The Michael Jackson Tapes
Page 31
My friendship with Michael was based, more than anything else, on how much he cherished children and served as a counterbalance to all the people whom I meet who feel sorry for me for having so many. As a father of a large family I find myself forever apologizing, as if I singlehandedly overpopulated the earth or committed a crime. The frequent and loaded stares from scornful onlookers imply that the famine in Africa was caused by my selfish fertility.
When I broach this issue with other American families who dare to exceed the two-kids-a-cat-and-a-goldfish national average, they too relate their experiences of suspicious gazes and raised eyebrows. At best one encounters puzzlement. At worst a look of condescension and pity as passersby try to fathom why we would ruin our lives by loading ourselves with the burden of too many children, all of whom have to be paid for.
Greater financial prosperity has bought us larger homes but smaller families, fancier cars but fewer baby carriages. But in Michael Jackson I met a man who was the most famous and accomplished entertainer arguably of all time and all he wanted, as he repeatedly told me, were nine kids of his own. I can still remember him reading to Prince and Paris, having every lunch and dinner with them, and refusing to travel without them in tow. He taught me that one’s children are one’s greatest blessing, the bright light to which we all aspire, the deep glow to which we all are drawn.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people deserve thanks for their input into this book. Foremost among them is Michael Jackson for his courage and honesty in sharing so much of his intimate self in the belief that it could help people better understand him and provide valuable lessons in the lives of others. I miss you, Michael, and I mourn your loss. Since you’ve died I have been reliving so many of our special moments together. May you rest in peace and may your memory be an eternal blessing to your children, family, and the people who truly cared for you.
Frank Cascio, who was Michael’s most trusted friend and confidante, was extremely helpful in ensuring that Michael and I got together on a regular basis to make these conversations possible. I was always inspired by Frank’s devotion to Michael and today Frank is one of my family’s dearest friends.
The people who helped me with the Heal the Kids initiative—especially my very dear friend Toba Friedman, who was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford when I was Rabbi there, and Marilyn Piels—deserve special thanks. Both Toba and Marilyn have since married and had children. So I guess all those conversations about how important children are really had the desired effect.
David Steinberger at the Perseus Books Group and Roger Cooper at Vanguard Press could not have been more enthusiastic, helpful, and encouraging in this book’s publication. They brought to this project unparalleled sensitivity, devotion, and professionalism. It was truly awe-inspiring to see Roger motivate his expert team to produce a complex book with such alacrity and attention to detail.
Ari Emanuel, my agent and friend at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, gave outstanding advice and guidance, all mixed with his usual vigor and humor. I especially thank Ari for his personal devotion toward the welfare of me and my family. Mel Berger devoted himself to finding the right home for the book, for which I am truly grateful.
Ron Feiner, my dear friend and attorney of 10 years, assisted both me and Michael in our efforts to heal American families. Throughout the years, Ron has been instrumental in providing me with wisdom, insight, and ongoing guidance.
My dear friend Ric Bachrach has been a constant confidante and trusted advisor in everything I do, both professionally and personally. A man of profound integrity, Ric brought a unique sensitivity in having this material brought to the public with the dignity it deserved.
Janet Goldstein did the impossible of editing my hefty original manuscript for publication in a condensed period of time. I drove Janet crazy with constant edits. But she was a real trooper and kept up both her pace and her sanity.
My friend Glenn Levy provided wise legal counsel as he has at many other crucial junctures in my life.
There is nothing that I could achieve professionally without my very dedicated office staff who work tirelessly to help me realize my vision of bringing spirituality and values to a world that sorely needs them. Chief among them is my personal assistant, Kennia Ramirez, who is there for me and my family at all hours of the day and night. My trusted assistant and colleague of many years, Jason Kitchen, is always at my side for me to lovingly harangue, and our Web and IT director, Dean Bigbee, was extremely helpful in helping to organize the book’s material for publication, as was Lara Kasten, who assisted in the transcription of the conversations. My assistant, Erica Carpinello, also transcribed many of the conversations and gave me years of devoted service.
When this book was originally conceived, Jonathan Margolis, my dear friend from the United Kingdom, helped a great deal with the organization of the material.
Michael was close to my children and they cried when he died. I have never published a book without thanking them in the acknowledgements for the inspiration they provide me every single day. Mushki, Chana, Shterni, Mendy, Shaina, Baba, Yosef, Dovid Chaim, and Cheftziba, you give me consistent joy while driving me constantly insane. You are the light of my life and the reason I have dark circles under my eyes (OK, that one is probably my own fault). You are my greatest treasure, and the reason that I had to sell a kidney to keep up. But in all seriousness, you guys are the best. And I thank Michael for always reminding me that when I tell you I love you I make sure to say it while peering deeply into your eyes, even as you guys wrestle mightily to simply run out with your friends.
More than anyone else my wife Debbie is my wise counselor and devoted partner in all things. She keeps me anchored, is my moral compass, and inspires me every day to be a better man. A woman of sublime dignity and quiet purpose, she was always strangely immune to Michael’s celebrity and judged my relationship with him purely on its merits. Did Michael and I truly care for each other, and was our friendship leading to something redemptive both for us as well as others? Without Debbie’s tethering I would feel adrift.
My teacher, mentor, and guiding light, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory, who passed away 15 years ago, continues to be my highest spiritual inspiration and the source of desire to spread the light of Jewish values to the mainstream world. No one taught me more about my relationship with God then the Rebbe. The world is darker for his absence and brighter for his teachings.
Finally, I thank God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all contained therein, for the health of my children and family, a wife who loves me, the support of parents, brothers and sisters, and the loving friendships I have made. Not long ago Michael was one of the most precious of those friendships and I ask the Creator, with whom Michael now rests, to comfort him from his pain, shield him from his loneliness, and help him find his way back home.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Englewood, NJ
September, 2009
Copyright © 2009 Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
Published by Vanguard Press
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information and inquiries, address Vanguard Press, 387 Park Avenue South, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or call (800) 343-4499.
Cataloging-in-Publication data for this book is available from the
Library of Congress.
eISBN : 978-0-786-75156-3
Vanguard Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the U.S. by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail special.markets@perseusbooks.
com.