved my life. He is the reason that, after four years, I lit Hanukkah candles with my children and grandchildren last month. Together, we celebrated the true meaning of Hanukkah—freedom—which had special symbolism this year given my personal struggle. I will forever cherish those moments with my family, and I have Mark Wahlberg, among others, to thank for it.

I was given a second chance at life because of Mark Wahlberg. I respectfully ask that you consider granting Mark with an official pardon, a symbolic second chance. Mark Wahlberg will continue to be a man of integrity with or without a pardon. In my opinion, his countless positive acts over the past 25 years have eclipsed the mistakes of his youth. Especially in light of the fact that the victim, Johnny Trinh, publicly declared his unconditional forgiveness, I believe that a pardon is appropriate. A pardon will serve to officially recognize 25 years of positive growth, and given the spotlight under which Mark is forced to live his life, will underscore how change is possible, and provide a source of inspiration for others who strive to better themselves.

I thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Jacob “Yanky” Ostreicher

'Today's Kids Face Greater Spiritual Challenges'

NCSY International Director, Rabbi Micah Greenland

My son in law has it right. Here is an interview with Rabbi Micah Greenland in Arutz Sheva.

Rabbi Micah Greenland, International Director for NCSY, explains to Arutz Sheva why Jewish identity - not observance - is now a key issue.

Orthodox Jewish leaders met in Tarrytown, New York last week for the OU International Convention, to discuss the future of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad. 

To understand what the Orthodox Jewish community leaders have planned for instilling Jewish values into the next generation of children and teens, Arutz Sheva spoke to National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) International Director, Rabbi Micah Greenland. 

"Spirituality in our teens really depends on exploring multiple avenues with them," Rabbi Greenland stated. "It starts with thinking outside the box:what are the avenues we can introduce our own teens to real spirituality?" 

Rabbi Greenland explained that, in his view, the foundation for a strong Jewish identity begins at home - and with the parents' example. 

"It starts with our own willingness to integrate spiritual experiences into our lives, that then we involve our kids in," he said. 

The point is not a matter of the technical details - how to keep Jewish law - but more a matter of instilling within the younger generations why it is they observe Torah law, so that their practice doesn't "fall by the wayside" after children leave home. 

To that end, he noted that today's generation faces greater challenges than before, as "we live in a socioeconomically very strong world" and "the more material wealth our kids are growing up with, the more difficult it is to focus on spiritual areas.

Antisemitic Graffiti in West Rogers Park

A lot of people seem to be panicing about this. I'm not sure this incident has risen to that level yet. In any event, this was the report on NBC in Chicago this morning.

Exodus the Movie - A Disgrace

source: the Aish website

I was kind of looking forward to seeing the new biblical movie about the great exodus of our ancestors from Egypt. I of course realize that no movie, no matter how faithful it tried to be, could ever truly depict the biblical narrative accurately. But I am always curious to see how Hollywood will treat them. 

The Ten Commandments staring Charleton Heston was such a movie. I enjoyed it, even though it had a fictional and silly story line injected into it. One that gave Moses a love interest before he met his wife Tziporah. That was a ridiculous and in my view stupid insertion to the movie - insulting to the honor of our greatest prophet. 

Nonetheless, if one factors out that part of the movie, it was a more or less faithful and reverent retelling of the story. Moses depiction was treated with the honor one would expect to give Biblical figures. The rest of the movie, I thought, tried to be as faithful to the bible as possible.

The new movie starring Christian Bale as Moses is not only irrelevant, but according to reviewer, Rabbi Benjamin Blech is a travesty and disgrace that turns the biblical story on its head and apparently makes Moses into terrible person. How sad. With Hollywood's current special effects capabilities using CGI to replicate the ten plagues, this could have been an amazing move. Instead, if what Rabbi Blech says is true, it is a piece of garbage. His review (published at the Aish Website) follows.

According to Hollywood insiders, this year has been unofficially designated as “The Year of the Bible.” As 2014 comes to a close, Ridley Scott’s just released blockbuster Exodus: Gods and Kings is just the latest in a series of major movies based on biblical themes to make their appearance these past twelve months.

In February, 20^th Century Fox made the first move with a Christian biopic based on the history Channel’s hit 2013 miniseries The Bible – a hugely successful miniseries which racked up about 100 million cumulative viewers over a six-week period, making it the third most-watched cable series of 2013. Paramount followed soon after in March with Noah, Darren Aronofsky’s reimagining of the biblical story of the flood and its survivors. April brought usHeaven Is For Real, Sony’s movie based on the best-selling book that purports to tell a young boy’s after death experience meetings with God and biblical heroes. Now, just in time to be considered for Oscars, comes Exodus: Gods and Kings, hoping to capture the huge interfaith market for whom the Bible is sacred.

What explains this sudden revival of Hollywood’s interest in the Holy Book? No, Hollywood hasn’t suddenly become transformed into a religious mecca. There’s a simple reason why the Bible today is almost as “cool” as Kim Kardashian. It’s the same reason that Willie Sutton famously gave when he was asked by an FBI agent why he chose to rob banks. “Because,” he explained with succinct honesty, “that’s where the money is.”

The Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every single year.

Here’s the result of a remarkable study. How many of the top 15 highest-U.S.-grossing movies of all time,adjusted for inflation, star comic-book characters? None. How many are based on the Bible? Two: The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur.

The New Yorker recently pointed out an amazing statistic: The Bible is not only the best-selling book of all time – it is the best-selling book of the year, every single year. Where else in the world could one find subject matter for a movie that already occupies a place of respect and reverence in the minds of so many millions of people?

And that is why what Hollywood has all too often done with biblical themes – and is most explicitly guilty of in its latest exploitation of the Bible in the filmExodus – is beyond inexcusable. It is nothing less than profaning the sacred and making a mockery of the holy.

According to a 2014 poll of 1,200 adults nationwide, 79 percent of Christians say that accuracy is important to their ticket-buying decisions when it comes to movies dealing with questions of religion. While Jews weren’t part of the poll, I would imagine that these numbers would be at least the same. Simply put, moviegoers want a biblical film that sticks to the text and gets at least most of the facts right. Watching it could strengthen their faith and add a visual component to their reverence for the text. More, parents could feel good about having their children see a faithful depiction of stories that form the basis of their life’s values and moral judgments.

So let’s get to Exodus, the movie. Moses, the man we’ve always thought of as the hero in the biblical story of the redemption of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt, is played by Christian Bale. (I’ll say nothing about the irony that only Hollywood could have turned a Christian into the greatest Jew of history.) In analyzing his role, the Hollywood Reporter quoted Bale as calling his character “schizophrenic” and “barbaric” during a press interview. Based on the script’s development of Moses’s leadership, Bale concluded that “I think the man was one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life.”

And that’s just for starters. Wait till you see the first 20 minutes of the film – Moses the warrior in Pharaoh’s army and his aide-de-camp; Moses the big- shot in Pharaoh’s cabinet; Moses in a Cain and Abel relationship with another of Pharaoh’s sons; in short, Moses the cartoon figure of the directors imagination – a director who has no qualms whatsoever in substituting Hollywood fantasy for holy book facts.

How about the miracles, though? Those who remember how Cecil B. DeMille, in an age before the amazing effects produced by digital photography were possible, managed to leave us with the powerful imagery of the splitting of the sea and the drowning of the Egyptians will be gravely disappointed to discover that this wasn’t really a miracle after all. According to Ridley Scott, the parting of the Red Sea wasn’t achieved by the hand of God but just the coincidental result of an earthquake whose timing proved exceedingly fortunate for the fleeing Israelis. And of course the plagues which preceded the Israelites departure were all similarly comprehensible as products of natural phenomena.

God is portrayed as a petulant, temperamental and impatient preteen boy.

But that still is not the worst of it. What is sure to inflame many audiences, even those willing to forgive parading fiction as fact, is the incredible decision to portray God as a preteen boy, played with the voice of eleven-year-old British actor Isaac Andrews as a petulant, temperamental and impatient deity. Representatives for the marketing firm, Faith-Driven Consumer, felt that “The portrayal of God as a willful, angry and petulant child in Exodus will be a deal breaker for most people of faith around the world.”

The film deserves to have it prefaced with a bold warning that “Any resemblance between this and the book suggested by its title is purely accidental – and improper.” But if the producers were honest they wouldn’t get the benefit of the built-in audience thirsting for Divine wisdom.

I couldn’t help thinking of the classic story about a boy coming home from Hebrew school and Grandpa asked him "What did you learn about today?"

"Well," he said, "teacher told us about Moses and the Children of Israel and the Red Sea!"

"What about them?" Grandpa wanted to know.

"You see, gramps – – the Jews were slaves in Egypt for a long time when Moses came along and organized them. They had sit down strikes and demonstrations. To make it short, they made so much trouble for Pharaoh that he finally gave up and let them go. They got as far as the Red Sea and pitched camp to rest. Moses sent up some of his reconnaissance planes – – he didn't trust Pharaoh. Sure 'nough they spotted Pharaoh's army. The pilots judged that there were about 600 tanks with high powered rifles, backed up by a large number of half tracks, artillery and infantry. All of this was reported to Moses immediately. He ordered his engineers to throw a pontoon bridge across the Red Sea. He set up road blocks to slow down the tanks and armed a rear guard with bazookas to hold up Pharaoh's forces as long as possible. When the Jews were all on the other side and the Egyptians were half way across the bridge, Moses ordered his demolition squad to dynamite it. The Egyptians and their tanks were drowned in the waters and the Jews were saved."

"Oh come on, Abie, is that what your teacher told you?" Grandpa protested in amazement.

"No..." Abie replied, "but Grandpa, if I told you what the teacher really told us – – you'd never believe it!"

And that’s how Hollywood thinks it needs to handle the Exodus.

A recent Gallup poll reveals that three quarters of the American population believes that the Bible is the word of God. To sell Exodus the movie as an incarnation of that book is a lie that needs to be severely disowned. The conclusion is clear: Exodus the book is holy; Exodus the movie is Hollywood looking for a way to make a bigger buck by masquerading its inanities as sacred.

Why It's Different This Time

Forward editor, Jane Eisner has it right: 

Somehow a line has been crossed. The November 18 attack inside a synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem feels different, cuts deeper, frightens me more and even angers me more. It is because it was an attack on Jews. In prayer.

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not diminishing the pain and injustice caused by other attacks on innocent Israelis, on buses or in pizza parlors, in schools or even at Passover Seders. And I’m not forgetting that many innocent Palestinians have died in unjust ways, too, creating in each people a communal memory of victimhood that can be ironically, tragically parallel.

But to storm a synagogue during early morning prayers, to shoot and stab and hack men to death, elevates this crime to a new level of depravity. Even though the Forward has not published some of the most gruesome images, I must have glanced at some on social media because they remain fixed in my head: prayer books and prayer shawls splattered and stained with blood. Sacred objects, forever defiled. Prayer, interrupted.

I’ve never been to Kehillat Bnei Torah and as a woman, I would not be allowed in the central prayer space, but still I can easily imagine the scene just before the attack. The gentle hum of the opening psalms, coated in a morning sleepiness, rhythmic and awakening. The voices rising to chant out loud, then falling to whispers for the silent prayer, said standing, facing east.

For those who truly know how to pray — and I confess, this ability often eludes me — that is when we are at our most vulnerable. We are shortening the distance between ourselves and God, or the Divine, or whatever being or aspiration we wish to address. I suspect that the men who were murdered recited this prayer service with such frequency that it became a familiar, meditative chant, leaving them open and defenseless.

And then they were attacked from behind.

By targeting an Orthodox synagogue, the attackers knew exactly whom they would kill, and when. Blow up a bus or a restaurant and it’s possible that non-Jews would also lose life or limb, but this brazen slaughter was not that sort of indiscriminate terror. It was not directed at Israel alone; it was directed at Jews. It served no legitimate political purpose. It stabbed at the heart of the Jewish faith.

I’ve just returned from a reporting trip to Poland, and the Jerusalem attack felt eerily reminiscent of the pogroms I heard so much about, and the rank anti-Semitism that unfortunately persists today. But the main instigators of Jewish death in the last century were the Nazis and the communists afterwards, godless people who sought to suppress religious expression.

What’s so frightening about the Har Nof attack is what it might signal: a broader religious war between Jews and Muslims, fueled by the fear, largely unfounded, that Jews are about to “take over” the Temple Mount, the Noble Sanctuary, which the Muslims also deem sacred. Why these two people can’t share that space escapes me — I remember when, on my early visits to Israel, anyone could stroll along the plateau above the Western Wall and soak in its unparalled history.

Yet if separation can bring calm and order, then so be it. I respect that devout Muslims may want their own, pure space. I would hope that they would respect that Jews can enjoy the same privilege elsewhere.

The conceit of American pluralism, honored sometimes in the breach but honored nonetheless, is that people of one faith understand people of another. Clearly the Middle East is convulsed by the opposite reaction, beset by violence between religions and even between those who share the same faith.

No faithful people should have to endure the sight of their prayer objects defiled with blood and their holy places turned into fields of death. It was just as wrong when a deranged Baruch Goldstein massacred praying Muslims in Hebron 20 years ago. We Jews haven’t seen this happen to us for a while. That’s what has made this attack different, and yet so chillingly familiar.

The Code of Jewish Law Behind the PM

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu

I am a fan of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. It is a scene like the one in the video below that keeps me on his side. It isn't so much subject matter that I am talking about. Although I happen to agree completely with what he said. It is what was behind him. It shows that he values it enough to be seen with it. It is the Shulchan Aruch - the Code of Jewish law by which we Orthodox Jews live.

Mr. Netanyahu is not observant. At least not by Orthodox standards. But I believe he is the closest thing to it since the days of Menachem Begin, who went to great lengths not to violate Jewish law publicly in his role as the Prime Minster of Israel.

I will never forget the sight of him walking at the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat because he did not want to violate Shabbos. He valued Halacha even though he did not personally observe it. I believe that that Prime Minister Netanyahu feels the same way. He understand that an Israeli is not defined only by his personal achievements his military prowess. He understands that Jewish law is part and parcel of our identity even though he may personally fall short in that department.

Of course this is not the only reason I like him. I happen to agree with him on many issues. - even as I may disagree with a policy here and there. And I like him because he projects an aura of intelligence and strength to the world (despite the recent name he was called by an unnamed American official). Even his detractors must give him that. He is also a respected authority on combating terrorism. And his ability to speak English fluently almost as though he were an American doesn't hurt either.

His latest image in front of a Shulchan Aruch, however, was a pleasant addition to my many reasons for liking him.

Good Bye Joey

BDE -  Joey Diangello (Formerly Yoeli Deutch)

I got this in an e-mail today. It was forwarded to me and is from Rabbi Ron Yitzchok Eisenman's The Short Vort.

Today is Monday the 26^th of Tishrei 5775 and October 20th, 2014

I received the phone call at about 11 AM.

Joey Diangello was no longer among the living and was going to be buried today in the Monsey cemetery.

The details of the burial seemed to be shrouded in mystery and it was unclear what time the burial would take place.

On account of the lack of clarity and to avoid any sort of discomfort for anyone, I did not attend.

I have not seen Joey Diangello since 2010.

I was told that he was born ‘Yoel Deutsch’ into a Hasidic family in Williamsburg.

He apparently attended a Chassidic educational institution in his youth and I can imagine that he must have arrived home on Friday afternoon with a parsha sheet with questions and Torah thoughts eagerly waiting to share them with his parents.

I can imagine he sang songs in Cheder with the Rebbe and the other Jewish children and was no doubt taught that Hashem and His people are kind and beloved.

Perhaps he watched his mother light the Shabbos candles on Friday evening and anticipated a warm and love-filled kiss from her as she turned and wished him a Gutten Shabbos.

And I am sure his father blessed him on Erev Yom Kippur that he should grow to become a Torah scholar and a model Orthodox Jew.

When I met Joey, his arms were covered with tattoos depicting scenes I did not want to stare at.

His fingernails were painted with black nail polish and he was drinking large glasses of non-Kosher wine at a rate which made me wonder how a human being could ingest so much alcohol.

He no longer studied the parsha and no longer received a kiss from his mother on Friday evenings.

Who was Joey Diangello?

Was he a successful businessman?

Was he married and did he settle down and have his own child to raise as he thought proper?

He was not a successful businessman and he never did marry and his friends were not to be counted in the hundreds.

However, he did his best to help others.

Most of all, Joey Diangello was in pain.

When I visited him twice in the hospital over the years, he was in pain.

When I spoke to him in Shul in 2009 he was in pain.

And he was in pain when he left this world.

I had not had any contact with Joey from 2010 until this past summer.

Out of the blue I received the following email from him:

“Good morning. There's a TV show called CSI that I never watch but I do remember on scene maybe 6 years ago. Where a male sees his female colleague is not having a gr8 day.

Whn he asks her about it she goes on. About this and that. at the end of him listening "and not interrupting eveb once". She huggs him says, you always have the perfect thing to say, of which I wanna thank u for saying all the prct things when I nEed it. You just listened and thank u.  

Best, Joey”

He went on to say that he read the Short Vort and was touched by what I wrote.

Needless to say, I was touched by his email and encouraged him to visit.

I was disappointed that when he actually took me up on my offer and on Thursday before Yom Kippur, I missed his visit and he later that day he wrote the following:

I just wanted to pass along my hello from earlier today when I (stopped by outside the Shul)  in Passiac to get my hair done.  Have a gr8 rest of yomtov and easy fast

Best, Joey

I was happy though we had reconnected and he called me soon after to tell me had taken up marathon running and seemed to be finally getting into a ‘good place’.

He even sent me a Rosh Hashanah greeting that when I went back to read today sent shivers up my spine:

I just wanna say "Leshana tovah" to you and your family. May this upcoming year b a suicide death free year is all I ask.  Luv, me.

Best, Joey

Joey Diangello came into this world like me and like you.

He had dreams and he had hopes; he had happiness and joy.

No one ever dreamt that at 34 years old his funeral would be held in a flurry of secrecy and misinformation.

No one imagined that ‘Yoeli Deutsch’ would end up as Joey Diangello being quickly and almost clandestinely buried alone in so many ways so far from the Williamsburg of his youth.

I cannot and will not judge Joey Diangello.

I will not iconize him as much as I would never demonize him.

He was a human being with all of the foibles and strengths which come with the human experience.

There is though one thing I will say about Joey Diangello.

Joey Diangello lived a life a pain.

He suffered through his life and he could never escape the pain which constantly hounded him.

And for that pain and for that agony which defined his life I am sad.

I am sad for the man who will no longer write: 

“May this upcoming year b a suicide death free year is all I ask.  Luv, me.”

And I am sad for Yoeli Deutsch who ceased to exist years ago.

Most of all though; I am sad for us.

For whatever the bloggers will write and whatever the ‘experts’ will say, Joey Diangello did not have to have his life tragically ended at 34.

And for all of us whom he touched and for those of us who attempted to touch him, I cry.

I cry for Yoeli Deutsch who never was and for Joey Diangello who never will be.

And I cry as I wonder what more could have been done and what should be done.

Good bye Joey, I am sorry I missed your visit.