1 10 2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Celebration Description An account of the resource Speeches from the Celebration of Roy's Life, December 9, 2007, George Mason University, Arlington campus, Arlington, VA. Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Text Any textual data included in the document. I’m Tony Rosenzweig, Roy’s first cousin and I’m here representing family and on behalf of family I’d like to thank all the colleagues and friends who came to share their thoughts and memories. It’s wonderful – though not surprising – to see how many were touched by Roy. Although I grew up near Roy, I got to know him well first when I moved to Cambridge as an undergraduate and Roy was a graduate student at Harvard. He hosted me when I visited the campus, showed me around Cambridge and would somehow find time to get together regularly for lunch or just a chat on a nice day in Harvard yard. During these conversations, Roy -- with gentle but incisive questioning -- would help me understand and clarify my own thoughts. It has been particularly heart-warming to see that – 30 years later – when our daughter came to DC for college, Roy – now together with Deborah – reprised this role, making her feel welcome, making it clear she had a home away from home. Roy was generous with more than just his time. He gave my wife and me our first car, which was stolen several times from Cambridge. Whether because it was somehow blessed – or because it was a 1967 Dodge – it always came back. My sister, who recently lost her own husband to a brain tumor and couldn’t be here today, sent this message: “What a year this has been. A cruel year, unlike any other experienced or imagined in my worst nightmare. So true for all of us. Losses across a spectrum: my uncle, my husband, a cousin’s husband and my dear cousin Roy, honored here today. At times it seems unbelievable that all this has happened in a few short months. I wish I had known Roy better, that our paths had crossed more often [but] I admired Roy from afar—proud of all he had done….[and] proud to count him as a relative. When in the DC area I reached out to Roy & Deborah and they always welcomed us for a visit. Last year, on our last trip to the NIH, where my husband was in a clinical trial…, we shared a quiet dinner together at a Chinese restaurant in Bethesda. It was a blustery cold February night and the winds were especially cruel. Together we commiserated, sharing the trials and tribulations of living with serious illness and frustrations with modern medicine -- two cancer patients and two caregivers. Roy was as sharp as ever and aside from hair loss seemed to be doing well. Richard on the other hand was not. I am sorry that I cannot be there physically today to share a warm hug and shed a tear. Please know that I am with you nonetheless because of what I carry in my heart--the feeling of kinship, of heritage, of friendship, of family. Loss is loss, never welcome, never wanted but an inevitable part of life. For me I try to cherish what I have learned from the experience, the good that has come from the bottom of the abyss—the strength, the lessons learned, the people.” [She ends by quoting her 16 year old son Ross’s eulogy for his father]: “… it is different for everyone. Who could honestly say how exactly they feel, and then feel the same as the person next to them. It is different for everyone. And they can’t. It is different; nothing is the same and nothing is as simple. The loss of a Lover is not the same as the loss of a brother. The loss of a brother is not the same as the loss of an Uncle. The loss of an Uncle is not the same as the loss of a colleague. The loss of a colleague is not the same as a teacher. A teacher is not the same as a close friend. Nothing is Worse. Nothing is Easy. Nothing is as simple. Everything is different.” Represented here today are people who had each of these relationships with Roy and though each is different, we all each of share a common sense of loss but also will carry with us a common legacy, the gift that – like that 1967 Dodge – will keep coming back since it comes from having known and been touched by Roy. [Message from Roy's sister, Robin Schkrutz:] Since it is Chanukah, this story that my father liked to tell comes to mind. It was one of my son David's early experiences at Sunday School. Our rabbi was trying to explain the miracle of Chanukah. He wanted to make sure that the class of 5 year olds all knew what a miracle was. He asked the class what do you think a miracle is? Five year old David raised his hand and answered a miracle is when people are nice to each other. My brother Roy was someone who practiced miracles every day of his life. He was always nice to other people. The Roy that I knew was the Roy that everyone in this room knew. He wasn't different to different people. He was good and kind to everyone. Although his academic achievements and awards are amazing, he never made a big deal of them. It was always you who was the important focus of any conversation. I cherish the time we spent as children spending endless hours playing games together. As we got older, the distance grew, but I am grateful that we kept a tradition of thanksgiving and Christmas vacation get-togethers. Roy's kindness was one of his most wonderful attributes. When I read all the wonderful ways you treated others, it makes me even more proud than ever to have been your sister. And that is what I will remember you for. I hope all of us will think of honoring Roy by showing kindness to others. Because that would be the way to spread what he gave to all of us. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 149 Title A name given to the resource Roy Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Speech written by Tony Rosenzweig, for the Celebration of Roy's Life, December 9, 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tony Rosenzweig Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tony Rosenzweig Type The nature or genre of the resource Document cambridge family husband loss roy Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Text Any textual data included in the document. During the late 1960s and early 1970s Roy was my constant companion, my dear friend and, for a time, my husband. The outpouring of grief and love expressed in the many notes about Roy that have been left here is not surprising. Roy was as good a person as I have ever known. Beyond his genuine sweetness, loyalty, generosity of spirit, and daunting work ethic, Roy was a truly principled individual. He was fascinated by the intricacies and ideological minutia of political groups, but never took the easy route of allowing party politics to do the thinking for him. His opinions were his own. And when he decided an issue was important he acted on it. During the Vietnam War years Roy applied for and received conscientious objector status. But freeing himself from the potential horror of wartime military service didn’t end the issue for Roy. Instead, once a week for two years Roy rose at 5:00am so that he could travel down to Whitehall St., New York’s selective service headquarters, to try to find ways for those waiting on line to get out of service. I remember he was particularly upset that they were inducting junkies who weren’t able to protect themselves from the Selective Service madness. Roy did what he could to help. He also had the wonderful ability to use his sharp, slightly subversive, sense of humor to undercut self-righteousness and pomposity. His father, Max Rosenzweig, helped to nurture Roy’s sly funny bone - introducing him to the Marx Brothers and Bob and Ray at an early age. Perhaps these were also early inspirations for Roy’s love of the offbeat - not the temporary, self-defining off-beatness of adolescents or the cutsie off-beatness of gift stores, but the genuine, quirky uniqueness of American subcultures and individuals who have somehow landed on the stove top instead of in the cultural mixing pot. Roy’s concern for those facing systemic problems that blocked them from attaining some semblance of the good life was also come by honestly. One summer during college he worked in a shoe factory in Brooklyn. Many days after work he would tell me stories about the social and financial obstacles faced by the workers. Personal stories, real stories - not textbook generalities. He knew full well how lucky he was that in September he got to go back to being a student and how relatively oppressive it would be to see nothing but more factory work in one’s future. Roy noticed and cared. Roy and I rarely saw each other since we both moved on from Cambridge in 1978. When we did see each other it was invariably somewhat awkward and sad but I would have given anything to have been able to talk with him briefly one last time. Unfortunately, I did not even know Roy was sick until I came across the death notice in the NY Times. I am so horribly sad that his life was so unfairly cut short but get some solace from knowing he led a full life surrounded by people who loved him dearly. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 84 Title A name given to the resource Roy, back in the 60s and 70s Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource You must be 13 years of age or older to submit material to us. Your submission of material constitutes your permission for, and consent to, its dissemination and use in connection with Thanks, Roy in all media in perpetuity. If you have so indicated on the form, your material will be published on Thanks, Roy (with or without your name, depending on what you have indicated). Otherwise, your response will only be available to approved researchers using Thanks, Roy. The material you submit must have been created by you, wholly original, and shall not be copied from or based, in whole or in part, upon any other photographic, literary, or other material, except to the extent that such material is in the public domain. Further, submitted material must not violate any confidentiality, privacy, security or other laws. By submitting material to Thanks, Roy you release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless Thanks, Roy and persons acting under its permission or authority, including a public library or archive to which the collection might be donated for purposes of long-term preservation, from any claims or liability arising out the Thanks, Roy\'s use of the material, including, without limitation, claims for violation of privacy, defamation, or misrepresentation. Thanks, Roy has no obligation to use your material. You will be sent via email a copy of your contribution to Thanks, Roy. We cannot return any material you submit to us so be sure to keep a copy. Thanks, Roy will not share your email address or any other information with commercial vendors. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Beth Bernick Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Beth Bernick Type The nature or genre of the resource Document 1960s 1970s husband