By Zalmy Berkowitz
It’s odd how I feel today. I’m obviously a big fan of Apple and of Steve but I’ve never given too much thought about why.
I’m actually sad. I’m not grief stricken or anything, just a bit sad. And even the skies seem to be weeping a bit.
Steve was a modern day Dagny Taggart. A giant among men. A great man. Apple will go on but only if it embodies the vision of its founder. Of one man. Apple was able to accomplish what it did (fundamentally change every industry it entered), because it didn’t let it’s success lead it down the rabbit hole of board room decisions, corporate decrees, and stockholders outcries.
One man changed the music industry, the phone industry and to a large degree the computer industry. He led a crusade for simplicity, for beauty, and for above all function.
Of course I don’t agree with everything he did, but if he cared about what others thought of him Apple would have been dead 15 years ago and we’d be living in a world of thousands of buttons, dials, wheels, widgets, of clutter and plastic.
So I raise my cup of tea and say goodbye to a man who proved that man can be great, as long as he has a vision and the conviction to follow it.
Goodbye Steve.
Zalmy Berkowitz is a rabbi, graphic designer and a photographer based in Long Beach, California. His website: zalmyb.com
VIDEO:
Chassidic comedian and actor Mendy Pellin, who recently produced a parody on Apple’s new products, wrote: “I didn’t have to scroll down too far to find the latest impact Steve Jobs has had on me. RIP!”
hh6_690036 from JabMedia on Vimeo.
#18 I don’t believe you meant what you wrote..
“I would rather mourn the passing of a yid I know….died 29 Elul, he was 41,,” You certainly did not mean that you would rather mourn the passing of a yid….
Lets hope through his death, his children will give charity and TRULEY change the world for better.
This article wasn’t written for COL. It was written on someone;’ personal blog and used with permission.
Also no where is there any mourning mentioned. Just some lessons we can learn.
I would rather mourn the passing of a yid I know….died 29 Elul, he was 41…..
This guy was a miser! a far cry from someone to look up to. There are no records of him giving charity or taking up any causes (not political or social). Please spare me your grief and focus on better people to look up to.
HE DOESNT EVEN TAKE THE SIGN OF THE APPLE UP WITH HIM IN SHAMAYIM, AND HE PUT HIS LIFE AND ENERGY IN THIS! HEVEL!!
THANKS FOR ALL THE TECH STEVE!
his birth mother, Joanne Carole Schieble, is a northern European Catholic
i am sadenned by the death of steve jobs. i was in a kosher
restaurant in Mountainv View awhile ago. met three chassische young men there. they were from williamsburg and worked for B&H. they were in town for a business meeting with Apple. B&H must have sold lots of Apple products over the years. B&H employs a lot of Jews and its owners give a much to charity.
why doesnt col make long articles for ACTUAL JEWS??? (sry not sure if he’s jewish or not)
Steve jobs was Budehist
Thanks to this man’s vision, hard work, and siyata dishmaya, I have a device that fits in my pocket with over 500 hours of shiurim! I’m grateful for my iPod!
The man publicly fought his machlah with courage, grace, and dignity. A real class act.
I’m saddened by his passing.
to number 6, his mother had a jewish last name, Schieble. but in the end she was just german.
he was not jewish.
February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011 Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and CEO, is not Jewish. He doesn’t practice Judaism. He doesn’t self-identify as Jewish. His parents are not Jewish. End of story. Or is it? For Paul and Clara Jobs are not Steve’s biological parents; his birth parents are Abdulfattah John Jandali (obviously not a Jew) and Joanne Carole Schieble, who just happens to be… No, not Jewish either. German/Swiss Catholic. Jandali, a Syrian Muslim, and Schieble gave up Steve for adoption when he was born out of wedlock, but later married — in a church, and became the… Read more »
no but he had jewish $$$$$$ 🙂
no?
Your misspelling and inappropriate use of caps aside – what makes you say his mother was Jewish?
we all mourn with our fellow jews and especially our chabad family, having said that, i am grieving. He changed the world also bruchnius! As a mother of five b”h its not that easy to get to davening and chitas, yes here and there i carry a chitas, but with my iphone i can be at the park with my children and when i have an opportunity i pick up my phone and learn hyom yom, or say a kapitel , daaven , etc.. and im sure thats the same for many. I also own the rebbe pod, while im… Read more »
do we, as individuals, show as much distresss when one of our community passes away? Maybe it’s time to put things into perspective. Brilliant as he was, he changed the world B’gashmius. How about those who change it where it really counts…B’Ruchnius.
Let’s not forget the loss of alter Chassidim, yungermen, young Shluchos & shluchim, and R”L children. There have been far too many this past year. May the Aibishter grant us all a good year with good health, success, & nachas.
is steve jobs jewish
maybe post some sort of analysis on mourning for a non-jew, it sounds slightly weird to me.
HIS MOTHER WAS JEWISH AND HIS FATHER A SYRIAN GOY. THEY ARE PROBABLY HAVENT CURSING THE DAY THEY GAVE HIM AWAY AS A BABY FOR ADOPTION TO HIS CURRENT ADOPTED PARENTS. HIS ADOPTED PARENTS LIVED IN SILICON VALLEY AND……. WELL THE REST IS HISTORY.