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Text of Jessica Broitman's remarks at the December 5, 2004 memorial for Joe Weiss:
Good morning, I am Jessica Broitman, President of SFPRGC&TC.
We came together today to celebrate and honor a remarkable man. A man we loved, cherished, and respected. I had the privilege of spending 25 years learning from him, teaching with him, and playing with him. Some of his numerous contributions have already been mentioned so I will offer a few of my favorites! He gave me a way to understand myself and others that I cherish. His brilliant theory offers hope and help in a way we never had before. (Actions that previously seemed arbitrary now make sense though our enhanced understanding of the unconscious). What a gift for the entire world!
Joe's gentle mentoring allowed me to grow as a therapist and person, gaining comfort with my authority. When we first met, and I would puzzle and obsess about patients dynamics, he would pat me on the head in the most endearing way and say "don't worry so much, relax, it will make sense" His trust in me allowed me to trust myself and for that I am eternally grateful.
In every way that I had the great fortune to share his life, I have felt blessed. His talents never ceased to amaze me. Joe seemed to know just about everything about everything. Each conversation was a wild ride. Often hard to understand, his mind would speed from thought to concept, without stopping to fill in the details along the way. I would beg him to slow down, and repeat himself for me, a mere mortal.
He had the quirkiest sense of humor, often exhibited in the macabre cartoons he drew. But they would make me smile with delight. His teasing made me laugh when I felt like crying or was frustrated! In return, I simply couldn't stop grooming him and straightening his clothing. Of course what might we expect from someone whose favorite artist was Goya!
Most impressive of all, was his keen understanding of human nature. In and out of the consulting room he was never, not even once in my 25 years experience, wrong. He could catch a glimpse of a person walking by and correctly predict the most intimate and amazing details of their life! After hearing a sentence or two of information about someone, he could accurately foretell their deepest secret and strongest need. His clinical tidbits were tremendously orienting for me. He simply and elegantly just got people. In awe, I could never understand how or even why. In so many ways it didn't make sense to me that this shy, reserved man could have such profound insight into the complexities of the human race. As I looked into the details of his own amazing life I began to see how attentive and attached he was to each of us. Although not always so comfortable, expressing or showing it, Joe loved relating to people and cherished his connections with us all.
He also had the wonderful capacity to make us all feel special. It was not fake or false - we really were! He was incredibly generous with his time, making himself available whenever needed. Each of us had a unique and different way of relating to him. Joe remembered details about me, or my family, and would ask about them at unexpected, yet perfect times! It was as if he was holding on to my unconscious plans, and would tune in for a moment of intimate connection, just when it was needed, and I would feel so held.
Words can't adequately express how much I will miss him, and already do miss my Joe Joe. He would have loved to have seen how many of us came out here today. He was often surprised at how much he affected us all, how loved he was. He was so unassuming that he really didn't understand how much he meant to us and delighted in the signs of it. He was rightfully proud of the theories he developed and believed that they offered us powerful ways to understand human nature. However, Joe was clear that his theories were only a starting place, and were not etched in stone. He would want us to continue to evolve and research his ideas. I believe that we will. Joe's theories are worthy of much more study and development and I will be proud to help further his work and I hope that you will all join me in honoring this extraordinary man in this way.
Those of you who would like to share a few brief thoughts are now invited to come up to the podium. We will be creating a book of remembrances that will be made available on line and where you can post your thoughts as well.
- For Stan Steinberg's thoughts about his friend Joe, click here.
- For Paul Ransohoff's remarks at the memorial, click here.
- For Martha Walter's remarks at the memorial, click here.
- For Michael Bader's remarks at the memorial, click here.
- For Lisby Mayer's remarks at the memorial, click here.
- For Suzanne Gassner's remarks at the memorial, click here.
- For a Rembrance from Neil P. Young, click here.
- For a Rembrance from Isa Sammet and Joseph Brockmann, click here.