Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A FORMER STUDENT RESURFACES AUGUST 2010

I also put The Land of Israel on Roby's blog, Robert Sandler's Views. I discovered this email from a former student, Avram Goldstein.  It is beyond words how he praises 'Professor Sandler', our dear, dear Roby. He had to be a remarkable teacher to inspire a letter after 40 years ! Truly extraordinary. What an impact he had ! I feel like he is still talking to us through his writing and hope to get more onto his blog. I see that the blog is working since Avram Goldstein googled his name and up came the blog.

Dear Professor Sandler,

How delightful to find you so easily through the magic of Google!

I have thought of you from time to time in the many years since I was a student with wiry hair and build who was enrolled in your English class at UM in the early 1970s. As I recall, you required us to read essays by influential writers and to put down our reactions and thoughts in a journal for the semester. I enjoyed the writing, but mostly I relished your probing and provocative questions and comments.

My standout memory is that you good-naturedly questioned my obviously unjustified self-assurance, and you called me out for being presumptuous in my opinions. It was good for me to hear that at that point in my life. More importantly, you also reinforced my perception of myself as a capable writer, and that led me in some wonderful directions.  

My life path has taken me from a 33-year career in journalism to a satisfying role in health care advocacy.  It was a homecoming of sorts, and it reminds me of that fun semester nearly 40 years ago.

Be well,

Avram Goldstein
Communications and Research Director
Health Care for America Now

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