Joe Mermelstein, z’l, with Helen Mermelstein and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Joe Mermelstein, z’l, with Helen Mermelstein and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Joe Mermelstein, z’l, with Helen Mermelstein and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

By Joseph Frager, MD

The Jewish world lost one of its “lamed-vovniks” on 4 Nissan. I personally owe a great deal of gratitude to Joe Mermelstein, z’l–for his tutelage, care, kindness, and focused activism.

Joe was a humble man who never sought any honors. Like his son Bernie said, “He just wanted to see the job done.” He did not care about recognition or platitudes. He just made things happen. He was a man of action, a successful businessman, and a great Jew. Books can be written about the man. He was involved in every aspect of Jewish life in America, Israel, and the rest of the world for the past 60 years. He helped start the Salute to Israel Parade down Fifth Avenue in 1964. As a matter of fact, the parade meant so much to him that he used it as a sort of litmus test for which yeshivot he was going to support. If they marched in the parade he was extremely philanthropic toward them.

In 1967, he was so taken by the miracle of the Six Day War that he moved his whole family to Israel immediately afterward. They stayed for close to a year until business drew him back. He was at the top of those who freed the Prisoners of Zion from the Gulag and Soviet jails. Natan Sharansky attended Joe Mermelstein’s funeral in Israel this past week and credited him as the man who brought him to freedom; President Reagan signed a bill to free Sharansky and all the refuseniks at the behest of Joe Mermelstein and Rabbi Avi Weiss.

I met Joe Mermelstein for the first time in 1985 when he was honored by the American Friends of Ateret Cohanim. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who was a close friend, was the keynote speaker. Joe Mermelstein maintained a close relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu throughout his life. Joe Mermelstein became the chairman of the board of Ateret Cohanim and chose me to succeed Jack Friedler, z’l, as president in 1991. He was always in my corner and was always tremendously supportive. He was straightforward, kind, generous and giving.

He built Beit Mermelstein in the so-called Moslem Quarter (rightfully the old Jewish Quarter until the pogroms of 1936). The house stands today as a testament of Joe Mermelstein’s vision, generosity, and devotion. It has inspired others to do the same. He helped transform the Old City of Jerusalem. During the Oslo years from 1993 until the so-called disengagement from Gaza in 2005 (rightfully called the Gush Katif expulsion), Joe Mermelstein did not stop for a minute trying to save the land and people of Israel. I can’t begin to tell how many ads in Jewish and secular newspapers Joe Mermelstein sponsored. I can’t begin to tell how many rallies, conferences, and press events Joe helped both physically and financially. Every waking moment was spent helping the Jewish people.

The effort was well worth it. Israel is stronger today than ever before. Jerusalem is stronger today than ever before. A new generation of Israeli political figures have all learned from the mesirut nefesh of Joe Mermelstein. I know Prime Minister Netanyahu thinks of him often. He had a profound influence on the prime minister. I remember Joe stressing over and over again: “There is no East or West Jerusalem, There is only one Jerusalem.” He eventually made this a headline of one of his many ads.

A whole generation was educated by this giant of a man. He ended every speech he ever made with the clarion call of “Am Yisrael Chai.” When he said it, the earth shook. He was that powerful. He dedicated a basketball court/gymnasium in S’derot. In Operation Protective Edge in 2014 the building was used by the IDF as a launching pad for operations into Gaza. Everything he did had a profound effect.

He is succeeded by his beloved wife, Helen, son and daughter-in-law Bernie and Fran, and daughter and son-in-law Aviva and Paul Gross. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim. v

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