Remembering Ed Koch

I came into the office at 5:30am today to have ample time to attend Ed Koch’s funeral today. Each personal – and public - memory gives me such pause. My first great campaign was for Henry “Scoop” Jackson, when he ran for president. It was then Koch’s fight against the destabilizing concept of “scatter-site” low income housing (we had just moved that year from the South Bronx to Forest Hills) which attracted me to him. I later worked in all 3 mayoral campaigns, had an administration job that I loved and we did many things together over the ensuing 35 years.

There were a few times, most recently his getting “back on the Obama bus” after he deservedly hit the president hard on Israel, that we disagreed. Many far more known than I agreed that Obama would be undeservedly tough on Israel if reelected. He never feared admitting he was wrong. As soon as Hagel’s name came up, he not only castigated the president but quickly wanted to see what certain Jewish Democratic allies of the president would do.

Before going into asset management, I had a solid 20 years in government because of Ed. When he lost in 1989, I was devastated – not for me personally, but because I just could not imagine the City without him. Who could imagine that his presence would endure so strongly until last Friday? I went on to work For Senator D’Amato and Governor Pataki, but there was always a campaign or issue where Ed and I intersected. Just a few choice memories:

In 1989, he dedicated a ramp for the handicapped at the Rego Park Jewish Center – the old-timers at the synagogue cherished that morning with him for years. He also came back for a great repast at Ben’s Best Deli and the community threw him a huge campaign rally, which filled Queens Boulevard with adoring throngs of neighbors.

In 1995, Governor Pataki had me put together, in just a few hours, a delegation for the funeral of assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. The Governor wanted Ed to come. When I called the Mayor, I realized that by sheer coincidence, both his and my passports were not in our possession – we had both sent them off for renewal. We exited and entered the US and Israel undocumented. If you’re standing next to Ed Koch, you can do anything.

Just last year, when the Dead Sea Scrolls were exhibited in New York, a premiere reception was held by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Koch, quite frail by then felt either felt weak or faint at the start of the walk-through – the exhibit’s path was dark, lit only by the images on the screens. I asked if he wanted to exit and sit down. We then walked arm in arm to the conclusion. He was determined to see every piece of this additional evidence of the Jewish connection to their holy land.

He personified New York and New York created him.