The day before Cantor Zachary Kutner’s funeral, I happened to be speaking with Rabbi Tzvi Steinberg, formerly of Zera Abraham, who lives on the East Coast. In response to me asking how he was doing, Rabbi Steinberg’s said, “I’m doing well. But it’s a sad day.” I wondered if I had missed a major news story, but a beat later, Rabbi Steinberg filled me in: “With Cantor Kutner passing away.” Cantor Kutner did not daven in Rabbi Steinberg’s shul or live in his neighborhood. But Cantor Kutner was the kind of person who made an impact on anyone he interacted with — and Rabbi Steinberg is the kind of person who notices the people around him.
Something else Rabbi Steinberg said in that brief conversation — that Cantor Kutner had an amazing life because he chose to. Despite what he endured during the Holocaust, Cantor Kutner found a way to lead a joyful, fulfilling life, a living example of surviving — and thriving.
The world lost a few really good ones in the past week. People who cared about people, who were not consumed by one-upmanship but with positively impacting those around them.
Cantor Kutner, with his upbeat personality and buoyant voice.
Pete Moutzouris, who inquired after every customer and his or her family.
Dolly Parton, who was born into dire poverty and used her success to improve people’s lives in tangible ways, such as her Imagination Library.
I’m pretty sure I never stopped to wonder what Cantor Kutner’s politics were, or those of Pete or Dolly Parton. I knew they cared about human beings. Today it’s politics first, humans later. Today it’s political litmus tests and orthodoxies — these recent losses are a reminder that it doesn’t have to be that way.
A psychiatrist friend once explained to me that a tool she uses to reach a diagnosis is how the patient makes her feel. Does she feel anxious hearing the patient’s story? Depressed? Confused?
Interacting with Cantor Kutner and Pete, and observing Dolly Parton, with her wide, distinctive smile, always left me feeling invigorated. Though they will not live to see 5787, those of us who do can strive to carry their positive, life-embracing personalities into the new year.
shana@ijn.com
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