By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
retained his job. He was doing the same job for Bond-Oppenheim in the same building as before, but now his employer was technically Infosol.
As it turned out, this new business structure gave Yosef a certain unexpected opportunity some years later, when he heard of a new contract being signed between Infosol and Saxon Trust Corp. He felt the new client site at Saxon Trust held much promise for him. He had been feeling a certain frustration working at Bond-Oppenheim and wanted to move on. Since Bond-Oppenheim was no longer his employer, he did not have to quit his job and find a new job. He
simply had to ask Infosol to reassign him to Saxon Trust.
This was a bit uncharacteristic for him as he was not fond of change, but the frustration combined with the opportunity warranted the move. He put in a request for reassignment.
There were objections raised to the move, but eventually, those interested in his career development allowed the move to take place. He interviewed during July, got the job, and was told to begin immediately after September 1st. He made a request to begin the new client on November 1st and was told it was fine.
He had a very simple reason. The High Holidays – Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Succos, and Simchas Torah – fell out in September and October of that year and he would have to miss seven work days in his first six weeks. In addition to that, he would have ten days during that time that would be Erev Shabbos or Erev Yomtov, so he would have to be rushing out or possibly leaving work early to get home in time. That is not the way to make a good impression on a new boss.
In August he was told that he may indeed have to start September in order to better serve the client. Infosol assured him he could start in September and it would not be a problem.
Yosef knew the Talmudic dictum, “Aino domeh shmia l’r’iyah.” (Hearing does not compare to seeing) People will say beforehand it’s no problem, but then when it actually happens it will be a problem. He sorely wanted to delay the transfer to November. Even though he had a good reputation within Infosol, he was new at Saxon Trust and his new bosses, employees, and peers there would be regarding him as an ‘untested product’ with no track record. He therefore renewed his request to start in November.
The company considered his request. It seemed as though they were going to concede to his request. After some deliberation, they switched gears, and decided very firmly and unequivocally that he must take the new position or they would give it to someone else. Yosef had no choice but to comply.
Saxon Trust was a few blocks away from Bond-Oppenheim, so it was decided that as of September, he would be based at the new office and available to the old.
On Friday September 7th he was asked by Bond-Oppenheim to clean out his window seat cubicle. After packing his belongings and training the staff at Bond-Oppenheim, it became apparent -based on progress made- that he could conclude his work at Bond-Oppenheim and did not need to return. He left at the end of the day saying goodbye to his old office for the last time.
That Friday was September 7, 2001. His old Bond-Oppenheim office was on the 94 floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center – the tower that was struck at 8:45am the following Tuesday morning September 11, 2001 – the first target to be struck on that horrific day.
[*The foregoing true story was told to me by Yosef Greenwald. His name and the name of all three companies involved have been changed. – RBL]
Dedicated by the Gombos Family in memory of William & Ida Laufer, Bela Gombos, and Anita Silverman.
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Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego. He may be contacted at baruch.lederman@sdjewishworld.com