Yom Kippur in 60 seconds

This year, this is about all I'm going to do for Yom Kippur.

 

How Could Jhan Moskowitz Fall In a New York City Subway?

I can't get it out of my mind that a fall on the head in a New York City subway was the cause of Jhan Moskowitz's sudden and tragic death.

I found a memory my husband Dan wrote of how he and I and other JFJ Campaigners chased him through the subways in 1988.  Was he perhaps running and leaping through the place that was so much like home to him?

I guess I'll never know....

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Dan wrote:

"Our first day began in the early morning with a grueling chase for the New York branch leader, Jhan Moskowitz. On and off subway trains, off at the 125th street station in Harlem, chase around the block past winos sleeping on the sidewalk, back on the subway. It was particularly scary going from car to car on the subway train as it raced beneath the streets.

I stayed behind with Jo Ann, who was getting too tired to run. Ironically, we caught Jhan as he came out of a station, having just given the slip to the vast majority of campaigners who had gotten stuck on a subway train he slipped off at the last second. We chased him longer but eventually gave up and went back to the JFJ office on 31st street."

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I just found an explanation of what happened:

Jhan's death was sudden and unexpected.

It was raining in New York City on Tuesday, September 4 at around noon. The subway steps must have been slippery and wet. Jhan slipped and fell forward on a staircase going down into the subway at 45th Street and 3rd Avenue. I've been told that is Grand Central Station and that a policeman witnessed Jhan's fall. Jhan said something like "What just happened?" and the policemen told him he'd hit his forehead and fell. The policemen called an ambulance.

A JFJ co-worker was notified because he was the most recent person in Jhan's cell phone record. That person contacted Jhan's wife, Melissa. Jhan was taken to Roosevelt Hospital which is on 58th Street. Melissa arrived and was able to see Jhan while he was still conscious, but disoriented. His daughters arrived later at the hospital. Jhan's family was with him him through the night.

The trauma to his head caused significant bleeding on his brain. He died the next day. Memorial services were held in New York City, Chicago and Tel Aviv. He was buried on Sunday in a suburb of Chicago.

Well, now I know...

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The photo to the left was taken at Jhan Moskowitz's memorial service. I read at the following link below that it was very moving and that Melissa was standing up alone and singing to God during one of the hymns. I have read that the service is not available for the public to see, but...

Click here to read that person's thoughts on and experiences at the the memorial service in NYC.

My Thoughts About Jhan Moskowitz's Sudden and Tragic Death

I've known Jhan Moskowitz most of my adult life. He died on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.

He was in a terrible and tragic accident in New York City on Tuesday, September 4. I heard that he fell off a subway platform on his way to work and hit his head. His head injuries were so great (there was no brain activity) that his family chose to pull him off of life support.

I've had really no interaction with him for about twenty years.

I remember chasing him through the subways of NYC the first day of JFJ Campaign 1988. It was a training exercise to get us warmed up to New York City. I'll never forget how we were instructed not to lose him and he kept yelling, "30 feet!" We were told we had to stay 30 feet away from him, and not lose him. Eventually, he escaped us all by flying away on a helicopter!

The idea that he died in the NYC subways where he felt so much at home. seems so, so sad.

I have been reading the thoughts of other people who knew Jhan. I realized I actually don't have any memories of him that are all that personal, but in my mind, he was always there and part of a big "family" (religious group) that once was my family.

The thing is, I realized long ago that I can't ever again be part of that "family," so in a way, I'm mourning Jhan's death in my own way and it's lonely doing it that way...

Even if I was able to get to the memorial service in New York City, I know I would feel very out of place.

I am thinking of his family at this time. I had more interaction with his wife, Melissa, than with Jhan. Even my interaction with Melissa was limited.

I do know that Jhan was always very nice and even though he was not all that close to me, I am very, very sad he is gone.

I've been told that heaven has welcomed Jhan and he is being rewarded right now for his efforts on earth. I wish so much that I could really believe and know that is true.