I am waiting for the train on my way to my daughter’s house in Kfar Sava so we can travel together with Ido and lia to Yoram’s funeral. Somehow the burial of my dear friend and co host of israelseen seems so weird. Yoram dies on Shabbat is being buried on Purim. I can see him laughing hysterically at the thought. How do I describe In Words the intimacy that we shared as friends.
A brief history is in order. We met in the 80’s when I was director of the Israel Bible Museum in Safed . I secured an interview for American international artist Phillip Ratner on Kol Israel radio, English news. Yoram was the interviewer. It took place at the King David hotel in Jerusalem. We connected immediately and became friends from that day forward. We had many of the same friends and often enjoyed getting together and discussing a range of topics from politics to personal issues we had in common.
It wasn’t until I returned to Israel 8 years ago that we spoke to each other almost daily. When israelseen was born we became co hosts of a weekly podcast about Israel. It was a wonderful experience that we both enjoyed immensely . We shared our opinions on all kinds of subjects and interviewed a variety of interesting Israelis. Yoram also loved and had a passion for music. His podcasts on music in Israel and his interviews were very well received.
As our intimacy as friends grew we often spoke about our aging and the pleasures and difficulties of the process. He was fascinated with my being a meditator and Tfillin wearer but it wasn’t his thing. We did enjoy smoking from time to time and got into all kinds of personal issues that was heart felt and was always expressed with deep love and respect.
We had quietly planned to take a vacation together to Thailand in the fall of 2013.
At this moment I have only feelings of joy for the wonderfully enriching friendship we shared.
Yoram and Simcha took our three children in as if they were their own while we lived in the States. David was dancing with Bat Dor at the time, Rachel was working while she finished her MBA and Ori was in the army spending much of his time in Lebanon. Yoram and Simcha made them feel as if they had two sets of parents. What a blessing it has been for our family to be a part of Yoram and Simcha’s life.
Our time together working on israelseen was so much fun and gave both of us an excuse to see each other more often since we lived in different cities. He enjoyed coming to Tel Aviv and eating in restaurants that served a good piece of meat. We would often laugh about this since he ate vegetarian at home. It was like two kids secretly rebelling against our parents.
Yoram was a deep thinker and had no tolerance for the extremes, left or right. He was very concerned about the failures of our system to take care of the poor and those left behind.
It still hasn’t sunk in that he is not here and with the passing of our dear friend Moshe Dror about two years ago there are now two empty seats at the table.
While Yoram passes into another realm I am left with yet another friend I am no longer able to hug, love and and kiss on that sweet hippy beard he so loved.
The service for Yoram was special for me. Although it was of course a time for mourning of the passing of my dear friend I felt a deep warm sense of well being for a great human being that lived his life HIS WAY!
I love you brother and you will always be a part of my life.
I have put up links to some of our podcasts and his blogs. For the rest of them just go to Yoram Getzler and Yorams Blog in our directory.
This was our first podcast in 2006
https://israelseen.com/2006/02/
Moshe Dror: Futurist, Educator and Committed Optimist
https://israelseen.com/2006/06/01/moshe-dror-futurist-educator-and-committed-optimist/
Part II: Moshe Dror: Futurist, Educator and Committed Optimist
https://israelseen.com/2006/06/07/part-ii-moshe-dror-futurist-educator-and-committed-optimist/
Interview with Rabbi Andrew Davids.
https://israelseen.com/2006/07/29/interview-with-rabbi-andrew-davids/
David Bedein interview
https://israelseen.com/2006/04/
https://israelseen.com/2006/04/
Dissent by American Jews regarding Israeli Policy?
https://israelseen.com/2006/05/29/dissent-by-american-jews-regarding-israeli-policy/
The People Speak: Two Protests demanding government accountability.
https://israelseen.com/2006/05/24/the-people-speak-two-protests-demanding-government-accountability/
A Post Israeli Election Commentary
https://israelseen.com/2006/05/21/a-post-israeli-election-commentary/
2006 Lebanon War update.
https://israelseen.com/2006/07/31/2006-lebanon-war-update/
Music podcast
You haven’t heard anything yet
https://israelseen.com/2006/04/
https://israelseen.com/2006/04/15/you-havent-heard-anything-yet-part-ii-2/
Persian Jewish Music – Authentic Renditions – Janet Rotstein-YeHudayan
Ronit Shefi and the Voice of the Goddess
https://israelseen.com/2010/08/03/ronit-shefi-and-the-voice-of-the-goddess/
Varieties of Music from Israel:Persian
https://israelseen.com/2006/06/13/varieties-of-music-from-israelpersian/
Other Podcasts
A Surprise in the Heart of Jerusalem – Yoram Takes Us on a Journey
https://israelseen.com/2010/10/30/a-surprise-in-the-heart-of-jerusalem-yoram-takes-us-on-a-journey/
Interview – Daniella Ashkenazy – Chelm on the Med – Snippets of Daily Life in Israel
1947 to 2010 Personal Experience of Journalist Eliezer Whartman in Israel
A Visit to the Herodium and Herod’s Tomb
https://israelseen.com/2011/05/31/a-visit-to-the-herodium-and-herods-tomb/
Oslo Accords Died with Arafat
December 25, 2012
https://israelseen.com/2012/12/
THE WINDMILL SHOULD TURN TO OUR ADVANTAGE
December 03, 2012
https://israelseen.com/2012/12/
Eight Days On
December 01, 2012
https://israelseen.com/2012/12/
ITS THE DEMOGRAPHY, STUPID
November 28, 2012
https://israelseen.com/2012/11/
Yoram on Avrum and the Binding of Issac – Akaida
October 23, 2012
https://israelseen.com/2012/10/
Preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon – Prepare
https://israelseen.com/2012/09/19/preventing-iran-from-developing-a-nuclear-weapon-prepare/
The Potential is a Challenge – Israeli-Arabs
https://israelseen.com/2012/08/31/the-potential-is-a-challenge-israeli-arabs/
