Funeral of Howard Kaiser/Baruch ben Avigdor v’Ela
DOD: January 6, 2013/25 Tevet 5773
Rabbi Eliezer Havivi
Even when a Sefer Torah is old and worn out, so worn out that the parchment is difficult to read,
and it can no longer be used in the service, we are bound to honor it. We never throw it out, but
carefully bury it, giving it the same respect that we would to a human being who had passed
away.
And the burial of a Torah does not mean that its influence is at an end. Its teachings and its
values continue to linger on in the life of Jews, continuing to influence them, each day of their
lives, to the end of their days.
And, what is true of a Sefer Torah, is just as true of a person. When a person dies, it does not
mean the end of that person's continuing influence on the lives of those with whom he came into
contact. His teachings and his values linger on in the lives of all who knew him, continuing to
influence his family, friends, and acquaintances to the very end of their days.
The life and deeds, of Howard Kaiser, his values and his actions, continue to shape the lives of
family, friends and community.
Howard was born in 1914 to Victor and Ella Kaiser, an only child, in Hanau, Germany. His father
died when he was very young and, before he was 20, Howard, sensing the coming storm, left
Germany, first to France, eventually settling in the United States. He went to City College in
New York at night. Since childhood he had had an interest in chemistry, and he worked in that
field to support himself and put himself through school. He did chemical strength tests on
cement for the US army, and he started and ran a small cosmetics company from his home; he
made and packaged and sold perfumes and lipsticks.
He was able to bring his mother over to the US. In 1939, his mother Ella invited a girl she liked,
Alice Katzenstein, up to the apartment on the East Side of Manhattan for coffee and cake. A
year later, Howard and Alice were married. Their marriage would last for 73 years, until
Howard’s death this past Sunday.
For six years, they lived and played in Manhattan. Stan and Barry were born, and Alice and
Howard enjoyed what New York had to offer. They sailed on the Long Island Sound. They
played tennis. Howard and Alice worked together in the cosmetics company, but they sold
other chemicals as well, particularly to a place called Asheville in North Carolina. After visiting
Asheville, they fell in love with its charm, decided they would like country living, and moved
south. After a few years in Asheville, they discovered that there was a bookstore for sale in
nearby Waynesville. They bought it, and it became Kaiser Bookstore.
By this time, Stan was getting close to Bar Mitzvah age. There weren’t a lot of Jews in
Waynesville. Will’s Bookstore was for sale in Greensboro, and the rest is history.
The Kaisers moved to Greensboro in 1954, living on Fry Street with so many other Jewish
families – the Stangs and Schneiders and Gosses -- and then, in 1960, over 50 years ago, they
built and moved in to the house on Erskine.
In those days, Beth David was small, and was really a very cohesive social group. Howard and
Alice were active, and Howard served as president of the shul from 1969 to 1971. Stan followed
in his footsteps and served as president ten years later, from 1979 to 1981.
Howard was well respected in the community. He was quiet; he was a good listener; and he
was well-liked. He didn’t seek out kavod, didn’t like attention. If he was the focus, he would say,
“ Why are you making such a fuss?”
Will’s Bookstore grew. It started downtown, on Greene Street, and they opened a second store
way out in the country, at Friendly Center. Alice and Howard both worked there. They each
had their strengths, and they worked well together. And eventually the kids worked there, too.
They would come to the store after school. Howard enjoyed having them around, and they
loved being there. Will’s eventually grew to 12 stores, throughout the South.
Will’s was the first store to open at 8:00 am. On the day after Christmas, everything went on
sale for half-price, and then, it was all hands on deck --not just Howard and Alice, and Barry and
Stan -- but the grandchildren all worked there, and worked hard. Howard was a savvy
businessman, and loved talking about business and offering advice to others.
Jenny told me that to this day, she’ll go into stores around town, and say that she’s a Kaiser,
and people will say, “Are you related to Howard? He gave me my first job.” Or, “I remember
working in the warehouse, or in the store.” Other merchants honored him and revered him.
Howard was from Germany so, although always loving, he was a formal sort of person – not
“touchy-feely.” Over the years, he became softer, a little with the grandchildren, but really with
the great-grandchildren. Alice and Howard took great pride in Joey and Leo and Eden and
Jesse and Grete.
Howard and Alice both aged well. Howard took up computers at age 85, and loved learning
about technology. He played the piano,mostly in the living room while he was waiting for Alice to
get ready to go out. He loved Eastern Music Festival and the Greensboro Symphony. He
played bridge and golf, and Alice and he continued to play tennis and swim. Howard had a
great dry sense of humor.
Howard loved to travel. He and Alice traveled to Europe, to the Far East, to Israel. And they
took the grandkids to Israel for their b’nai mitzvah presents. Howard enjoyed each place he
went to – over 120 cities that he visited around the globe – and not just the travel. Howard got
double enjoyment out of travel because he loved planning and researching the sites and the
hotels and the history of each place he would go.
And Howard loved being social. But it was the opposite of the trips. Here in town, Alice made
the arrangements, and Howard would go along and have a good time. He used to say that, if it
wasn’t for Alice, he would never leave the house. And they were partners like that in the
business, and in the rest of life, too. The kids told me that Opa had the checkbook, and Oma
told him how to spend it!
Howard had a great life. He escaped from hell. He had family and friends, and traveled, and
worked hard. He was successful in business and provided for his family and enjoyed his family.
He was blessed with length of years, and was able to focus on what was important. He
squeezed every drop out of life.
Howard Kaiser, Baruch ben Avigdor v’Ela, left this world after 98 years of life, on Sunday night,
the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Tevet. To those who loved him the most:
Alice – Howard loved you. He would look at you and his eyes would light up. He thought
you were the smartest person on earth. All of your children and grandchildren look at you and
him and say, “That’s what a marriage should be like.”
Stan and Janet, Barry and Sharon, Linda,
Brian and Jenny and Craig and Joanna; Lisa and Jacob, Steven;
Great grandchildren Joey and Leo and Jesse and Eden and Grete;
Kelly’s daughter Amy, and Hayes, Kate and James;
And Daralyn, you have been at Alice and Howard’s side for the last 2-1/2 years. You
made this process of living and dying easy for Howard. You made it possible to stay in his
home, where he wanted to be; you were very, very special to him.
And all of us who knew Howard and honored him and loved him;
Our hearts and arms reach out to each other in comfort and consolation.
Tributes this afternoon will be offered by Sharon and Brian Kaiser.
Burial will follow immediately at the Greensboro Hebrew Cemetery. Shiva will be at the Kaiser
home, 201 Erskine Drive West, through Monday morning. Minyans will be at the Kaiser home,
tonight, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 5:45 pm.