Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Jerry Mack's death leaves void that cannot be filled

BRIAN GREENSPUN is the editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

YOM KIPPUR is a time of reflection.

As people of the Jewish faith prepare to begin the observance of Yom Kippur this evening, the world continues at a pace unknown to people just a few years ago. In fact, our lives and those of others who inhabit this place called Earth have changed in just the short time it has taken you to read this far.

Life continues to move quickly no matter how much we may protest. And it will be ever thus because that is the nature of man and the nature of all things. We see it in our own lives as we meet a friend from earlier days and promise to keep in touch. Months or years can intervene before we are able to make good on our best intentions.

How many times have we committed to do that which we'd like to do, only to reprioritize or, worse, to forget in the crush of everyday life? It isn't that we don't care. It is, rather, that we don't feel comfortable taking the time to do what we all know we should.

While that isn't the main purpose of Yom Kippur, it does provide us with the opportunity to reflect upon what is and what always must remain important to us. It is either thinking about others or thinking about the food we are missing while we complete 24 hours of fasting. An easy choice and one that was probably part of the early design requirements!

Jews are celebrating the beginning of the 5,759th year of Jewish life. The 10th day of that observance is reserved for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when people of faith confess their sins and ask God to inscribe them in the Book of Life for another year. It is the most solemn day of the year in our religion and one that, by definition, requires us to think of others and the way we have lived with them.

It is especially so this year in Las Vegas because there will be one person no longer celebrating the New Year with us when we break our fast on Wednesday evening. And upon that person there is a great deal to reflect.

For as long as I can remember, my family has always celebrated our New Years with the Mack family. And on those few occasions when distance separated us, we were each comfortable in the knowledge that it would only be a temporary parting. That changed in 1989 when my father, Hank Greenspun, passed away. His death left a void in our families that could never nor should ever be filled.

Sunday night, Jerry Mack also died after fighting a long and courageous battle with cancer. His passing leaves another void in our families that cannot be filled.

It is not necessary that all voids be filled. What is important, though, is that they be dealt with in a way that allows bigger and better foundations to be built over the place where they exist. That, I believe, is part of the message of Yom Kippur.

It does us no good to confess our sins -- whether it be daily or yearly -- if we don't learn from them and vow to do our best not to repeat them. We need look no further than to our current events to understand the healing value of repentance and the therapy of tomorrow's great promise. So, too, must those who experience loss understand that grieving is a necessary part of growing toward a better future.

What Jerry Mack meant to this community, this state, our country and countries around the world will be the subject of news stories and conversations that most certainly will follow, for his impact was substantial.

What he meant to his family and friends, though, is not much different from that of any father, husband, grandfather or good friend. And that is what many in this and other communities will reflect upon when they meet in their synagogues tonight and other meeting places in the days to come.

For Jerry was a man who impacted the lives of thousands -- no, millions -- of people without their ever having known of his great contributions to their well-being. He was also a man whose dedication to family and friends was real, up close and very personal. There is no need to replace him; that can't be done. But there is a need for those who knew and loved him to build upon the legacy he has left.

Yom Kippur is a time for reflection. In Las Vegas, we have the life and times of Jerry Mack to keep us very busy doing just that.

Goodbye, dear Jerry. The Book of Life will be a bit short this year.

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