HESPED FOR YERACHMIEL (ROBERT) HELFANT OB”M – HESPED MONDAY JULY 11TH
HESPED FOR YERACHMIEL (ROBERT) HELFANT OB”M
“Do you have any chocolate chip cookies Mrs. Jacobson? Any Mayonnaise? Can I get some change for the bus? Can you arrange an Uber for me? “
“Your family should have bracha and simcha, your daughters should get married, those who need a refuah should have a refuah.” The brachos could pour on and on. He used to bring whatever gifts he found, food at times, toys when he knew the grandkids were coming, anything he thought “the Jacobsons” would like. His special knock on the door, his often positive attitude in the face of overwhelming adversity, his acceptance that Hashem is in charge.
These are some of the things we will miss about Yerachmiel: He has been a long-time friend to our family, sometimes residing on our property, we were ever trying to help him improve his situation. We were his legal permanent residence, and keeper of his glasses, driver’s license and other precious objects; he was part of the fabric of our lives. Thinking about him, worrying about him, trying to figure out how we could help him more. Reminding him of different priorities. But most of all we were the caring, listening ear.
We met him back when he had a job and an apartment and mostly came around for food or company. He had had a difficult childhood, served in the armed forces and suffered physically and emotionally. He persevered and had a degree in Math from University of California, he was a chess wiz, he was a mashgiach for Hebrew National and did tax returns for H and R Block. He became our friend and we were happy to help him out. If we loaned him money to fly to Green Bay, he would always pay us back.
Then he was beaten up downtown and hospitalized, missed a rent payment and was evicted, ending up on the street. For the first few weeks he slept on our property and brought all of his possessions to our yard. So many attempts at getting services, at getting an apartment or place to live came to naught, due to hospitalizations, capricious policies or inept social workers. It was a long slow downward spiral for Yerachmiel, but he fought every inch of the way and maintained his dignity and yiddishkeit as much as he could throughout. Reb Barry Weiss is out of town and asked me to relate that he first met Yerachmiel about 20 years ago one Friday night at Bais Yehudah. He looked downtrodden and Barry introduced himself and asked what was bothering him. Yerachmiel said that his boss had just fired him because he told him he couldn’t work on Shabbos and now he was out of a job. He was proud of his growth in Yiddishkeit and his association with rabbonim. Recently, Wr. Weiss agreed to fund an apartment for Yerachmiel, and was searching for one within walking distance of the community. Yerachmiel was in the hospital for almost two months from before Pesach and had just recently come out when this happened to him. I also want to thank Howard WInkler and all of the folks who volunteer for, and contribute to, Vaad Hachesed for the much needed financial help, and for figuring out a way to get itto Yerachmiel in a helpful manner.
He could talk about different number theories and every now and then would ask us to look up something for him that was so obscure, just a few people in the world studied it.He asked me to order Principia Mathematica and Confessions of a mathematician for his pleasure reading. He loved chess and was a collector of chess books and chess sets. When he went to a shiur and was able to figure out a “chap” he had so much joy. He was makpid to ask us what time Shabbos was each week and even if it was a Monday, if he did not know when he would be by next, he would ask for a copy of a parsha summary. It was important to him to be ready for yom tov, to be near a shul, to have nice clothing and new tzitizIs. He would be gleaming when he showed off his new outfit or when retelling how he looked like a real mentch, received an aliya, had a wonderful Yom Tov meal. For Pesach he loved his matza and tuna fish. He loved being part of the Klal.
He had some opportunities to get Veterans’ housing but time and again it was not close enough to shuls, Jewish life etc. He would often remark how so many of his brothers in uniform had gone to another uniform – become convicts. He was at the low end of the street feeding chain, smart, Jewish and not prison weary. He could not stand the cursing and the tifilisdik of the majority of his peers in the Veterans housing and often got beaten up or had his glasses stolen. Through it all, he tried to maintain a positive attitude and had great aspirations of a more stable, happy life.
Unfortunately in Los Angeles, we have not created a place, or places for aniyay ireunu, especially those plagued by mental health difficulties. The cycle of living on the street is very, very hard to break, with inherent deterioration, and unfortunately for Yerachmiel, it is where he died. Money is not enough to help, the meals and snacks of the many people who did care about him was not enough, our shuls and batei medrishios, rightly out of security concerns, are locked so the sleeping places of aniyim of old are nonexistent. Our resources for our brothers in need are still underdeveloped. Yerachmiel lived in LA, was forced onto our street(s), and we need to make sure that this is not a death in vain. Perhaps he helped some of us realize that inside the homeless of our city, there are human beings with feelings, positive things to contribute, people like you and me. More Jews than we would like to think.
In the parsha of eiglah arufah, it says,
וְכֹל זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא, …וְעָנוּ, וְאָמְרוּ: יָדֵינוּ, לֹא שפכה (שָׁפְכוּ) אֶת-הַדָּם הַזֶּה, וְעֵינֵינוּ, לֹא רָאוּ
Our meforshim say, would anybody really thnk that the city’s leaders would have murdered this Meis? Rather, their declaration is that they provided the needs of the person and treated him with dignity and respect so he would have the fortitude and will to fend of an attacker. Did we do enough for Yerachmiel? We should all give this some thought.
This is an individual who was failed by the country he lived in and served, and largely by the community and people he belonged to, may his memory be not just for a bracha, but may it be a charge for us to create change.
Yerachmiel ben Meir, I ask on behalf of my family, our block, all those who tried to help you, our city and our people – for mechila if we didn’t treat you properly or give you all the help you needed.
May the neshama of Yerachmiel ben Meir and Baila find nechama and be a meilitz yosher for his family, our family, our block, our city and our people.
