When I had to break the news to Jonathan about Shlomo’s passing, I did not know how to do it. At a loss for words, I told him, “Jonathan, I have been crying and crying and crying all morning.” He said, “Why are you crying?” I said, “Shlomo”. Jonathan groaned and said, “Oh no! Not Shlomo! Please G-d, not Shlomo!” Then Jonathan said he never expected something like this because “Shlomo was the essence of good, and all he ever did was good, with an open hand and a full heart, all he ever did was good.”
Jonathan asked me what we could do for Shlomo’s wife and family, how we could help. We decided that perhaps we could write something to let them know how deeply we share in their loss. Hence this tribute to our beloved, friend, confidant, and mentor, Reb Shlomo Eliezer ben Yaacov z”l, beloved of HaShem.
Our mutual and very dear friend, Eli Rowe, comforted us greatly when he wrote in a recent email:
All I can tell you is that Shlomo always told me how much he loves you and Jonathan so very much and his biggest dream in life was to fly Jonathan home.
We will do it with him watching from Shomayim and he will now be a meilitz yosher for you, Jonathan and all of us.
He will be incredibly missed.
I responded to Eli, in part:
No matter what plane brings Jonathan home to Israel, Shlomo will surely be there in spirit, making the trip home with him. Thanks again for your kind words of comfort. It may be hard for others to understand what Shlomo meant to us. We know you do and we thank you for that.
If anyone can bring the prayers of Am Yisrael before the Kisei HaKavod, we know that Shlomo can. His purity, his humility, his endless love for Am Yisrael and his legendary chessed are his calling cards in Shomayim and assure his place in the minyan that davens regularly before the Holy Throne of Glory.
May G-d rest his soul beneath the Tree of Life in Gan Edan to bask in the splendor of the Schechinah along with the souls of all of the Tzadikim and the Tzidkaniot! May he be a meilitz yoshar in Heaven for us, for his beloved and devoted aishet chayil Faygie, for his family and for all of Am Yisrael! Amain!
Shlomo Eliezer ben Yaacov z’l, our beloved friend and teacher! We love you! We miss you! We will always keep you near at heart. May your memory be eternally blessed! Amain!
May be reprinted, unedited, uncut, unchanged in whole or in part, with attribution to authors, Esther and Jonathan Pollard
