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

(202) 587-1634 Direct

(202) 744-1925 Mobile

agoldstein@healthcareforamericanow.org

www.healthcareforamericanow.org

THE LAND OF ISRAEL BY ROBERT SANDLER

Today, November 29th would have been my dear, uncle Roby's 88th birthday. I read this article recently and learned a lot that I did not know. It is still very much a timely topic today. If you listen hard, you can still hear his voice; the passion comes through in his writing. This is a hard time for the Sandler family - we all miss him so much.

THE LAND OF ISRAEL 

by

ROBERT SANDLER

ALLSTON OPEN STUDIOS 11.12.11

What a wonderful day !

Jane and I and Bill and Bruce set off to Allston Open Studios,  only ten minutes away from 1550 Beacon Street, located in an industrial area near the commuter rail. I went primarily to see the work of three artists, Evelyn Berde, Louise Weinberg and David Weinberg, photographer. Open Studios is the opportunity to step inside an artist's studio space and purchase their work directly from the artist.

I love the work of Evelyn Berde. In September, Jane and I and Tobey went to the West End Museum to see her mixed media installation piece, Leaving The River. I will write a separate post about that - it works on so many levels it's incredible. I bought a few of Evelyn's cards. I asked her if she had a card of "The Rabbi and Me," one of my favorite paintings. She said "no, but I will give you a print, just let me sign it" - I was stunned, but thrilled. She really is a wonderful and exceptional person.


I love The Rabbi and Me. When I first saw it in her studio it immediately reminded me of Dorchester. That red brick building, the Rabbi; I thought of 104 American Legion Highway, the Woodrow Avenue shul. It turns out it depicts the West End (of Boston) which was in the process of being demolished in the name of 'urban renewal' while Evelyn was growing up. That is her in the picture, drawing Jewish stars on the red brick wall - the Rabbi taught her how to draw them. When I read that, I approached her and said that I was from Dorchester - she hugged me.

Newsflash ! In all three artist's studios, there was an iPad. Evelyn had hers running a slide show of the West End Museum exhibit. In Louise's studio, after looking at her drawings and paintings, I noticed a table which had 8 1/2 x 11 pictures labelled, iPad Drawings ! And they were nice ! Soon a crowd gathered as Louise gave us a demo of drawing on the iPad. Welcome to the 21st century world of Art.

In David Weinberg's studio you can see photos of Hollywood, Florida and the Hilltop Steakhouse where the Silverman family often went when I was in high school.

                                                           

                                                               

APOCOLYPTIC RED SOX SEPTEMBER 2011

The Sandler Family Archives blog has been on hiatus for three months while we recovered from family issues and tackled mountains of bureaucratic paperwork. Now we are catching up.

All summer long I watched the Red Sox baseball games and thought of Roby, missed talking to Roby, my lifelong Red Sox fan uncle Roby. (note his baseball and Red Sox cap, treasures Bernice gave me) I had conversations with him in my head. We were doing so well until we hit September. When the meltdown happened in September, even my acupuncturist Dorothy said how can they lose this many games in a row??? Sadly as we in Boston  mourned in the post-season, the horror stories of "...the spa-like atmosphere in the clubhouse, the fried chicken eatin', beer swillin' trio, Beckett, Lester and Lackluster" leaked into the press. While the Texas Rangers went to the World Series and lost by one strikeout against the Cardinals, we in Beantown were left to lick our wounds and process the daily media drubbing of the 'historic' September meltdown. Here are some highlights:

How a team that was on pace in late August to win 100 games and contend for its third World Series title in seven years self-destructed is a story of disunity, disloyalty, and dysfunction like few others in franchise history.

"After getting two days off, the Sox spent the rest of the season playing uninspired, subpar baseball, losing 21 of their final 29 games."

But the gestures made no difference. The hapless Sox became the laughingstocks of baseball as they went from holding a two-game divisional lead over the Yankees after the Aug. 27 doubleheader - and a nine-game advantage in the wild-card race over the Rays - to finishing a humiliating third in the AL East.

I shook my head and thought of Roby.......what would he have said ?  I can only imagine.