In the 1950s, the philanthropist J.C. Cohen of Florida established a charitable foundation. One man was appointed to oversee his contributions and serve as the gatekeeper for the various collectors. Approaching Mr. Cohen directly was therefore practically impossible. Each time Reb Aharon Kotler traveled to Florida, he would pay a visit to Mr. Cohen’s secretary, hoping to raise money for his yeshivah, but each time, he came away without success. Mr. Cohen’s secretary was polite but firm in his refusal to commit funds to the yeshivah.
On one such fundraising trip, Reb Aharon took Reb Y. Yitzchak Spiegel along. One afternoon, Reb Y. Yitzchak davened Minchah in a local shul where he spotted a young boy reciting Kaddish after davening, obviously struggling with the pronunciation of the words. Feeling pity for the poor orphan, he introduced himself and gently offered to teach him how to recite the Kaddish.
The boy’s eyes lit up as he gratefully accepted the offer. He explained that he had recently lost his mother and had trouble reciting the Kaddish properly. Reb Y. Yitzchak sat with him and patiently went over every word of the Kaddish until the boy felt confident that he could recite it clearly. The boy thanked Reb Y. Yitzchak profusely.
“You know,” said Reb Y. Yitzchak, “I didn’t catch your name.”
The boy replied, “My name is Cohen.”
“Are you related to J.C. Cohen?” asked Reb Y. Yitzchak.
The boy confirmed that J.C. was indeed his father. When Reb Y. Yitzchak asked the boy if he could introduce him to his father, he eagerly obliged. As they entered the Cohen home, J.C. looked inquiringly at Reb Y. Yitzchak.
His son exclaimed, “Dad, this man just taught me how to say Kaddish!”
J.C. thanked Reb Y. Yitzchak, explaining, “I recently lost my wife, Dora. I didn’t realize my son was having such a hard time with the Kaddish. It was very kind of you to take time from your trip to teach a child you don’t even know.”
J.C. then inquired why Reb Y. Yitzchak had come to Florida. He explained that he had come with his rebbi, Reb Aharon Kotler, to raise money for a new building for the yeshivah. J.C. agreed to meet with Reb Aharon, saying, “I usually let my secretary take care of my donations, but this time, I am anxious to meet your rebbi. Thanks to your great kindness to my son, you’ve certainly caught my attention.”
The result of that meeting was a $72,000 donation (then a huge sum) toward the purchase of a new building for the Lakewood Yeshivah...in memory of J.C.’s wife, Dora. Until today, when walking into Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, one can see a sign that reads “In Memory of Dora Cohen.” (Excerpted from Visions of Greatness, volume 7)
