By Deby Goldfard
PALM BEACH SOUTH JEWISH JOURNAL

September 18th, 2007

If when speaking of our ageless society today, “50 is the new 40”, “40 is the new 30” and so on, then Melvin Lazerick would be a kid again, judging by his energy level and busy schedule. Most younger people would have a difficult time keeping up with this soon to-be 90-year-old’s hectic week of athletics and volunteer work.

Lazerick started playing tennis 76 years ago and still plays three times a week. “I play tennis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; I play golf on Monday and Friday and work out at the athletic club on the treadmill and with weights on Wednesday and Sunday”, he said.
In addition, he has given 65 years of volunteer service to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, he said, “They were alone and lost as a result on of the three D’s Divorce, Desertion or Death.”

Lazerick has guided four boys, and he is still in contact with the two still living. “I started with one of the boys when he was 14, and is 80 years old now. The other “boy” is now 54,”he said, showing off their photos like a proud parent.

He would meet with the youngsters once a week and spend time throwing a baseball, taking them to a baseball game or amusement park, going on family picnic, including them in family dinners and having a Coke (or “cherry pop,” as he called it.)

Now on the Board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Palm Beach County, Lazerick said the important thing “is for these boys and girls to have someone as a mentor, who takes an interest in them.”

One boy wrote a letter of thanks to Lazerick, calling him the only one in his life who was really concerned about him: “It has only been recently that I have been able to fully appreciate how lucky I was to have someone as selfless and kind as you to share some with,” the boy wrote. “There is no question in my mind, but that the time spent with you played a very critical role in my development as a person and contributed greatly to making it possible to achieve what I have been able to.”

“That letter still makes me tear up,” Lazerick said. “That boy became a corporate executive with three children.” Both men still keep in touch. “We won’t let go, even at this later time in our lives,” Lazerick said.

Lazerick’s wife of 64 years, Ina, and his two grown daughters, Beth and Carol, are proud of Lazerick’s accomplishments. Carol is a freelance writer for industry magazines and Beth is a math teacher at St. Andrew School in Boca Raton. Beth is locally in charge of a book drive by the National Yiddish Book Center. Melvin Lazerick has been a member of Temple Tifereth Israel in Cleveland for almost 65 years and has been and usher for bar mitzvahs ad High Holy Days for 50 years, still maintaining the same seats.

Beth was the reason her dad first started volunteering at “Boca Helping Hands.” The non-profit organization did a presentation at St. Andrews School. Beth approached the director after her speech, and said my dad would be interested in that. He now volunteers 2-3 times a week. He has delivered meals to homebound people in need and gives out hot meals to the homeless who come in the soup kitchen, on the average of 100 a day. He also said he talks to the people because many times, besides being hungry,” they don’t have anyone to talk to.” He described them as “good people,” though some have problems and others do not have a permanent residence, which prevents them from being reached for job offers.

Lazerick still maintains a keen sense of humor. “At my age, a lot of things strike me funny. One day when I arrived at an event I told somebody my age, and he asked me how I got there, People are surprised when I tell them I drove here.”