By Rabbi Yehuda Fenton
Last Shabbos my friend Sidney passed away. He didn’t know me, and I’m not sure that he recognized me, but he was my friend and I will miss him.
I first met Sidney when I was a Bochur in Zal, and I would see him at every Sholom Zochor. Whenever I saw him I would sit next to him, ask him how he was doing, and receive his Brochos. He would always smile in that special way of his, his face glowing with joy, and he would say the same thing:
“I’m a Cohen. The Aibishter listens to me because I am a Cohen.”
Then, he would ask me if I was married, and give me a Brocha that I would get married within the year. I would try explaining to him that at 19, marriage was hardly something I thought about, but he would repeat himself, gripping my hand in his small, frail ones.
“I give you a Brocha that you should get married, and the Aibishter has to listen to me, because I’m a Cohen.”
Once, when Sidney was blessing me, I told him that the blessings would better befit my older sister. He looked surprised, and asked, “how old is she?”
“27,” I said.
I’ll never forget the look on his face. His eyes, always shining with happiness, darkened with tears. He looked upwards, and shouted, “Tatte! You hear? This girl is 27 years old and she’s not married!! She’s gonna get married in the next six months! And You have to listen to me, because I’m a Cohen.”
She was married within six months.
As he told it, Sidney fought in Korea. He was honorably discharged and sent back to the United States, where the veterans office helped him purchase an apartment at 701 Empire, where he lived for the rest of his life. His sister and nephew both ended up acquiring apartments in the building as well, and he would visit them often.
There is so much tragedy in the world right now that it is easy to go numb to it, but in these moments I think about how much Sidney cared about every person he met, and draw inspiration. I think he is still smiling at each of us, and giving his Brochos.
He’s a Cohen. The Aibishter has to listen.
What a beautiful story. I think all of saw him in the same way. Always showering everyone with brochos. Thank you for sharing this positive and uplifting message.
Thank you for sharing!
I,too, knew Sidney.
Always cheerful, never upset or angry about his circumstanses.
Always thinking about his fellow Yid.
Thank you for the wonderful tribute.
May his memory be for a blessing.
BDE.
He was a very special person!
He was my friend also
Very nice article. Expresses how others felt about Sydney too.
You had me crying. I knew sidney since the 1970s and i really miss him. Once when i had a court case he went to court with me and put in a good word with the judge. I never forgot that. He really cared about me. I imagine him now saying “tate please help and bring moshiach”
thank you very much for sharing
I also always remember him with a smile
He’d see couples ( like us) walking together after the meal on Friday night, where are your children ? This would certainly be followed up with a bracha for a boy.
That is so special. Thank you for this story.
He always greeted me like I was the only one
He may have been a Lamed Vov Nik, a hidden Tzadik amongst us.
I have a personal story about him that makes me think he was truly a holy Yid.
me too!!!
He was definitely a hidden Tzaddik. He acted just like the ones you read about in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s memiors always beimg mechazek the people. What a sad loss for Crown Heights and Klal Yisrael.
Once after he davened shacharis in ksav sofer the gabbai there told him “Sydney, I think your a tzadik nistar!”
He answered “no, I’m a tzadik mister!”
I was too by a sholom zochor and he was there, it was my second or third time seeing him. I was in middle of dating etc, and he asked me if I’m married, I said no, so he told me you should wear a bigger yarmulka because it brings more yiras shomayim, and I’ll get married soon, and said I’m a cohen and HaShem has to listen.
Indeed in a few months I got engaged.
thanks for sharing. He was a real special person. A one of a kind. does anyone know What his background is?
He was proud that he was a kohen
I thought of him as one of the 36
BDE. He always had a smile on his face. Always friendly. I did not see him for a long time already.
He is a Cohen! Bless us Sidney from on high that Moshiach comes now!!
HE WAS A HOLY JEW, HE ALSO BESTOWED A LOT OF BLESSINGS TO ME, A ELEVATION FOR HIS SOUL, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE HIM IN A BODY HERE IN THIS PHYSICAL WORLD, AMEN, WITH MOSHIACH!
Has any one submitted his name for Kadish to the quarantine minyanim in the hotels or saying Kadish for this special neshama ?
???
I submitted his name
I gave his name for kaddish ith chabad in israel who are in quarantine in the hotel in yerushalayim
I concur, I had the same experience and always at a shalom zachor I remember a time even at his age we helped Charlie, another Crown Heights Shalom Zochor attendee who had of late a hard time walking alone. We ended up, myself and Sidney walking him home hand-in-hand.
A real special Neshamah! Pure to its source in heaven.
G-d bless his soul
Does anyone know how Charlie is doing?
He’s in Bedford center in Williamsburg and was accepting visitors till covid…
He did come to some Chasunas before Purim
I suspected him for a while ave then caught him saying tehillim hours after a fast nlyy having broken his fast.
With much other Good he does.
May be have a complete recovery
He could have been a character in the Rebbe’s Zichronos. Only we actually got to see him. Think back, he associated with people that many would not give the time of day. Sidney came off so simple, but there was depth!
יהי זכרו ברוך.
Always blessed me and reassured me , taught me how to speak to Hashem more lovingly and openly. I enjoyed sitting and talking with him in Lefferts shul.
Will be very missed and we will see him again soon !!
a friend and a kind jew
Does anybody know where he is buried ???
We used to look forward to running into him- he always had a bracha and a beautiful smile. I met him at my lchaim the first time. He told me and my then chossen, we’d be blessed with a baby girl that yr- and we had her before our anniversary! Once he bumped into my husband and he told my husband were going to have a “shalom Zicker” (shalom zachor) that year but don’t tell your wife because she’ll be nervous and worrying takes away the bracha…(he was correct for whatever reason) and indeed BH we had a boy that… Read more »
my connection with him goes back many years
he was very close to reb kalman shuchat obm and would sometimes assist with deliveries all they spoke about when they were together is about the greatness of Hashem it was like you literally felt Hashem right next to you
He had a nephew with special needs, and he took care of him with a lot of patients.
A good and true Yid.
Beautiful beautiful article
So well written
Short and sweet and moving
Sidney was a wonderful and good person
So glad he is being recognized by the community
We are all his friends
He has bentched me as well to get married,
He’s probably benching me now from up high.
יהי זכרו ברוך
Amazing how we all relate to your story. A baalshems’ke yid… I had tears when seeing the news of his passing. Will be missed by many.
My father who is in olam haemes loved him; two lamed vovniks …..
I was a single parent many years ago, and I also once lived at 701 Empire, therefore we were neighbors for a while and kept in touch, when we’d see each other in the neighborhood. I was once struggling financially and Sydney asked me why I was sad, and I explained that I was tight financially and he actually put his hand in his pocket and gave me $200 (over 35 years ago); over the years my life improved and I often asked Sydney if I can repay him and he always answered that he was fine and didn’t need… Read more »
I think I remember him saying on several occasions that he helped out with the Mikvah at Lefferts shul.
Sidney was my next door neighbor for a year in our first year of marriage. We felt so honored to have the privilege.
He, with his kohen ‘rights’ benched us: first there will be a nekeiva for shalom bayis and then there will be a shalom zachor and low and behold 9 months and change later, we were blessed with a baby girl. Now we’re waiting for the boy beH.
We have no idea the power of one’s words, especially a kohen.
As was written in pirkei Avos this week, to be careful with our words. Moshiach now!!
When I left my hat in lefferts shul mikvah late one Friday night after it was locked, he helped me get it with his key.
He was a sight to behold, when by lechaims or other simchos he would take a full cup of vodka and shout “alle kronke yodden Zulu zayn gezunt!”
He gave me a brocha for allot of boys several times, I’m sure it will happen one day.