Lenny was a friend of mine in high school. He developed into a real mensch, was President of his synagogue in the Detroit area, and even wrote a very insightful book on weekly Torah portions that his wife gave me. We shared a table at our 20th reunion. He died shortly after our 40th reunion. He can only attend our 50th in spirit. I'll miss him.
I found this article on Leonard in the Jewish Chronicle, February 16, 2006 issue. I thought you would all like to read it, so I am typing it verbatim:
LEONARD WANETIK WAS A BUSINESSMAN, TEACHER, COMMUNITY LEADER, AUTHOR, by Angela Liebowicz
Leonard Ira Wanetik was intellectual, community minded, spiritual and philanthropic, and he touched many people's lives.
Wanetik, who was 59, died of cancer on Friday, Feb. 3, in West Bloomfield, Mich.
His wife, Ann, said he was a spiritual man who educated himself and their children about Judaism. He also had many interests - he was a businessman, teacher, community leader and author.
Wanetik grew up in Greenfield and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods and graduated from Carnegie Tech with a degree in printing management, and from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While keeping a law practice in Beverly, Mass., he completd his master's in business administration at Harvard Graduate School of Business.
He took a marketing position with Cadillac, in Michigan, for a short time, working on a new model introduction. Years later, he started a business in geodemographics, asssisting companies with their maketing strategies by evaluating what people in specific zipcodes would buy.
Ann said her husband was instrumental in keeping alive Congregation B'nai Moshe where he was active for 26 years as president, board member and committee member. He taught Judaica classes, was on the board of Hillel Day School and was honored, with his wife, by the Jewish Theological Seminary - a Conservative rabbinical school.
His spirituality, Ann said, let him to publish "Sedra for Everyday Life."
Wanetik is survived by his daughter Devra Stark and son Ezra, who live in Jerusalem. Both children spoke to him from Jerusalem the morning of his death, each of them giving their father a kiss over the phone and wishing him Shabbat Shalom, Ann said.
Wanetik is also survived by his mother, Sophie, of Pittsburgh and a Sister, Judy Goldberg of New York.
"He wanted to be buried in Israel," Ann said, "choosing the options that were best for him."
Wanetik had his wish and was buried at Eretz Ha Chayim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh on Monday February 6 with his family and friends present. A memorial service was held at Congregation B'nai Moshe in West Bloomfield on Monday, Feb. 13.
Memory fades after 57 short years, but I believe that Lenny made up a joke that he told us 8th graders. Whether he did or did not, I'd like to think that it originated in his intellectual (even then) mind. It goes like this:
On an island far away there lived the Main Bird, whom everyone thought of as their Leader.
One day the Main Bird grew ill, and his condition worsened by the day. The elders of the island thought his condition would improve if the yeast content in his diet were increased. So he was given more bread, pizza, some beer, muffins, bisquits and scones.
Unfortunately, his medical condition continued to worsen, so the elders met again and decided that, since humor is the best medicine, that they would call in the Court Jester and have him perform for the Main Bird. The Jester came in and told jokes, did somersaults, paraded around the Main Bird in funny costumes for hours.
But to no avail. The Main Bird's condition worsened and amongst great sadness on the island, he passed away a few days later.
And the moral of this story is
Though Yeast is Yeast
and Jest is Jest
Never the Main shall tweet
Richard Vatz
So brilliant; so rhetorically interesting...
Not his closest bud, but I really appreciated his mind and wit.
Rick Vatz
Richard Walters
Lenny was a friend of mine in high school. He developed into a real mensch, was President of his synagogue in the Detroit area, and even wrote a very insightful book on weekly Torah portions that his wife gave me. We shared a table at our 20th reunion. He died shortly after our 40th reunion. He can only attend our 50th in spirit. I'll miss him.
(Cantor/Judge) Rich Walters
Sandi Sable (Forstenzer)
I found this article on Leonard in the Jewish Chronicle, February 16, 2006 issue. I thought you would all like to read it, so I am typing it verbatim:
LEONARD WANETIK WAS A BUSINESSMAN, TEACHER, COMMUNITY LEADER, AUTHOR, by Angela Liebowicz
Leonard Ira Wanetik was intellectual, community minded, spiritual and philanthropic, and he touched many people's lives.
Wanetik, who was 59, died of cancer on Friday, Feb. 3, in West Bloomfield, Mich.
His wife, Ann, said he was a spiritual man who educated himself and their children about Judaism. He also had many interests - he was a businessman, teacher, community leader and author.
Wanetik grew up in Greenfield and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods and graduated from Carnegie Tech with a degree in printing management, and from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While keeping a law practice in Beverly, Mass., he completd his master's in business administration at Harvard Graduate School of Business.
He took a marketing position with Cadillac, in Michigan, for a short time, working on a new model introduction. Years later, he started a business in geodemographics, asssisting companies with their maketing strategies by evaluating what people in specific zipcodes would buy.
Ann said her husband was instrumental in keeping alive Congregation B'nai Moshe where he was active for 26 years as president, board member and committee member. He taught Judaica classes, was on the board of Hillel Day School and was honored, with his wife, by the Jewish Theological Seminary - a Conservative rabbinical school.
His spirituality, Ann said, let him to publish "Sedra for Everyday Life."
Wanetik is survived by his daughter Devra Stark and son Ezra, who live in Jerusalem. Both children spoke to him from Jerusalem the morning of his death, each of them giving their father a kiss over the phone and wishing him Shabbat Shalom, Ann said.
Wanetik is also survived by his mother, Sophie, of Pittsburgh and a Sister, Judy Goldberg of New York.
"He wanted to be buried in Israel," Ann said, "choosing the options that were best for him."
Wanetik had his wish and was buried at Eretz Ha Chayim Cemetery in Beit Shemesh on Monday February 6 with his family and friends present. A memorial service was held at Congregation B'nai Moshe in West Bloomfield on Monday, Feb. 13.
Richard Walters
Thanks Sandy for finding and posting the beautiful piece on Lenny.
Henry Henry (Herskovitz)
Memory fades after 57 short years, but I believe that Lenny made up a joke that he told us 8th graders. Whether he did or did not, I'd like to think that it originated in his intellectual (even then) mind. It goes like this:
On an island far away there lived the Main Bird, whom everyone thought of as their Leader.
One day the Main Bird grew ill, and his condition worsened by the day. The elders of the island thought his condition would improve if the yeast content in his diet were increased. So he was given more bread, pizza, some beer, muffins, bisquits and scones.
Unfortunately, his medical condition continued to worsen, so the elders met again and decided that, since humor is the best medicine, that they would call in the Court Jester and have him perform for the Main Bird. The Jester came in and told jokes, did somersaults, paraded around the Main Bird in funny costumes for hours.
But to no avail. The Main Bird's condition worsened and amongst great sadness on the island, he passed away a few days later.
And the moral of this story is
Though Yeast is Yeast
and Jest is Jest
Never the Main shall tweet
Thank you, Lenny Wanetik