Bobbi

Yesterday I went to Pittsburgh for a funeral of Yetta (Bobbi) Weiss. She was known as Bobbi (by just about all the guys at the Mesivta. Her house was located in between our dorm and the school, and was the perfect shortcut back and forth.

She was a tough lady, she had her chosen group of guys that she liked and a bunch that she didn’t like for whatever reason, she was always very opinionated on both groups. Luckily I was in the group that she liked.

Her house was always open to us, some days, when the Yeshiva food was bad I would eat all my meals at her house. She was always there as someone to talk to, complain to and get away from school for a bit.

She protected us from the Rabbi’s, one day we were over watching a movie, and the Rabbi knocked on the door and she wouldn’t let him in, then told us to go out the side door and get back to the dorm.

When the Red Wings were in playoffs and playing out in the West Coast I would climb out my window after curfew and run up to her house to watch the game. She didn’t mind if I stayed till 2 in the morning, as long as I locked the door and made it to davening in the morning.

One of my favorite stories happened during my senior year, my friend and I would rent movies and take them to her house. We would charge everyone a dollar to come in and watch the game. Bobbi not only provided snacks, she would stand at the door and make sure that everyone paid, and she would not take a cut. Someone ratted us out, and the Rabbi came to tell everyone to leave (which pissed Bobbi off more than anything, that he would come into her house and tell her what to do) so she told me and my friend to wait 20 minutes and come back and finish the movie.

Over the years I stayed in touch with her, she made a blanket for Jonah when he was born. I would always stop by when visiting Pittsburgh, she loved meeting Nat and the Jonah. During our short stint of living in Pittsburgh, we lived next door to her, and Nat really got to know and she was able to play with Jonah.

She was an amazing person and I will miss her.