I wanted to show you this video. It is about my friend Hugh, who I worked with for the past couple of years. I've written to you about him before, but I want you to see how lucky I am to know him. As I have said in the past, you would have loved him and he certainly would have loved you.



I am also going to put up here a video about the first guy I ever worked for - George W. Koch. He is an amazing guy too. Both of the videos were made when they left the jobs they had for a long time.

Mr. Koch's daughter and Hugh's wife were both very sick. I learned a lot from these two men.

Check out your brother. I gave him the winning slogan... "Tired of Dick Cheney, Vote Jack for Vice President!"

Mom and I are really happy for him. He had to give a speech in front of all of the other students, and he made posters that he hung up throughout the school. Joe even lent a hand by getting his whole class to cast their votes for his big brother.
_____________________________________
From: parents-owner@mail.kesem
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 5:21 PM
To: staff@jpds.org; parents@jpds.org
Subject: [parents] Student Council Elections

Congratulations to all of our students who ran for student council officer positions today. We are very proud of all of them for their hard work, respect for their peers, and excellent speeches! Here are the students who will fill the positions of student council officers for the 2007-2008 school year:

President-Danielle Kupfer
Vice-President-Jack Goldberg
Secretary-Raina Weinstein
Treasurer-Kobi Fodor

Julie Fisher
Director of Curriculum
Jewish Primary Day School
of the Nation's Capital

This is a picture that I took of the Vice President the other morning. He fell asleep with his headlight on. His nighttime routine is that he either listens to comedy on XM or Napster; or he puts on his iPod with headphones; then he climbs into bed with 15 different books and reads them by the light of his headlamp.



He is a beautiful kid. You'd be proud of him.

I read John Smith's website and it looks like he made it through last night down there in Nashville. That's good. I am really pulling for him to get better.

I just got my own call from Nashville and our Southern trekkers are visiting the XM studio that is in the Country Music Hall of Fame. I miss the people who I worked with in Nashville. They are all the nicest people. I am jealous of Jack. I told them to make sure they see all of the plaques of all of the people enshrined in the Hall. Elvis, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles are all in there; it is cool.

Mom is picking up Jack later today. He is going to be a "UAM." That means he is flying as an "Unaccompanied Minor" without any grownups. I am proud of his independence. I cannot wait to hear all about the trip.

Yesterday we went to Nana and Papa Sy's for a last night of Passover seder. I never heard of that before but Nana explained that it is a tradition for some people. I am excited to stop eating Matzoh. That happens at sundown tonight.

Since you guys were born only 2-days apart, Rachel reminds me how old you'd be now. She is very grown up and beautiful. She sews now. I am sure she is going to be good at whatever she chooses to do. Michael is a great snowboarder and Sam is an amazing skier. All of your cousins are incredible, impressive kids. Watching them grow up is fun.

During the meal last night, I was thinking back to last year when I went up to New York around Passover. I went up to help XM broadcast the Downtown Seder. I hope they keep broadcasting stuff like that and Radio Hanukkah.

I like traditions, but at the same time I'd like to do a more high tech seder. I want to show videos along with the normal Hagaddah stuff.

This is a video I watched right before the first seder last week and I thought it was important, especially when we are so focused on slavery and freedom and justice.



I would have shown that video and this one if we had video added to the seder. There are a lot of people dying right now. It is hard to take especially when we don't know if our soldiers are still fighting for people to be free.

Hey, speaking of high tech, one thing I don't understand is why they don't sell motion sensor controlled faucets and toilets for people's houses. That would save a lot of water. I only see them in airports and stadiums. Maybe one day.

I love you.

This little guy is a lot like you. He is a handsome kid. I love the red hair. And those guys in his bed remind me of you and your beanie babies.

This is from his Mom to the Fanconi anemia discussion group.

John Smith needs your prayers
Posted by: "Judy"
Sat Apr 7, 2007 8:10 pm (PST)

Hello Fanconi Family, I come to you to ask for your prayers. John has been admitted to the pediatric critical care unit, and was placed on a respirator today. They don't know yet what is causing the problems with his lungs, but he is very sick right now and in a medically induced coma to let his little body rest. The doctor did say that the next few days are going to be critical and will tell if he will pull through once again or not. I am not ready to say goodbye to my little one, but if the Lord is ready to call him home, I will have to accept it not matter what. I just pray that the Lord doesn't let him suffer either way.

John's mom,

Judy

Unfortunately, even though John had a great match for his transplant he has GVHD and now is having problems with his lungs just like you did. He is in the Intenstive Care Unit at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is where Jack, Hannah, Uncle Dan and Aunt Jen are heading today. Aunt Jen went to law school in Nashville, and I used to go there all the time for XM. It is a nice town. I hope it isn't "smokey" there today.

This is rough. I hope he pulls through.

Sunday night might be my favorite time of the week. Tonight I got to sit in the bathroom and watch Joe take a shower. I tell him a number, letter or shape and he writes or draws it with his finger in the mist on the shower door. All the while he is humming "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath. Your brothers are interesting pieces of work.

We are going to Zack Klein's funeral tomorrow. He was an incredibly sweet kid. I feel terrible for his parents and his sisters. I called to see if I could sit with his body but they had enough people, which is a good thing. I sat with Grandma or Aunt Ida, and parents from JPDS sat with you. You stay with the body at the funeral home and read psalms so they are never alone.



On Friday, March 2, 2007, of Bethesda, MD. Beloved son of Greg and Cynthia Klein; beloved brother of Janie and Lily; cherished grandson of Marty and Stephanie Klein, Audrey Horowitz and of the late William Horowitz.

He is also survived by many other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 5 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, 8215 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda, MD. Interment Judean Memorial Gardens, Olney, MD. Shiva to be annouced at service.

If you would like to make a donation in Zachary's honor please contact A-T Children's Project at: www.atcp.org Arrangments by HINES-RINALDI FUNERAL HOME INC., Under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington.


From: parents-owner@mail.jpds.org [mailto:parents-owner@mail.jpds.org] On Behalf Of Julie Fisher
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 2:44 PM
To: parents@jpds.org; staff@jpds.org; alumniparents@jpds.org
Subject: [parents] Additional information about Klein Shiva

The funeral for Zachary Klein, son of Cynthia and Greg Klein, brother of Janie and Lily Klein, will be held at Beth El at 10:30AM tomorrow (Monday).

Internment immediately following at Judean Gardens.

Tomorrow (Monday) beginning around 1:30PM and continuing until 7:00PM the Kleins will be receiving visitors at the home of

Stephen and Susan Sherman
8004 Westover Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

Tuesday, shiva will be from 6:30-8:30PM at the home of Cynthia and Greg Klein

8302 Garfield Street
Bethesda, MD 20817
301-986-8662

Also on Friday, Cousin Adam and Lori had a baby. His name is Nathan Goldberg. I wanted to name you Nathan Goldberg, but Mom said "no way." My grandfather was named Nathan. I thought Nathan and Nate are good names. Mom thought otherwise -- so you were Henry.

This has been an incredibly full weekend.

Cousin Ron -- Nathan's uncle -- Diane, Zoe and Mia all came over for brunch on Saturday morning. Bill, Cristina, Sophia, James and Isabel came over too. It was crazy and fun. They all live so close in Virginia, McLean and Arlington, and we hardly see them. We made a deal that we'd all get together for brunch at least once a month at someone's house.

On Friday night, Sid, Linda, Ari, Helaine, Jake, Abby, Susan, Simon and Alex all came over for Shabbat dinner. We are truly one big, funny family. Last night we went to the Megillah reading at Adas Israel for Purim. Everyone got dressed up. I think my favorite was Jake wearing a cheerleader uniform.

Jack is in the sweatshirt, Joe is a Redskin, Max is an IDF soldier and Ari is just looking suave.




Today, after Joe's baseball practice (he has been asked to be the bat boy for the 6th grade JPDS baseball team),



we went to Georgetown for a Hope for Henry Superhero Party. It was in the atrium outside of the outpatient clinic at the Lombardi Center. There were a lot of families there. They came to the hospital on a Sunday which is saying a lot.

Mom did such a wonderful job that she definitely made it worth the trip on a "non-clinic" day for all of the families because the kids had a great time.

Here is a slideshow of the event.

March 07 Hope for Henry Superhero Party

After everything was in full swing, we went up to the 5th floor to bring some of the party to the kids who couldn't leave their rooms. While we were in the hallway, a mom and her son were walking out but stopped to introduce themselves. She said that Hope for Henry had really made a difference for her son. We gave him an XM radio. The mom told us that she and her son had read an article about you. The son was cured of his cancer, and they were leaving the hospital that very moment to go home for good. Talk about timing.

Everyone started crying. It was an incredible moment.

There was another amazing moment right after that. Mom went into the room of a kid who had just come in minutes before by Medstar helicopter. The pilot and the EMT workers were still on the floor filling out paperwork. The kid had brought a Spiderman toy with him on the helicopter, so you can guess how excited he was to get a bunch of other Spiderman and superhero toys and treats.

A nurse was in the boy's room and when he found out that Mom was your mom, he said that "Henry's spirit is truly living on through all of the good work of the Foundation." He said a ton of really nice things about you and about the Foundation.

While I was on the floor I read a quote tacked up on one of the bulletin boards. It was something that Abraham Lincoln said. And that was back when Presidents of the United States actually wrote their own stuff. He said,

"To ease another's heartache is to forget one's own."

I just finished reading a book, The Innocent, written by this guy Harlan Coben. His books are mysteries. I have read a bunch of his books now. I read an essay he wrote in a magazine about his best friend who died two years ago in a plane crash.

Harlan Coben is my age and grew up in New Jersey and his books take place there. Aside from his books being really fun, I am sure that I like them because of my being the same age, Jewish and living in New Jersey when I was little and then with you at Hackensack. I can hear the loss of his friend in his writing. That makes me like him too.

I also like mysteries by a guy named George Pelecanos. He lives in Takoma Park or Silver Spring and all of his stories take place in Washington, DC. It is fun to read in a book all of the places that you see every day. He also likes the same kind of music I do, and also I love seeing him mention in his books the music that I like. I sent him an XM radio years ago and sure enough XM popped up in his last book. That felt great.

The first Harlan Coben book I read was called Darkest Fear. I think I bought it at an airport because I was looking at a whole row of books and chose his because I thought that his name was interesting. I figured it was some strange misspelling of "Cohen."



Naturally, the book was about a kid who needed a bone marrow transplant. I remember being in an airport reading it and just being blown away when I read that this kid had Fanconi amemia. As I read I kept saying to myself, "this isn't right," and "that's not right." I knew too much. That is a mystery title, "The Man Who Knew Too Much."

So of course I tracked down Mr. Coben's email address and wrote him. I think that I said to him that I thought it was great that he wrote about FA. Before Molly, no-one had ever heard about FA - even though it was a kid who had FA who received the first cord blood transplant ever - and it is important that more people know about it so we can get more money for research and find a cure.

I do remember asking him if he could make a contribution to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. I thought about that a few weeks ago when I was talking to Molly's mom who said she asked the same thing of Jodi Picoult, who wrote the book "Sister's Keeper," which is a story about a little girl who needs a transplant.

Back to the book I just finished, "The Innocent." It was a good book, and there was one part that I found personally interesting.



If you click on this you can read it.


(click to read)

I think about this myself. I think that Harlan Coben is really sensitive to it because of his friend's death.

This is what he wrote about his friend's son.

On December 10, 2005, a little more than a year after the plane crash, Jesse Miller was called to the Torah for his bar-mitzvah. Looking up at him from my seat with the congregation, I saw Steve, of course. But as his beautiful son ended the service by singing Imagine by John Lennon, I realized something simple and profound.

I love Jesse.

I have everyone's pictures that they sent us during December. I have them in a pile because I have wanted to scan them in and put them on here so you can see how everyone is growing up.

We don't send one out.

I'm starting a new job tomorrow. I left XM, which was really hard. You saw the letter from Hugh. He is a big reason why it was so hard to leave. It feels like a loss, not like losing you, but a loss. I started there right after you died. It helped me get by, to live.

I had a moment last week when I couldn't believe you were dead. I was in the basement doing the laundry and it lasted a nanosecond. It doesn't happen much anymore. Not at all. Though I don't think that means I've "accepted" your death.

A family got in touch with us this weekend about their son who has Fanconi anemia. We haven't gotten back to them yet. Their son's name is Henry.

On Sunday we had a big Hope for Henry event at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, which is near where Aunt Tracey and Uncle Andrew live. We showed superhero cartoons and Batman, Superman and Wonderwoman were there. Kenny Curtis, who I worked with at XM, was with us too. He and Jack did a superhero trivia contest and we had a costume parade. I think it was a lot of fun for the parents and the kids.

Since most of the kids came in costume it made me think of the superhero party we had when we all left for Minnesota and your transplant.

People brought superhero toys for us to give to the kids in the hospital. We also raised a lot of money for the Foundation. One of the young people we helped spoke to everyone. She was a patient at Georgetown and now is more than a year out.

It was very emotional.

We will probably do this every year. Mom did a great job on this event. She is amazing.

Our buddy Hugh is who drew this great Hope for Henry superhero. We got a letter from DC Comics because they didn't like that we were using the word "superhero" because they own it. Crazy, huh, especially since everyone bought so many DC Comics action figures for the kids in the hospital.

I didn't tell you much about Hanukkah this year. We went over to Nana and Papa Sy's apartment with all of your cousins. We bought all the boy cousins Redskin jerseys as gifts. They were very excited.

It was all very nice. I got there late because I was at work. I was lucky enough to help put a Hanukkah channel on XM for all of the holiday.

Joe got a batting helmet.

December 21, 2006

Dear Henry,

I am Hugh. I know your dad has written to you about me.

Today is a sad day for me because your dad is leaving XM to pursue a career involving improving political messaging by knowing how the brain works – there is an oxymoron in there somewhere. He has been at XM for years and has become one of my closest friends, along with your mom.

Your dad showed up in my office during a challenging time in both our lives. Brought together through a game of Jewish geography, we found each other as if by fate. He was gingerly, tiptoeing his way back into the workforce after dedicating his life to your life. And I was just beginning a terrifying journey dealing with Mary Beth’s illness. Our friendship is a true testament that some good can come out the worst situations.

I can tell you honestly, that I would not have survived my journey without him. Whenever a tough medical or personal issue would arise I always said to myself, “What would Allen do?” Each time I went to him (which I did often) he would always give me the most honest and valuable advice in the most caring way.

Your dad is very impressive in so many ways. He is totally dedicated to his family, amazingly creative, compassionate and smart. He adores your mom and will do anything for her and your brothers. I will miss him at XM despite the fact that he would avoid me and never answer his cell phone.

Your dad can do anything -- Learn about the brain, start a non-profit organization dedicated to you, program a Hanukkah Channel, lobby Congress, mingle with celebrities and the security guards, start a website, play video games with Jack, baseball with Joe, ride a motorcycle, tractor, talk politics, root hopelessly for the Redskins and take care of all his friends and family…All at the same time. But I have more muscles and thicker legs and that will never change.

Your dad and I will likely see more of one another when he leaves XM and that will make Mary Beth and me very happy. The Goldberg’s are part of the Panero Posse and visa versa and no change of work address is going to change that.

So Henry, be assured that I will always lookout for your dad no matter where he works.

Love Hugh

'Brave and hopeful and strong' District child loses battle against genetic disease

by Debra Rubin

"Mommy, this is a very bad last night of Chanuka." Those were the last words Henry Strongin Goldberg said before being put on a ventilator. And his last words ever.

Just days later, on Dec. 11, Henry lost his battle with Fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disease, dying from complications of a bone marrow transplant.

You said that 4 years ago last night. That was it. No more. On this day you were deep in a coma. You died 5 days later.

Yesterday, Mom and I were in Philadelphia at a fundraiser for the Hope for Henry Foundation. The fundraiser was in a store called Neiman Marcus in a shopping mall called King of Prussia Mall. I've always thought it was weird that there is a place in Pennsylvania called King of Prussia. Who is this King of Prussia?



While we were there I spoke on the phone with a reporter who was writing a story about the Radio Hanukkah channel that I am working on at XM. The writer asked me what it meant to me personally to get this channel on the air.

I told him that when I was growing up I used to listen to the two hour Jewish radio show that aired on Sunday mornings here in Washington. I said that I felt a certain amount of satisfaction helping XM put on the air an entire channel devoted to Jewish music and culture so people can hear much more than what they normally get on regular radio.

What I didn't say -- but what I feel -- is that I don't want there to be any more bad nights of Hanukkah.




As I work on this thing I cannot help but think about you and that Hanukkah four years ago.

This is something I started writing to you before Thanksgiving but never finished. It has been hard to "post" things, especially pictures, and I have been incredibly busy.

I began this when I was on a train up to New York. I was meeting Jeffrey and David for some JewsRock business. They were going to do a show for XM and this channel, Radio Hanukkah, that I am helping put on the air. Those two guys are smart, interesting and great talkers so I know they will be really good on the radio.

When I was on the train I started to read a book that I had bought. It is actually a play and it is called Rabbit Hole. The play is very popular in New York. I don't know how I learned about it, but I got the play because it is about a mom and dad who lose a son.



I think it is important to read stuff like this. It makes me feel things and think about things. The things are you and you dying and how I am handling it. I think about if I am okay. I think about whether I am doing things right.

The mom and dad in the play aren't handling things very well. The mom seems to want to get rid of all traces of her little boy. She wants to move out of their house. That is so different from me and Mom. The father wants to save everything. There is one scene where the dad goes and watches a video of his son on the TV. There is a note at the beginning of the scene that says the dad should not cry. Funny thing is that I did just that when I read it.

The mom later erases the video - she says by mistake, but the dad thinks it is on purpose. Of course this is why I have put every video of you on DVDs and now on the computer.

The little boy in the play died because he was hit by a car when he was running after his dog. The woman that I hit with the minivan just after you died ran into the street chasing a dog. About a month ago I saw another woman get hit by a car that was driving right in front of me on the way home from work. I saw her and knew she was going to get hit. She just crumpled. I keep seeing it in my mind when I drive on that road.

I never told you about a roommate I had in college whose name was Scott. We lived together for just a semester. When we were in school he was involved in two separate accidents where he hit people with his car and they died. Neither were his fault. It was terrible.

One accident happened when a man walked out from between parked cars and Scott hit him. The guy who died had just come out of the house of his bride-to-be's family. They had been inside planning the wedding.

The second was on a street, Route One, right out in front of school. A car turned around - a U turn - in the middle of the street and Scott ran into it. The driver died. Scott disappeared for a while after that one, and I think he may have quit school for a while too. I remember that he was from outside of Baltimore and he was a really good golfer.

It didn't take long to read Rabbit Hole. I liked the play. I thought the mom and dad should just have another kid and they'd start getting better. Mom and I purposely didn't want to have any more kids because we didn't want anyone in the family who didn't know you. Maybe some people would think that is weird, but it made sense to us.



The man who wrote the play gave some instructions in the back for anyone who was going to direct or be in the play. He said that the actors shouldn't cry or mope around. He said there should be humor. I thought those were smart things to say.

About the same time I read Rabbit Hole, Mommy read a book called My Sister's Keeper. It was about a girl who was dying and was saved by a bone marrow transplant from her sister. The sister was born the way Adam Nash was born and how we were trying to have a brother or sister for you who could save your life.

The mom in the book really didn't care for the baby that was born to save her sister or her older son who was pretty much ignored. Mom said the book and mostly the mom wasn't very realistic. The characters were like cartoon characters, just good or bad and nothing in between. Real life can be very dramatic.



Mom read that book for her book group. Someone picked it and I don't think they had any idea Mom might have a personal connection to the story. I don't know if she has gone to the book group meeting for that book yet.

I know that reading this kind of stuff, doing Hope for Henry work and going to hospitals "keeps the wound open." I don't think we ever want to heal. I know I don't.