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The Schmooze

Robin Williams and the Old Jewish Tailor

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The world is mourning Robin Williams, a comedic powerhouse, Hollywood legend, and honestly, a childhood best friend. He was our very own blend of gentle and maniacal, it shouldn’t have worked, but it did. And for the first time in my life, the death of a celebrity has had such a visceral and wrenching effect on me that I am genuinely heartbroken over his loss.

Robin was there when I fell in love with the Genie from Agrabah, he shared in my Soviet immigrant experience as Vladimir Ivanoff in “Moscow on the Hudson” and he was there in “Nine Months” on the long plane ride from Tel Aviv to my new life in New York.

It’s been heartwarming to see how everyone has shared their love and grief for this man so publicly. Clearly he left no heart untouched in his journey to make us laugh. One of the most touching tributes was from comedian Norm McDonald, who told the story of the first time he met Robin.

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