Eulogy by Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs

It is with deep sadness that I send these words of tribute from Porto Alegre, Brazil, where Vickie and I mourn the death of our dear friend Seymour Saltzman. Helen, my heart goes out to you for the pain of having to bury two husbands whom you dearly loved. I wish that I could be there with you because Seymour was as fine a gentleman as I have ever known. When I met him, Seymour had already retired from the practice of medicine, but his legend endured. So many people told me what fine, caring and compassionate physician he was.

I first knew Seymour in his role as daily minyan leader at Beth Israel. He and Bernice resurrected our daily minyan, and it was a source of pride to me that ours was one of the few Reform synagogues that held such a minyan. When Seymour led the service, he did it with grace, dignity and the personal humility that was his trademark.

It was also my pleasure to know him and Bernice as eager students of Jewish knowledge Hardly a week went by that Seymour and Bernice were not with us at Torah study. He did not speak up that often, but when he did it was always with a penetrating question or an important observation.

My most intensive contact with Seymour was during the period of Bernice’s illness and subsequent death. What a loving, caring and supportive husband he was! Seymour and Bernice were soul mates for 49 years. Her death was a telling blow to him, but he bore his sadness with quiet dignity. It was clear, though, that the pain was very great.

That is why when Seymour introduced me to Helen my heart rejoiced. I loved Helen form the time we met, and I always thought of her as God’s special gift to Seymour for being the wonderful, mensch, physician, husband, father and grandfather that he was! When he and Helen asked me to join Amy in officiating at their wedding I was deeply touched. What a joyful Celebration that was. I treasure their wedding as the first and only one at which I co-officiated with the daughter of the bride! To this day Helen and Seymour’s marriage exemplifies for me the human ability to work through the sadness of profound loss and live on with courage purpose, meaning and joy. Seymour and Helen truly did joy in one another and had ten wonderful years together.

Seymour Saltzman was a man of extraordinary accomplishment, yet he never felt the need to talk about himself or what he had achieved. He was grateful to be able to use his extraordinary talent and intelligence to bring healing and comfort to so many. Without question he was a person whom I wanted to be like, and our world is poorer for his passing. While I pray that he finds the reward he deserves in the realm beyond this one, I know for sure that his memory will always be a blessing to the many that loved and admired him here on earth.

Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs
President
World Union for Progressive Judaism
wupj.org.il