Tsvi Goldstein (z"l)

Tsvi* Goldstein (*this is the way he spelled his name) was born in Brooklyn.

New York in 1956, and moved with his family to Merrick, Long Island as a young teenager. He was married in 1976, and lived with his wife, Michal, in Queens and then Staten Island, New York. They moved to Stamford, Connecticut in the late 1980s and made Aliya to Israel in 1992 with their two children.

In Israel, Tsvi studied for a new career in technical writing and had worked on many interesting projects over the last years.

Tsvi had a great love for his son and daughter, always “checking in” with them by cell-phone several times a day…to their chagrin. He was so happy to have married them both off to wonderful spouses - two weddings within four months!

Tsvi had a wonderful sense of humor and an extremely generous nature and will be remembered by his family and friends as an irrepressible personality. He had a funny line or joke for every situation, and never stopped helping friends - and even strangers in need. When a friend needed financial help, he gave without worrying about whether he would get it back - even when he himself was not in the position to do so.

His car was always full of hitch-hikers, and he would never leave anyone alone on the road at night - he frequently gave people a ride almost to their door, often against their protests that it was not necessary. For Tsvi, making every effort to help others was his necessity.

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From his wife, Michal...

Tsvi and I were married 27 years. It was our Anniversary the day he died. We met at a tender age - only 16 and 17. I was the "old lady" at 17. We always said that we had "raised" each other. When we showed our wedding pictures, we always referred to them as "baby pictures".

Tsvi had a wonderful sense of humor. He had a funny line or silly song for every situation. He kept me laughing for 27 years, and I often attributed the longevity of our marriage to his sense of humor. Of course, he credited "progressive deafness" on his part.

My husband Tsvi had a great love for babies and children, especially his own. He never stopped referring to our daughter Chana as "The Baby", even after she was married. He was also very proud of his children's accomplishments, and he took great joy in calling our son David "Soldier Boy". To us, he was "The Daddy".

Professionally, Tsvi loved new challenges and was also very proud of the diverse and interesting projects he worked on as a technical writer. He also enjoyed participating in several professional e-mail groups and made many friends and contacts there.

Tsvi was also a man of many good deeds. He never let an opportunity to help someone else go by. He was always pleased to fill his car with hitchhikers, and frequently drove them almost to their front doors, particularly after dark. As anyone who took a ride with Tsvi can attest, he also treated them to enjoyable entertainment - rock n' roll music and his running commentary along the way. My husband's good nature was always evident despite his ongoing personal struggle due to his lifelong physical handicap.

I know how happy Tsvi was at the wedding the night before he was taken from us. He had completed a great task - bringing both his children to the chuppah. He was looking forward with joy to becoming a grandfather in the future, and to our being alone together again, like a young couple. He wrote in a speech he had intended to read at the Shabbat Sheva Brachot he never made it to: "today I am a free man!"

Tsvi, I hope you have found your peace and freedom. I know that your warmth and your love will be with us always, as our love is with you.

One last thing: Tsvi, I know no one asked you if you were ready to go. No one asked me if I was ready to let you go. I wasn’t, and I miss you terribly.

- Michal

You can read more of Michal's writing about Tsvi in a book she wrote, called Letters to Tsvi: A Mourner's Diary, published by Gefen Publishing House.