Veteran media personality Amnon Levy published a farewell post this evening (Wednesday) to his journalist friend Yishai Weiner, who passed away today after years of suffering and torment.
And so Amnon Levy wrote in a post on Facebook:
Yishai Weiner, my beloved friend, the noble soul, was rescued from his misery today, after years of serious illness. Here are things I wrote about our friendship years ago. Of blessed memory.
Yishai was the first ultra-Orthodox who became a good friend of mine. Almost everything I understand about the ultra-orthodox world comes from him. A sharp, smart guy, a devout believer, but one who believes in himself, not a missionary, one whose faith is for him alone, without pretense of correcting others.
I knew him when he was a young boy in yeshiva. I then published a news item on the Haredim issue in the “News” newspaper where I worked, and after a day he contacted the editor and asked to speak with me. He was speaking from a payphone at the Ponibiz yeshiva.
What you wrote is a lie, he told me, a gross lie, and then explained to me what was wrong with the news. he was right. The news was indeed wrong. But it’s not a lie, I told him, it’s a mistake. I don’t know the ultra-orthodox world well and I was wrong. Yishai was surprised. In his ultra-orthodox world then, there were no mistakes. Only lies and truth. It took him a while to understand that it is possible to make a mistake without malice, and it took me a while to realize that in the ultra-orthodox world the lines between truth and falsehood are sharper, clearer, there is no room for gray, life in this society is too intense to contain intermediate shades.
I invited him to the system. we became friends I don’t want to get into psychological explanations, but maybe the fact that he was an orphan, and I was already an adult, contributed to the friendship. Yishai came to visit me at my house, I quickly realized that he was as curious about the secular lifestyle as I was about his life. Yishai served as an advocate of honesty to the ultra-orthodox society in front of me, and I learned from him time and time again what characterizes an ultra-Orthodox person. One day he told me that he had to cut ties with me. He entered a round of matchmaking, and a relationship of a Yeshiva guy in matchmaking with a journalist is something that may prevent him from pairing. I congratulated him on success and we hung up. I haven’t heard from him for a whole year. I was sure that this beautiful friendship was lost, and I regretted it. One morning I opened the newspaper, as was my habit in those years, and found in the margin of the newspaper on the right side as usual, an engagement announcement, an announcement that Friday was engaged to Hannah. Ten minutes after that I received a call from him, he wants to come to me and introduce me to his fiancee.
Amnon Levi Vichy Viner. (from channel 10 broadcasts)
This is how the friendship continued for years, three children were born to him, we met happily, we got to know each other’s family, the personal friendship became a family one. Even when I stopped covering the ultra-orthodox world, the connection with Yeshi continued. On Seder night many years ago, I was tasked with making gefilte fish. I was at a loss. I called Yishy and he came to my house. We stood in the kitchen for a whole day and made the fish patties together. In his version it was a delicacy like no other.
Little by little I got to know Hana, who over the years became Hani. She was exactly the woman for Yishai. Open to others, curious and non-judgmental. One night I received a call from both of them, he told me that today is their wedding anniversary, Hani really wants to go see a movie that is very popular then, but he thinks that it is not appropriate for an ultra-Orthodox to enter a movie theater. She said that on the wedding day, an ultra-orthodox man should do what his wife asks, if not for her sake, then for the sake of domestic peace. After many arguments they decided to turn to me and ask me to sit in the Torah court and decide for them. I was flattered, but decided in her favor.
A few more years passed, I left the newspaper and became a TV host. I had a talk show at the time and I invited Yishai for an interview about the ultra-Orthodox world. It was a live broadcast, I invited Yishai to enter the stage and noticed with concern that he was walking in a strange way. Slow and tired not according to his age. The next day I called him and asked what happened. He told me it wasn’t a phone call.
Yishai fell ill with a serious incurable disease. His body betrayed him. He fought the disease with his characteristic nobility. Every time I called to ask how he was doing, he would answer with humor, making sure not to burden the listener with his troubles. Precisely when his body was getting weaker, I discovered what kind of man he was. Strong, fighter, in my eyes a hero. Even in his illness he remains alert, interested, curious about the environment. When I moved to a house in Ramat Hasharon he called me and asked if the house had a mezuzah. It was a surprising question. I answered him that an atheist’s house usually does not have a mezuzah. Tomorrow I will come to you to assemble a mezuzah for you, he said, ignoring what I answered. Yeshi, I said, come on. I’m not into it. Then, almost in shame, he told me that he was asking me to win him this mitzvah. As a sick person this is important to him.
The next day he came with his wife and children to our house. My family was also there in full force. His body was already weak, he could barely stand on his feet, when he pulled out a hammer and nails and attached a fancy leather mezuzah to the front door. Then he stood leaning on a stick, and knelt. Everyone present at the event made a great effort to hold back their tears.
For years the mezuzah has been attached to the front door. I’m glad she’s there. Every time I remember Bishi I kiss her and wish him physical and mental strength to deal with the disease he was destined for.