By Allan Kokin, September 20, 2025
Good Shabbos!
In the immortal words of Sam Levenson, “Today I am a fountain pen!”
Sam Levenson was a New York City high school teacher who became a very well known comedian and was popular in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Most of all, he was a wonderful person, and he was universally revered.
He appeared on television very frequently, on the Ed Sullivan Show, Johnny Carson and numerous popular quiz shows as a panelist. When I was attending New Utrecht High School, he came and spoke to a student assembly; and when I was a graduate student at Purdue University, he performed there.
In 1947, he recorded a 78 rpm record that featured a three minute and seventeen second spiel about a boy not wanting to go to chader and get ready for his Bar Mitzvah. His parents, especially his mother, encouraged him to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah by telling him he would get presents, he would get presents, he would get presents. It worked! He learned his Hebrew lessons and had his Bar Mitzvah. When it was time for him to speak to all the guests, he uttered the memorable line “Today I am a fountain pen.” Our family had this 78 rpm record and I probably listened to it at least 100 times on our Philco record player. I still have it.
Seventy years ago, it was common for a boy to give his friends a Bar Mitzvah present, usually a ten dollar bill or a fountain pen. Ten dollars does not seem like much. I checked with Google and found in today’s currency, it is equivalent to about $120. Also, most kids had fountain pens, but they were often junky, and leaked a lot. What a mess! So to give someone a nice fountain pen, was a reasonable gift.
I can recall clearly the day I had my bar mitzvah, September 10, 1955. It was a beautiful warm summer day in Boro Park. My father and I walked to Temple Emanuel. The synagogue was well attended for a typical Shabbat. Shabbat Nitzavim is always the last parsha before Rosh Hashanah. Cantor David Kussevitsky was present, but he did not daven, since Rosh Hashanah was just a few days hence. He was saving his voice for the High Holiday services.
I was pleased with the way I chanted my Haftorah. I had learned it before I went away to summer camp for eight weeks, and practiced it everyday after lunch. After the service, our family and guests walked a block away to the Concordia catering hall for a luncheon in my honor. By this time, the day had become quite warm. I walked into the hall and saw a large fountain spewing out ice cold orange juice. I hadn’t eaten much breakfast and I was quite thirsty. I filled up a glass and drank it much too quickly. A short time later I got very nauseous. I quickly walked outside, vomited on the lawn in front of the building, and walked right back into the party. My parents never knew. Hopefully, I won’t repeat that experience today.
With the high holidays approaching, as I do every year, I reflect back to Boro Park. My head is at Temple Beth Am, but my soul still is at Temple Emanuel. The high holidays services were very special. We had one of the world’s great cantors, David Kussevitsky, an incredible professional choir, and an articulate engaging rabbi, Baruch Silverstein. I still remember a Rosh Hashanah sermon he delivered in 1953. Earlier that year Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Silverstein compared the reactions of each of these men to their accomplishment. He commented on Hillary feeling like a conquering hero, while Norgay, a Buddist from Nepal said he felt closer to God. These words have stuck with me for seventy-two years.
Yom Kippur services at Temple Emanuel were truly inspiring, Just a couple of highlights: First, the Kol Nidre service. Listening to David Kussevitsky and the choir sing Kol Nidre was always a memorable event. The service lasted over four hours, but when it was over, I wanted more; it was so enthralling.
Second, when Neilah was ending, magic happened when Cantor Kussevitsky sang Adonai Hoo Ha-elohim. At Beth Am, we all sing it together quickly, but at Temple Emanuel, after fasting for twenty-six hours, the cantor sang it seven times by himself. Only then did the congregation repeat it. First, he sang softly, and then, progressively louder with each repetition. Number six was very loud, his face was red, and one wondered how number seven could be any louder and with more emotion. Well, he always did it!
Temple Emanuel doesn’t exist anymore because the neighborhood changed. Seventy years ago the population consisted of primarily Conservative and Orthodox Jews, and Italians. Today it is mostly Chasidim. But after being gone for sixty years, every year I listen to a recording of David Kussevitsky singing high holiday prayers, and think about being back in Temple Emanuel.
Prior to this week’s parsha, Hashem had made three covenants. The first, the covenant of human solidarity, was with Noah, and through him to all of mankind. While all people were expected to observe the laws given to Noah, no specific human action was required to indicate acceptance of this covenant.
The second was with Abraham and his descendants, establishing a new faith that would be a blessing to all humanity. This time, there was a required response, namely that Abraham and all his male descendants be circumcised. For this reason, this covenant it is referred to as the brit milah.
The third was at Mount Sinai. This time God commanded Moses to explain to the Israelites the nature of His covenant, and also had Moses ask them three times if they were ready to follow it. The nation did so by providing similar responses as follows: “kol hadvarim a-share de-bare Adonai na-a-sey, All the things that the Lord has commanded we will do.” It was only then that Ten Commandments were presented to them.
Rabbi Jonathon Sachs, zichrono livracha, points out that this was the first time that a nation gave its consent as to how it was to be governed. This same principle was incorporated into our Declaration of Independence as follows:
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed….
In parshat Nitzavim, Moses tells the Israelite nation that they are standing this day, and I quote “before the Lord your God in order to establish you as His people, and he will be your God.” These Israelites were not the people who had stood at Mount Sinai, but are their children. They did not experience revelation, and may not believe that they are in a covenant with God. Essentially, they were born into it. Moses does not ask them to voice acceptance as their parents did, but he proclaims it as their duty. They are obligated to follow God’s laws. They will be rewarded if they do and cursed if they do not. Not observing the commandments could lead to exile and suffering; but even in exile they will still be bound to follow God’s laws.
Not only is Moses obligating those who are standing before him to observe this covenant, but also all of their future descendants. How is it possible to require people who are not yet born to observe a covenant with God? What Moses is really doing is compelling those before him and all future generations to teach their children to learn and observe the covenant with God. That is how future generations will become obligated.
Prior to Moses taking this action, the Israelites were led by Hashem. As a nation, they were told by God where to go and what to do. It was only now that Moses knew that this was about to change and had to change. He had been preparing the Israelites for this transition for some time. They would no longer be a people that would take actions upon direction by God. As they entered their new land, the nation would be responsible for its own destiny. So when the new generation needed to renew the covenant with God, Moses did not wait for God to tell him to do so. He did it on his own volition, and told the people to accept it.
We all experience a similar transition from following to leading in our lives.
When we are children, we rely on our parents and other relatives. At some point we may yearn to breakout on our own. When we are young adults, we need to begin to think about a career. We may get advice from others, but we must take responsibility for ourselves. When we work for someone else, at first we are directed what to do. But as we grow and develop, we can take initiative without waiting to be led, or we can strike out on our own. This was the direction Moses was pushing the Israelites to take.
Moses offered the nation a choice between life and death, good and evil. It is a choice of blessings if one follows the commandments, or curses if one does not. Moses urges the people to Choose Life.
As I stand here today, I am filled with gratitude:
- To my family and friends who have supported and encouraged me
- To this community that has become a place of growth and a second home
- To my amazing children and their extremely capable spouses who continuously make me proud
- To my beautiful grandchildren who I adore.
- To my brother Shep and sister-in-law Beverly who have been terrific role models for Laraine and me, and have always been there for us through the years.
- And most especially to my wife Laraine who has been my partner for over fifty-two years, and who has made it possible for me to have had a wonderful life. I believe that in a marriage, you and your spouse continuously grow; either you grow apart or grow ever closer. For me and the fetching Laraine, we have become closer and closer. Sometimes we almost think as one. I believe we were just made for each other.
I am also grateful that Laraine and I are both enjoying good health and remain active. Luckily, we have had enough mazel to avoid any serious maladies.
The only hiccups have been broken bones. In 2003, I broke my femur, and then in 2016, I broke my right shoulder in three places, and the wrist of my opposite arm. Then nine months ago, Laraine broke both of her wrists. When these injuries occur, one becomes completely dependent on ones spouse. It was a blessing that during many months of recuperation from my injuries, Laraine was always there for me, and I feel blessed that I was able to do the same for her. Basically, with these types of injuries it’s like taking care of a baby again, but one who is much larger and much more demanding. Everything, and I mean everything, that you did for an infant, you are forced to do for an adult, but it is much easier to deal with an infant.
During the past two decades, Laraine and I have been fortunate to enjoy several major family celebrations. They included weddings, bat mitzvahs, significant birthdays and even a brs. Then we were happy to observe our 50th wedding anniversary. The most recent event was the wedding of our son Sam to his wife Karen.
With respect to their wedding, we finally got new machatunim who actually reside in Southern California. This has become a new and happy experience, given that the other in-laws reside in Germany and in Wisconsin. Who knew that these latest machtunim would turn into mispocha! Thank you to David and Hana for sharing your amazing family with us.
Although I am very pleased with what our family has been able to experience, frequently I reflect about the two cousins and five close friends who passed away within the past six years. All of these individuals I knew quite well for 50 to 75 years. This has been a significant loss to me, and is a constant reminder as to how fleeting life can be. One can never know what will happen to those we know and love. Therefore, I believe it is important to work hard to stay healthy in body and mind, and to be there for friends and family.
I recognize that I am very privileged. I am able to play golf and pickle ball, even at my advanced age, and I try to exercise my brain. My personal motto, that I adjust annually, is:
I am 83, feel 43 and act 23. The first number, 83, is accurate; the second number, 43, is a hope, and my wife Laraine thinks the third number, 23, is real.
I wish each of you all the blessings of a second bar or bat mitzvah!