What Would Jack Do? by Rabbi Boruch B. Bender

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

In Me M ory

What Would Jack Do? A Tribute to Reb Yanky Meyer, z”l

By Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender

There are times in life where one needs to take pause, reflect, and literally stop time for just a few moments to realize and to recognize something dramatic. Something extraordinary. Something heartbreaking.

The loss of Yanky (Jack) Meyer, the indefatigable leader of the Misaskim Corp organization, was all of those things. Simply a heartbreaking and shocking loss for the entire Jewish community at large and so many others. No mere words in this article can do justice, yet not writing at all just does not seem right.

I was thankful and blessed to have both a personal and professional relationship with this amazing soul. I was thankful to look up to him, to learn from him and to be inspired by him. Yanky didn’t just care. He didn’t just do chessed. He didn’t just run Misaskim Corp. Yanky really cared. He cared deeply for anyone who crossed into his orbit – and then he cared some more.

Yanky’s mission was to ease the pain and suffering of those who had lost loved ones. From the moment that their tragedy took place until sometimes years later, these orphans, widows, widowers, and broken people became his family. They became his mission and his focus.

Jack called me at all hours. Shabbos and weekday, 2 PM and 3 AM. He was a man on a mission, and nothing and nobody would get in his way until he achieved the desired results; results that were always singular in focus: bringing compassion, comfort, and love to those who were suffering through the most unbearable of times.

After a recent situation in which we worked together to help a family through a particular crisis (which started with a 3 AM call in which Jack said, “BB, wake up”), I turned to Jack and said, “You’re officially a ‘GSD.’”

In his imitable and special way, he huffed back, “BB, I don’t understand your Five Towns fancy words.”

I smiled back and said Jack, “It simply means you Get Stuff Done.”

He said back, “OK, BB, you know I don’t like gifts but that one I can take.”

One would think that in my daily life of running Achiezer Community Resource Center I would be accustomed or even hardened when dealing with death, tragedy or other forms of horrible crisis. Yes, it is true, that crisis of all forms is what consumes our daily lives at Achiezer and moving past it sometimes is the only way to survive, but with Jack’s untimely passing, I made myself a promise that this moment – this horribly difficult moment – cannot and must not be left in vain.

When we see someone suffering, we need to speak up and use our voice to show that we care. When someone is struggling through a difficult time, we must not pretend not to see or look the other way. We must not feel or assume that anyone’s crisis or particular struggle is insurmountable. We must pause, breathe, and think, “What would Jack do?” And we know one thing he would never ever do. Jack would never give up. On anyone or anything.

May his memory be a blessing for his wife, children, grandchildren, and to all who knew and loved him.

He cared deeply for anyone who crossed into his orbit – and then he cared some more.