Thanks to Derek and Reb Avi

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To the editor:

The Bronx will never be the same now that two greats have different roles — Yankee captain Derek Jeter and Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.  

With class and dignity, Derek Jeter has transcended baseball and made an impact far beyond Yankee Stadium. Reb Avi, as he is affectionately known, has also had an impact well beyond Riverdale — and well beyond the Jewish world. 

Rabbi Weiss — who is now 70-years-young — is stepping back from the Hebrew Institute. On Thursday he told his congregants, “It’s been a great ride,” as he and his wife Toby marked the 40th year since he founded the synagogue in a basement of the Whitehall on Henry Hudson Parkway.  

Today, it is one of the largest in America — and the Rabbi founded a women’s yeshiva, for female clerics and so much more. As a close friend of Reb Avi — I’ve known him nearly my whole life — I know this decision was not one he took lightly. 

From his protests at the Soviet Residence in North Riverdale, where he shouted for freedom when Jews couldn’t leave Russia, to his vigils all over the world when the rights of Jews were being trampled upon, he has always been there. 

The man has taught so much that all Riverdalians can learn from:

• Be there. Be present.From hospital visits to saying hello to people on the street and caring for so many, he has demonstrated the need to actually care for people. So many of us forget this as we get caught up in day-to-day life.

• Celebrate diversity. Long before there were laws for Americans with disabilities, Rabbi Weiss built one of the first wheelchair-accessible synagogues. His synagogue still hosts free weekly events for people of all faiths with special needs and has long taught congregants to respect people of all faiths. From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remembrance events to inter-faith dialogue, Rabbi Weiss teaches that one should not be afraid to be different, as they celebrate diversity.

Letter to the editor, Ronn Torossian
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