Waiting for the Op-Ed
On my plane ride home from a Memorial Day spent in New York I fell asleep. I dreamt a most exhilarating dream finding myself in a strange city. Unlike New York or Los Angeles there were no tall buildings or cars. Illuminating the pathways were tens of thousands of moving lights. They led me through the city to brighter lights which radiated with such intensity that I had to shade my eyes. There I saw many bright tents made of different intensities. Walls of strong lights on the outside obscured the brighter lights found inside. Then I saw celestial forms composed of lights. These forms reminded me of what kabbalists describe as souls without bodies. True, they were lights but they had distinctive individual forms. Yes, spirits with features and form but no real physical boundaries.
As I dreamt on I was drawn to one particular bright area. I found myself seeing evolving forms-lights rising and surfacing and then descending into some bright and empty void. Once, twice and the scene continued constantly.
Suddenly I heard angelic song and smelled a sweet aroma which permeated the entire area. The lights grew dim and then there was a sight to behold. Life forms of people from the past appeared. They were familiar to me. Government leaders of many countries, presidents, prime ministers, world bankers, Nobel Prize leaders, scientists, philanthropists, doctors, artists, people of importance. I recognized many Jewish leaders, presidents of rabbinical leadership, chief rabbis of Israel, United Kingdom, Europe, leaders of so many different countries and cultures. An amazing celestial United Nations. They were people that Mr. Jacobson had interviewed and written about. It was truly phenomenal.
I though where was I and where were we going? What’s going on? I wondered.
Then it came to me. The ascending and descending of spirits were the souls of the past. They were in a spiritual ascent trying to reach a plateau where they could stabilize. They were attempting to approach the brighter, perhaps brightest light but something kept stopping them. As each spiritual form would appear a new barrier of light would appear causing the spirit to dissipate. The bright light was awesome but frightful.
Then, lo and behold, a commotion broke out. A heavenly light, a spiritual soul, bent on a mission holy appeared. It ascended and stabilized in one area, slowly moving closer and closer to the brightest light. The soul demanded “Let me through, I am special. I have an important mission. I have the credentials. I am different than the others. My name is Gershon Dov Ber ben Freida, better known as Mr. Jacobson. I am a member of the press. I am the editor of the Algemeiner Journal. I know what people feel and read. I help feed the souls of the needy and downtrodden. I help the world become a better place. I print the truth and fear no one. I am not intimidated by government, religious leadership, or money. I offer a beam of light for the searcher and sleepers. I stand for truth. I have just recently arrived. As a reporter I have the duty to find some answers for my beloved readers and friends.”
“I demand of an interview with G‑d!”
“I have some old questions about the 6 million and their families and some new ones. What’s with Israel’s political future? The leadership of the Jewish community needs direction and inspiration. Also, what’s with my dear Lubavitcher community, my Rebbe…?”
The stewardess gently shook me awake and asked me if I was alright. She had passed by my seat and saw me in a very still position looking faint and ghostly white and was concerned.
For Memorial Day I had taken a trip to New York City to see my children and grandchildren. Instead of spending time at a traditional memorial service I attended the funeral of the veteran reporter and distinguished editor of the Algemeiner Journal, Reb. Gershon Jacobson.
In a way Mr. Jacobson is on his last mission for the paper and I wonder what he has to report. It’s a dying shame that I only heard the first half of the editor’s interview. I never got to hear the answers and we are all deprived of the greatest op-ed ever.
May his soul be an inspiration to all. Amen. G‑d bless his wonderful wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Gershon Jacobson was a veteran journalist and commentator, standing at the forefront of public Jewish life for close to six decades. For the last 33 years he was the editor and publisher of the Algemeiner Journal, the largest weekly Yiddish/English newspaper.
For 55 years, Gershon Jacobson, a writer for some of the most eminent newspapers, including the New York Herald Tribune, the Yiddish Day Jewish Journal and Israel’s daily Yediot Acharonot, was a faithful witness of the destruction, rebirth and renaissance of Jews and Judaism.