RIP Yankie Meyer – A Really Good Man
Today I heard about Yankie Meyer passing.
Many years ago, I left my parent’s home to get my own place. Rents in Bay Ridge were high and wouldn’t allow me to save money. I found a house with a backyard in Borough Park for $900 a month. The place had three bedrooms, so I found two friends who wanted to move in with me.
Little did we know that our party house was be next door to Rabbi Yankie Meyer, one of the most influential people in Borough Park and even NYC.
While we lived there, we knew him as Jack. He was always running in and out of his house at all times of the day (no exaggeration). Jack always wore a fresh, white, button down shirt, black pants, black shoes and yarmulke.
One evening at 2:00 am, we were sitting on the stoop as Jack was coming home. We asked him a lot of questions and found out that he kept late hours because volunteered for Hatzolah (a local ambulance in Borough Park – like Bravo is to Bay Ridge).
We didn’t know Jack formed Misaskim until after we moved to Bay Ridge and saw how he helped Leiby Kletzky’s family. Over the years, when I told people I lived in Borough Park, about a dozen people have asked me if I knew Yankie Meyer.
Misaskim makes sure that invasive autopsies are not done on people (it’s against the Jewish faith) and they are buried quickly. (See here) There was a need for this type of company to help Jewish families when their family members died.
Thousands of people were on his block for the levaya (see here):
At the Levaya of Worldwide Askan and Misaskim Founder Reb Yankie Meyer Zatzal. pic.twitter.com/0fAtrCnXK7
— The Lakewood Scoop (@LakewoodScoop) September 9, 2022
Throughout the years, I learned a lot about Judaism from Jack. He didn’t laugh when I stopped him to ask him about things I had never seen before, like a neighborhood full of sukkots, Purim celebrations or the purpose of people burning chametz. Jack smiled and taught me. He told me I could always ask him questions.
As a neighbor, Jack never complained about our loud music or barking dogs. I remember him telling me that the owner of the house we rented called him and he asked him if he wanted to buy the house. Jack said he said no because he didn’t want us to have to move. (So nice!) After we moved, he bought the property for his children.
I was glad to hear he was able to make one last trip to Israel.
May Jack Meyer rest in peace. Prayers for his wife, Gittel and his children. May Jack’s legacy be a light for them.
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Hugs,
marlene
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