I was lucky to be born in a house with parents who couldn’t give us luxury, but instead gave us values.  My parents were very Jewish and very giving.

You only know hardship if you experience it.  I went to work early, selling newspapers.  I came to appreciate how hard it is to make money.  And every time I would come home with my earnings, my mother would say, “Yossel – now empty your pockets.”  She would always see that I put something in the pushke.  We were raised to share what we had, and I think our record of giving stands for itself.

I was also very lucky with family.  I have two brothers who helped us succeed.  And, our kids and grandchildren know and respect how important our Jewishness is to us.  They know their grandparents care about the Jews, and we’re proud to see them marrying people with strong Jewish feelings, and getting active in the community themselves.

Life is luck.  We’ve been lucky in a lot of ways.