Marty Fogel and the ArtScroll purim legacy

Years ago, when Debra Blank was teaching rabbinical students at the Jewish Theological Seminary, she noticed many of them used ArtScroll prayer books,” an article in the Forward noted last month. “The students were drawn to ArtScroll’s literal translation, expanded commentary and ‘halachic stage directions’.”

This irony was cited in the context of the recent publication of a new Conservative prayer book that includes some of these ArtScroll “novelties,” albeit 40 long years after the establishment of the ArtScroll enterprise.

When a good friend, a young teacher in Brooklyn Community School District 20, and a distinguished member of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Teachers, Marty “Meir” Fogel, passed away in 1975, the shock of his passing was shared by many near and far. Its impact was particularly felt by one of his closest friends, Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Avi Gold.

In response to this tragedy, Rabbi Zlotowitz and his friend, Rabbi Nosson Scherman, a towering intellectual in his own right, authored a detailed, user friendly commentary on “The Megillah: The Book of Esther,” timed to the upcoming Purim festival.

In his preface to this historic work 40 years ago, Rabbi Zlotowitz wrote the following:

“It is with mixed feelings of joy and sadness that this volume is presented to the public. Sadness — because it was undertaken in memory of my very intimate and dear friend, Rabbi Meir Fogel, a’’h, who was tragically cut off from this world on the third of Tevet, 5736.

“I wanted desperately to perpetuate his noble memory in some meaningful form, and, on the night following his funeral, I undertook to compile this anthology of commentaries on Megillat Esther. My hope was to embark on a work, which could be, completed within the sheloshim, and at the same time make a serious and needed contribution to the Torah public. There was absolutely nothing of this scope available on the Book of Esther for the tradition-seeking reader, and with around-the-clock work, the task could be completed within the 30 day goal.”