Thoughts

Hi Amir. My life is finally beginning to turn around after 20 years in hell. I am feeling better, healthier, and stronger. My career is starting to work out. I feel good about my life for the first time in many years. I will never forget you as long as I live. I will think of you on your 9th yarzheit again as always.

I always remember you on your birthday because it is the day before mine. Happy Birthday!

Not sure why I started thinking about you, it’s 5am and I’m awake in a lightning storm down here in Durham NC.

I was just thinking, now that I have a 13 month old son, that I hope he somehow develops your independence of thought, and your self confidence to speak his mind, despite me and my lack thereof.

And I hope he has someone kinda like you to sit next to on the bus.

Jason

Hi Amir. My uncle died three weeks ago, and I have suffered tremendous hell since then. He was cremated instead of buried by his Buddhist daughters. My dad held no shiva for him, and the shul wouldn’t let me hold a shlosim either. So I feel extremely hurt inside by this whole nightmare. I will survive this though because I have found the inner courage to put an end to my family’s emotional abuse. I also discovered I have tremendous talent in photography and that I have Aspergers. I am healing day by day, week by week, month by month. You strengthened me in the past, and you continue to watch over me to this day.

Eight years after your passing you still have a profound effect on my life. In the time we lived together, you taught me so much about NYC, Judaism, and living with others.

I sit here typing this out on my iPad, imagining what amazing work you would’ve accomplished with technology like this.

Your family and friends miss you dearly Amir.

Lawrence

I knew Amir from both Ramaz and Brown, and I still think about him a lot. At Ramaz, I admired his talent, his intellect, and his courage in speaking his mind. He never seemed to be afraid of what people thought. I was scared of what people thought, and I so admired that quality in him. He wasn’t satisfied with accepting the status quo – he wanted to challenge it. What an important quality that so many of us lacked. He was also interested in creative writing and was so smart. At Brown, I saw him around a lot… we both lived on the same campus freshman year. Even though he was a year ahead of me in high school, I think we ended up the same year in college because he went to Israel. I saw him at the computer lab quite a bit. I used to go there to work on papers. We chatted there a lot. He helped me when my computer got a virus that destroyed my paper at like 3 am. I was very stressed out and he was so helpful. We did a Hillel breaks project together and worked in soup kitchens and shelters in NYC. He also had shabbat dinner at my family’s apartment. One of the last times I saw him was in NYC- he was donating blood at a blood drive. That was Amir. Such a good person. And such a great sense of humor and joy for life. Another one of my last memories of him was seeing him riding his bicycle along the path by the Hudson river. It was chilly out and he was wearing a hat that completely covered his face, just holes for eyes and mouth, I forget what those are called. He said ‘hi!’ to me, and I looked at him confused because I didn’t know who it was – I couldn’t see his face. He kept waving and saying hi! I said ‘I don’t know who it is, your hat is covering your face.’ He took his hat off and we both smiled and laughed. I always loved running into him. It made me smile to see him. I can’t do Amir justice with my words, but I really wanted to write to his family. My little brother died this summer and it means so much to me to hear that he is remembered, so I wanted to make sure that I told you that I remember Amir and always will. I’m sorry I didn’t write sooner. With love -freya

March 25, 7 years….
So strange.

I am happy for this site. It keeps you alive, with us, just a little bit, as if nothing has changed…

I am thinking of Amir on his seventh yarzheit. I have had many ups and downs in my life since your death, but I have never forgotten you. Every year on your yarzheit I think about you, and this year is no exception. I was feeling bad and then remembered today is your English yarzheit. I will never forget you and you will always be in my heart as a friend with your memory. I am happy for your sister Shoshana and her husband David that they had a daughter Amira Jeane named in your memory. I am so happy also that your family has memorialized you by creating a scholarship at Stanford in your honor. Your legacy of kindness, compassion, and Judaism lives in all the people whose lives you touched – your close family most of all but also your friends, colleagues, and acquaintances and the people you helped through your dedicated community service.