[Fredslist] Mom and the "Summer of Giving"

[Gerald Goldhaber]

What a wonderful tribute by Dr. Susan Pickman to her vibrant, enthusiastic, sensitive and warm, caring and loving Mom, Yetta Forman, who indeed was the life of any party, an inspiration to those 1/3 her age (like me...lol) and the perfect example of what the French meant by joie de vivre.  Yetta was truly the most energetic person in the room whose love for life and living it to the fullest was in play until her last breath.  I encourage all of Gotham, whether it is in the memory of lost loved ones, such as Yetta, or as a challenge to the living to care for those less fortunate, let's open up our wallets and give generously to our own Gotham charity fund during this summer of giving.  I'm not much for ice buckets (although I have always been a supporter of ALS charities), but I join with Susan's gift of $250 to Gotham and hereby issue my own personal challenge to all Gothamites to help meet our Summer of Giving Goal.

Dr. Gerald M. Goldhaber 
President and CEO, GRA, LLC 
800 6th Avenue, Suite 26G 
New York, NY 10001 
(212) 379-6661 (Office) 
(917) 279-2303 (Cell) 
geraldgoldhaber at yahoo.com 
www.goldhaber.com 


On Monday, September 1, 2014 2:50 PM, Dr. Susan L Pickman <susan.pickman at gmail.com> wrote:
  




Dear Gotham Friends:

I have known many of you for what seems to be eons and I am pleased that I am associated with such a wonderful group of people.  We have cried and hugged over our losses and sent enthusiastic applause when one of our number hits a "home-run," personally or professionally.  Some of you know that my mom, Yetta Forman, died peacefully this summer at 97 years young in NYC where she was born.  She was a lot of things to many people.  She was the life of any party (thanks Gerry Goldhaber, who helped and entertained mom many times over in her later years), she was a college professor, a social worker, a long-time advocate for Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Peace in Vietnam, and Israel's Right to Exist.  She was a strong Democrat, a painter, and a poet.  She was also a wonderful wife to my father and was a inspirational and complex mother to her four kids; a hospital administrator, a college professor and private investigator, a pediatrician and an international
 executive coach.  Since my dad (a patent attorney) died thirty years ago, mom also became a financial wiz.  She grew even more emotionally through the years from her birth, 1916 to the present.  She blessed my marriage to my female partner of many years, Lucienne Serrano, in front of family and friends at her 97th birthday party when we celebrated changes that were unimagined through most of her life and ours.    

Mom was the daughter of a cleaning lady and a window washer who came through Ellis Island in the late 19th century.  They lived on the Lower East Side and then through shear grit bought a boarding house in Chelsea.  Mom went through the depression and WWII.  She always included our cousins, who survived the decimation of the Jews in Europe, in our circle of family and friends.  She was also big on giving.  Whether it was Hadassah, the Epilepsy Foundation or MS Foundation or to help someone through college (she will have put nine kids through college as of the end of last year).  She was fortunate to go to Hunter College and Columbia University's Teachers College and never forgot the value of education and what it did for her and her family.   

This is the long way of telling you that when the "Summer of Giving" came around this summer, I did something special.  After the immediate needs of my family diminished, I contributed $250.00 to "Summer of Giving" in my mother's name with the belief that she would have approved of Gotham and the "Summer of Giving."  Raj Goel is a long-time friend and colleague who knew my mother.  I encourage you to follow his example (and mine), and donate what you can to the "Summer of Giving."  Give now in honor of your member of the "Greatest Generation," or someone else you have lost or someone who is alive and is someone you respect.  There are lots of good causes and I am willing to let the Gotham way determine where our money goes.  Whether we Gothamites support research to cure Epilepsy or organizations to fight depression or domestic violence, we will all be winners and will honor those on whose shoulders we stand.

Enjoy Labor Day and remember those who made our today possible!!

Gothamly,

Susan

 

    
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