35 Years Since Non Recorded Rabbi Goder and Andy B. Speeches

Some related items passed through my head, yesterday, as I drove with the still active in Northeast Jewish Center activities, “Cheese Man,” on the 35th anniversary of unrecorded speeches by Rabbi Harry Goder and me at the temple.

In my speech, I evoked Mr. Goder as a math teacher (he did that as well, as teach Hebrew School, now so many years ago and sadly as are the unrecorded speeches, Goder’s death is also 35 years into the rear view mirror, that goes inexorably forward, a reason “The Eagles,” among others, warned “don’t look back?”) telling us, as we looked on, mad at his old Regents Trigonometry exams, that his parents were “indeed married,” when he was born.

Mr. Goder’s words came into my mind when I was the P.A. announcer for The College of White Plains basketball games in 1977, as I said similar or same, regarding a referee, being booed profusely. He did not like it and that was the end of my P.A. doings there.

I told Mr. Goder the next day. He laughed then and 10 years later during my speech.

His speech was even better. Why was it not recorded? 5 weeks later, Rabbi Goder was gone.

I have to remind myself that his words, his wisdom, his coaxing me to better work in both Hebrew School and 11th grade math are still within. It “Ain’t” easy, but on we go.