By COLlive reporter
Photos: Menush Amit/COLlive
An emotional memorial tribute event took place to mark the Shloshim – 30 days since the passing of Rabbi Yudi Dukes OBM, the founder of JNet, beloved husband and father, who passed away after battling coronavirus for 9 months.
Throughout the event, which was held virtually and in-person, friends and family members recalled Yudi’s unique personality, which drew people in with his warmth, genuine caring, and ability to make each person he met feel important and special.
Prominently displayed throughout the event was Yudi’s Tzedaka Box, which was in his hospital room at all times, and became an icon throughout his time there after Yudi insisted that anyone who entered give a coin to charity.
MC Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Director of Merkos 302, led the evening, calling up each of Yudi’s colleagues and friends, each of whom spoke of the enormous loss felt by so many, who were touched by Yudi during his lifetime.
“He was known as the most sincere, emesdike person,” said Rabbi Kotlarsky, noting how Yudi would call a Shliach in Pittsburgh for many years to check up on him on a weekly basis, after a resolution taken on at a Kinus Hashluchim.
One after the other, speakers mentioned Yudi’s incredible warm personality, his exemplary middos, and his inspiring Bitachon.
Rabbi Menachem Posner, a longtime friend of Yudi and a writer at Chabad.org, remarked, “So much of what I had to planned to say, you’ve heard already, and you are certainly going to hear from others, but I realize that’s ok, because this is the truth, and the truth is consistent from beginning to end, and we all saw the same truth.”
A documentary about Yudi’s life, produced by filmmaker Andrew Leibman and featuring interviews with Yudi during his time in the hospital, showed Yudi’s strength and resilience through his challenges.
A tearful speech was given by a respiratory therapist named Mohammud, who said meeting and getting to know Yudi changed his life. He said Yudi’s friendship without judgment was something he will never forget, as well as the lesson of giving “Tzedaka” every time he entered the room, impacted him greatly.
“Yudi changed my life, and made me become a better person,” Mohammud said. “He made you comfortable to be yourself, and he made me realize you can always be yourself.”
Yudi’s wife Sarah Dukes, an award winning composer and musician, said that what was most meaningful to her in the event were the different types of people who participated.
Aside from Yudi’s family and close friends, many of the people who participated online or in-person had never met Yudi before he fell ill, from doctors, nurses, and therapists to volunteers of bochurim and girls who helped out in their home during his illness.
“It felt like some of them knew Yudi forever,” she told COLlive.com. “Even though Yudi was not anywhere near himself after waking up from a coma, somehow, people were just drawn to him and felt his warmth.”
Sarah also says she felt so much love from the people from around the world who prayed for Yudi and had never met him, yet “they really became part of our lives,” she says. “The support of people around the world is what is keeping our family going and helping us get through this,” she said.
The event concluded with Sarah presenting her children with a meaningful letter that Yudi had written to them years back, as well as a special Tzedakah pouch for each one that Yudi had planned to give his children.
A memento from the evening was distributed, a booklet of customs of the vacht nacht evening (night before a baby’s bris) which Yudi had been working on and which he did not have time to complete before his passing.
During the event, JNET launched an initiative to honor his mission with the launch of 1,800 new Chavrusahs.
Here’s how you can get involved:
Take a moment, scroll through your contact list or just think about those in your circle of influence who could benefit from such a meaningful burst of yiddishkeit and Torah study in their lives. Send them a message or give them a call explaining the meaningful opportunity that is at hand. “I know just how much you love to explore interesting topics in Judaism. This project made me think of you.”
Join the campaign yourself or get a friend on board and begin the journey at Chavrusa4Yudi.com.
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