Lenny Zakim 1953-1999

Excerpts from eulogies given for Leonard Zakim

[At Hanukkah, we sing] "in every age a hero arises who is the hero and redeemer of our people." The word for "hero" [in Hebrew] is the same as "to overcome." We can become heroes by overcoming our fears of others who are different and overcome the fear of things you thought you couldn't do. At the Black-Jewish Seder, everyone asked Lenny, Do we have to sing "We Shall Overcome"? Lenny said we have to sing it. Last year, near Simco's by the Bridge, we sang "We Shall Overcome."

-- Rabbi Mark Sokoll, friend

At my bar mitzvah, he called me up on stage to sing "Mustang Sally" with him. I bet he's up there jamming with Jerry Garcia in the rock-and-roll band in the sky right now.

---- Josh Zakim, son

It was on the floor of the Democratic National Convention when Lenny and Madeleine Albright made sure the US-Israel relationship was preserved by Lenny and Madeleine Albright's work on the Michael Dukakis platform plank on Israel.

-- Steve Grossman, friend and Democratic activist

Our friendship grew stronger outside Paul Tsongas's home . . . Lenny was one of the few guys I knew who could come to my church and keep the beat. [One time he spoke at my church and] his sermon was punctuated by cries like "Preach now, brother" and "That brother has some soul." You could see the smile on Lenny's face when he heard that.

-- Charles Austin, WBZ-TV reporter and cancer survivor

Like you, I learned much from Lenny. He educated me about the importance of Bruce Springsteen, for example. . . . He made the ADL such an important part of this city. . . . There was no hidden agenda in Lenny Zakim. His strength came from being Jewish. His strength came from Tikkun Olam. . . . We in the Catholic community are so grateful for the last 15 years. Boston Catholic Television aired a special program on our trip to Israel and Rome. That show closes with Lenny saying this: "We have the power to change things. It doesn't take much to start a revolution of thought and spirit. It takes one person and then another and then another. We have to have the willingness to be respectful of each other and not to let differences become obstacles. It's a responsibility and a chore. But when it works, it's a work of art."

-- Bishop William Murphy, friend

In the Jewish tradition, there is the belief that there are 36 perfectly righteous people alive at any one time. These people are the lamed-vavniks. The national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, intimated that Lenny must be one of those 36 people.

-- Jack Zakim, cousin

Lenny loved the prophets -- Springsteen and Dylan. Lenny's life brings to mind this passage from Nikos Kazantzakis's novel Zorba the Greek: "To live life completely, Boss, you have to embrace the entire catastrophe."

-- Steve Schlang, friend

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Reflections from Lenny
You Must Make a Difference
Taking Your Life Back
Defeating the Ambush of Hate
No Justification for Silence

Stephen Mindich remembers Leonard Zakim

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