Over the past few weeks, a large number of people, a highly mixed crowd, have been feeling their own rocks and boulders. Shoulders begin once again to bow under the pressure of these boulders, despite time wearing away some of the sharper edges of these boulders. The burden, the pain does not seem to lessen. Oddly enough, within that oppressive burden there are vibes of peace, of harmony, of warmth, of light and a love eternal, always and forever. It will come to a peak in a week and a half, the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September - an ending and a beginning. So apt for the occasion.
It is a weekend meant to commemorate that which is untimely, heartrending and yes, amazing. How one little boy, unassuming, unaware of the myriad talents and graces with which he had been gifted, he made his way through life with his contagious grin, his amazing blue eyes, and blessed personality, universally beloved. Never was heard a word of spite uttered about him; he was a friend to all and enemy to none. Even the glint of mischief sparkling in his eyes never touched upon spite or malice, only good fun and shared laughter.
To his family, Yitzy was special, though we were unaware of how special he truly was. We were unaware of the amazing degree to which he was loved and admired - and mourned - by the outside world, from baseball coaches to teammates and opponents, from the school community, teachers and students, from birdwatchers he met as he strode the paths of nearby nature preserves, with his father always at his side, as they explored the world of birds and snakes and nature at large. He touched the hearts of so many during his too brief life and the outpouring of grief upon his death both heightened and eased that grief though that burden never went away. Ever. That too, Yitzy, sweet boy, is always and forever.
On Saturday August 31, the family will be together again. Love, joy, sorrow, grief - all at one and the same time. We will invite Yitzy to share the weekend with us as we speak of him, laugh about him, his little pranks recalled, special moments we remember, his grin and love of life, his faith, deep and pure, his love of Judaism, his goodness - and the loss still so achingly real.
On Sunday, we will be reminded of the Pittsburgh City Council declaration, the naming of a street in his name, nearby his beloved baseball fields, and then a special walk, from home where the last letters will be inked in to school and we will complete his last wish - for a Torah written in his name. A moment of joy and grief, of faith and yes, anger in my heart. Why, why, why, reverberates within my soul. Why, dear G-d, so wrong, so very wrong.
And so, a little boy, 13, a gift given to the world and taken back too soon will be remembered in all and with all who knew him - from the nurses who cared for him, to the baseball world, the school community - once again we will share the unshareable. We'll talk of him. We will laugh about him and imagine holding him again.
We pray that his journey of transition between this world and the next was quick and filled with the bright light of love and warmth, and welcome. by his Lord and by those who had gone before him, waiting to welcome him and cherish him and comfort him.
And so, we mourn, and so we cry, again, yet again. Will the tears ever stop? Perhaps they will not happen as often, but they will never end. The ache, the loss, too powerful, too deep, Everlasting.
Below, is a letter written by his parents re the weekend and its purpose. Read and understand and if you can see your way to joining in the mitzvah, the good deed of the weekend, please use the link at the end.
Thank you - and remember our boy, Yitzy, Yitzchok Elimelech ben Akiva Ze'ev, the son of Chana Sarah, his beloved mother, his closest companion during his final year's journey.
Yitzy, always and forever, as write to you, of you, almost daily in my blog. I miss you so, more than words can convey. Always and forever sweet boy, always and forever.
Dear Friends,
This is a personal message from my wife and I.
Our dear son Yitzy passed away almost 8 months ago and the pain is as raw as ever.
It may always be.
There are things that help us through this journey; most importantly, the constant support from family, friends and community.
BH we were able to raise money for the sefer Torah that Yitzy asked for before he was niftar. We appreciate everyone who took part in that fundraiser.
In his short time on Hashem’s earth, Yitzy accomplished a tremendous amount and affected so many.
He was recently honored with a City of Pittsburgh proclamation, there is a plan for an honorary street renaming for him, there is a Sefer being written l’iluiy nishmaso, a siyum hashas, many programs started for his holy neshama, and of course, the Sefer Torah.
To our complete honor and amazement, our beloved Hillel Academy will be naming the brand new 10 million dollar campus “The Yitzy Sutofsky z’l Campus”.
Yitzy loved Hillel Academy, and exemplified everything Hillel stands for.
Like Yerushalayim, a city that gives the nation of Yisroel the ultimate achdus, Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh in its own magical way does the same. It is a true community school for hundreds of precious children.
Yitzy was someone who had relationships with a wide variety of kids, and he used his talents, intelligence, sweetness, compassion, competitiveness, sense of humor and loving spirit to connect with everyone. He took what Hillel taught and internalized it.
We know and appreciate that we collected for the Torah and now we are asking for the Yitzy Sutofsky Campus.
We are asking you to please help us reach our goal and to help us keep Yitzy's legacy alive and linked to such a unique school and community.
Thank you,
Akiva and Chana Sarah Sutofsky
https://causematch.com/hillelpgh/sutofsky-fam
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