amirlopatin

Rabbi Joey Felson Remembers Amir

Rabbi Joey Felson shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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Ever since I got the news, I’ve been thinking about Amir. He was such a unique figure for me at Stanford – someone I connected with very strongly.

One thing I felt with Amir was that he was sure about where he hoped to be headed in life, and he was a person who was extremely thought out. We used to study every week–at certain points he wanted to study Gemara, as he said he had never been turned on by it. Then at certain points, he switched and said – I really want to home in on my passion and look through seferim to see what speaks about education.

I said to him – Well, we could start…

He said, No let’s go and see the breadth and what speaks to us. So we went to the library, and we found things that are eclectic – and he would say – this speaks to me – he would say “this is incredible because I might be able to get credit for this!”

What’s amazing is – I’ve had a lot of people trying to get credit studying with a rabbi – but the difference with Amir is – he said, This is what I want to do. I want to be an educator and I think that my tradition has so much to say about education. I want to access these texts as an educator.

He would just start talking about the realities of life in a very clear and direct way. He was an individual who would spend a lot of time in contemplation and would really think and come to very interesting observations about life and the people around him. I’ve very rarely met a person who could just put it on the table the way Amir Lopatin would put it on the table. He would put an issue on the table and say, let’s talk about it!

He was in pursuit of some higher level of existence for himself and the people around them.

When people pass on, very often the reaction is what to do in his memory/honor – but we forget that one of the most powerful things you can do is to try to figure out what they represented in your life, and then take that and bring it into your life.

Can everyone think about how they can become a little more focused about what they want to do? That is honoring him. I would leave conversations with him and say, “I wish I thought about things as much as he did.” I want to try to carve space in my schedule to do that, and I will have him in mind.

Carla remembers Amir

The following was shared at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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When Amir bought his car, I was in shock…it was pink! He said, what do you think? I said, I hated it! He said, should I paint it? He really loved it…I keep thinking about it, the color and how excited he was to get it – and how unique he was – he always really challenged me and gave me really unique advice that no one was courageous enough to say to me.

–Carla

Jeremy Friedman remembers Amir

Jeremy Friedman shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I’m someone who should have known Amir a lot better- he grew up three blocks from my house – we went to the same high school. I could have gotten to know him better and I regret that…He was saying Kaddish for his father every morning…He was biking to minyan at 6:30am – for normal Stanford kids, 6am is literally the middle of the night. Amir was there very consistently – getting on his bike at 6am – from what I know about his own religious beliefs, he was doing this because this is what his father would have wanted; he was able to honor his father by getting on a bike at 6:30am – he wouldn’t accept my offers for rides! I think that shows a level of dedication to his father and other people.

Jen Burney remembers Amir

Jen Burney shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I met Amir when he said in typical fashion –”Ah your Jen – you play ultimate Frisbee – I didn’t know other Jews played Ultimate.” So thus began our friendship.

One of the most genuine and sincere people I’ve ever known…He stood out.
And he had the most serious puppy dog eyes of anyone I’ve ever seen.
He genuinely believed he could change the world – without being patronizing at all…forever young but very very pragmatic; the third way he stood out to me was through being a fantastic educator. Amir – I still owe you a trip to San Francisco for a pick up Frisbee game we never got to go to. I will think of you when it comes time to play and when it comes time to be an educator.

A fellow student remembers Amir

The following was shared by a first-Year Ed. Student at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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Amir was in psychology with a dozen other students – I’m in the Philosophy section…so I seek out people to debate with – and I always found ample discussion material with Amir – one of the first conversations I had with Amir was about technology. He believed that technology could solve all of the worlds’ problems. It was interesting and frustrating, but I think I came to understand where he was coming from. Amir had a really deep faith in human nature – in people’s ability to be rational, open, humble, unafraid to confront other people. He had a real idealism and compassion, and in many ways, he was the ideal philosopher – open to new ideas, while holding to certain core ideas and principles.

I was thinking he should have been a philosophy program – but if he had done that, I wouldn’t have gotten into the program and benefitted from our conversations. I know so many people have been touched by him.

Jon Novich Remembers Amir

Jon Novich, a friend of the Lopatins, shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I’m no linguist and I don’t know what “Lopatin” means. I knew Amir since high school and I’ve known Shoshana since college. I spent a weekend in DC with Shoshana and Uri – it was a blast. If I had to translate Lopatin (I’m not a linguist) it would be “passion” – they all had this incredible energy.

The thing that I’m struggling with is, why do we need to challenge that passion for life – because I just don’t get that. I just don’t get that.

Chris Griffith, Dean of Graduate Student Life at Stanford, remembers Amir

Chris Griffith, Dean of Graduate Student Life at Stanford, shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial service for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I did not know Amir, but I work for Stanford, and I respond to crises, so I got the first call about Amir and communicated it. But over the last few days – working with Amir’s advisor; Dean at School of Ed, I have a sense of him; I was struck by the kind of community he was able to create and nurture around him. When I talked to his roommate, to whom he had been randomly assigned, he was quite devastated and said, “He was the only roommate I ever got along with” – and he’s a 4th year PHD student…

Amichai Magen Remembers Amir

Amichai Magen shared the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I didn’t know Amir for very long, but he found a way to approach me. He would stop on his bike and say hello – and he would listen – he cared about the response he got…he was sincerely fascinated by philosophical questions; by the religious dilemma. Having been in the Israeli army – I have had to bury a few young friends – and nothing is worse…

Amir was a man of education; the notion that to save a human being to save one human being is the most powerful thing; I want to take it upon myself – the next person that you save in this world – do it for Amir and dedicate the saving of a human life to him – to the memory of him as an educator – it won’t bring him back; it won’t take away from the tragedy of his passing, but it will be something that he would have wanted – as an educator – that people recognize that what he was doing was trying to make the life of others richer and fuller – and if we can take that lesson – we can do something to honor him.

Sarah Gershman Remembers Amir

Sarah Gershman related the following at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial for Amir, March 29, 2004.
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I know Amir through Shoshana, his older sister. Throughout the time of their father’s illness and after his death, Shoshana talked to me about what an incredible support and source of love her brothers gave her – and how deep and loving was her relationship to Amir. I feel like I knew Amir through the unbelievable amount of love his sister expressed towards him – the love they shared. I have never met a sister who talked about her brother like that. Through Shoshana, I met a person who knew what it meant to live and to love so deeply – whose sense of family was powerful beyond words.

Rabbi Menachem Spira Remembers Amir

Rabbi Menachem Spira lead the gathering at Chabad at Stanford’s memorial for Amir (March 29, 2004) in a Tehillim; Psalm 15.
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A Psalm of David.
Within thy tabernacle, Lord,
who shall abide with thee?
And in thy high and holy hill
who shall a dweller be?
The man that walketh uprightly,
and worketh righteousness,
And as he thinketh in his heart,
so doth he truth express.
Who doth not slander with his tongue,
nor to his friend doth hurt;
Nor yet against his neighbor doth
take up an ill report.
In whose eyes vile men are despised;
but those that God do fear
He honoureth; and changeth not,
though to his hurt he swear.
His coin puts not to usury,
nor take reward will he
Against the guiltless. Who doth thus
shall never movèd be.

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