Goodbye Yossi Goshen

Letter to his daughter Mor Goshen by WIZO Florida Chairperson Judit Groisman

The news of your father's retirement is very emotional to all of us here in WIZO Florida.

Ever since we adopted WIZO Nir Haemek as one of our special projects, the Youth Village had its own face, its own character, its own leader: Yossi Goshen.

Even though it was hard to communicate in English with him, we always found a way to be in touch and to understand and work hard to fulfill the needs of the school. Most of the time your beloved mother was our official translator and she did a great job.

But it was Yossi who taught us to love Nir Haemek as if it were our own home. I remember walking around the School with him many years ago and each young person that passed by would stop to hug him as he called them by their first name. His enthusiasm was ever so contagious. Anything Nir Haemek needed became a top priority to us because of the way he let us know about it, and because of the way he reacted to any of our accomplishments related to the Youth Village. We were always "the best" in his eyes and his heart. And in Yossi's voice we heard the voice of the children of Nir Haemek.

It is no coincidence that our President, Jana Falic, celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of her son in the school, inviting each and every student as well as their parents in an unforgettable evening of love, joy and friendship. And of course, the one who put it together was our Yossi.

Dear Yossi, you deserve the best. You deserve anything you dream of. You dedicated your life to better the lives of others and you did it with such emotion, dedication and personal effort that you will always be remembered as the man who put Nir Haemek on the map of Israel and WIZO USA.

With all our love, admiration and warmest wishes.