The Yom Kippur War broke out in Israel on October 6, 1973. Dad had two sons living in Israel at this traumatic time. Here is a letter he wrote to his two sons:

October 12, 1973

MY DEAR SONS ARNOLD AND ROBERT,

THIS WEEK WAS TRULY EMOTIONAL SINCE YOM KIPPUR WHEN WE FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE MASSIVE ATTACK THAT THREATENED THE VERY EXISTENCE OF THE YOUNG AND TINY STATE OF ISRAEL. ESPECIALLY EMOTIONAL BECAUSE MY TWO SONS ARE SITUATED IN THAT "VICE" BETWEEN THE ONSLAUGHT FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH. ENRAGED BECAUSE THE UNITED NATIONS REFUSED TO STOP THIS OUTRAGEOUS MOVE BUT WAS SPURRED ON BY THE SOVIET UNION, A LEADING WORLD POWER. FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES, THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT DISPLAYED SOME SENSE OF JUSTICE WAS MEEK IN ITS ASSERTION AND FEARFUL TO CONFRONT THE SOVIETS. ARROGANCE AND WEAK TO FACE THE "ARAB OIL" THREAT. ISRAEL WAS LEFT ALONE AGAIN TO FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL. THEY SAY THE JEWS STICK TOGETHER. IT'S MORE CORRECT TO SAY THAT JEWS ARE FORCED TO HUDDLE TOGETHER IN THEIR DANGER WHILE THE REST OF THE SO CALLED RESPONSIBLE WORLD DESERTS THEM, LIKE LEAVING THEM STRANDED ON A RAFT ON HIGH SEAS DURING A FIERCE STORM. DAMN THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD FOR THEIR INDIFFERENCE.

THANK G-D THAT THIS TINY NATION WHOSE PASSWORD IS "PEACE" IS LEFT, TO DATE, TO WITHSTAND THIS MONSTEROUS ONSLAUGHT AND HOLD BACK THEIR NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY - LIKE A DAVID AGAINST GOLIATH.

THIS VALIENT NATION SEEMS TO BE EMERGING VICTORIOUSLY, WITH THE HELP OF G-D, BUT NOT WITHOUT THE SACRIFICE OF LIFE, PAIN AND SUFFERING.

Here is a letter written by dad on April 7, 1983 at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was about to undergo an angiogram. The doctor told him that there was some danger involved. He was worried and was moved to write such beautiful words as if they were his last.

April 7, 1983
Mount Sinai Hospital

MY DEAR SON'S ARNOLD , ROBERT AND DAVID,

THE DOCTORS SAW SOME EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE PROBLEM IN THE FUNCTION OF THE HEART UNDER STRESS. THIS WAS NOTED IN A "STRESS TEST" I TOOK FOUR YEARS AGO AND ALSO IN ANOTHER MORE SUFFISTICATED "STRESS TEST" I TOOK ON FEB.4, 1983. HENCE THE DOCTER'S BLITZER, RICHMAN AND COHEN STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ANOTHER MORE CONCLUSIVE TEST, "AN ANGIOGRAM". THIS ONE HAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF RISK SINCE IT PROBES INTO THE HEART WITH A CATHETER. I AGREE THAT THE DOCTERS KNOW BEST.

ONLY THE GOOD LORD KNOWS WHEN MY DAYS ARE UP. WHEN THAT TIME COMES,I WILL BOW TO HIS WILL AND THANK HIM AGAIN FOR THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE OF WALKING THIS "ROAD" OF EARTHLY LIFE, AND GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE HIS MANY OMNI-WONDERS, JOYS, AND TRIBULATIONS. BORN TO A GENERATION OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WHO SAW THE REBIRTH OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.

HE GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT I WANTED TO FOR MY FAMILY, THE SPIRIT TO DO WHAT I HAD TO AND FULFILLMENT IN MY ACHIEVEMENTS. HE LIFTED ME WHEN I STUMBLED AND MADE ME REALIZE HIS GREATNESS. HE TAUGHT ME COURAGE TO STAND UP TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT.

HE BLESSED ME WITH A GOOD WIFE FOR 28 YEARS AND FILLED ME WITH PRIDE OF BEING THE FATHER OF THREE SONS WHO FLOURISHED THAT PRIDE. I BLESS ALL THREE OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES WITH THE BLESSING "MAY G-D TURN HIS CONTENENCE TOWARD ALL OF YOU AND GRANT YOU GOOD HAPPY LIVES CONTENTMENT AND PEACE."

WITH LOVE,

DAD