[Marxism] Memorial meeting for Ruth Schein Nov. 20 NYC

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In a message dated 11/5/04 4:22:32 PM, ilcinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:




Dear All:

On October 17, our dear friend and comrade Ruth Schein took her life.
Most of you receiving this letter probably received the "good-bye"
letter Ruth sent out that day to 63 friends and family members
explaining her motives for this momentous decision.

I was one such recipient of that letter. I was shocked and greatly
saddened at the news. She was at once a mentor, a devoted comrade and
a friend to me -- as she was to so many of us in the movement. But I
could not help but admire her courage and her stubbornness as I read
her loving letter, particularly the following passages:

"I have always believed in choice, and I now choose to hasten my
death (which cannot be far off, considering that I am almost 87). I
do not choose to continue to live in this diminished condition. ...

"It is with great sorrow that I leave you, my dear family and friends.
...

"How I wish that I could believe in an afterlife. What a comfort it
would be to think that I could look down, from some perch in the sky,
at all the people I love. But I cannot be intellectually dishonest.
What lives on is one's contribution to society. And I trust that the
teaching I have done, the love of our magnificent English language
that I have instilled in my students, the work I have done to bring
to birth a new and better world -- I trust that all this will be what
lives on after me.

"So good-bye, dear family and friends. May you all live as many years
as you want. And may they all be healthy, happy and fulfilling years."

Ruth's daughter, Laura Bernstein, has arranged a memorial meeting on
Saturday, November 20th at 1 p.m. at the Chapel of the Avenues, 1266
- 9th Avenue (between Lincoln and Irving) in San Francisco. All
friends and comrades who knew Ruth and appreciated her magnificent
contribution to all our lives are invited to attend.

All messages of condolence should be sent to Laura Bernstein, P.O.
Box 625, Graton, CA 95444.. These will be posted at the memorial
meeting.

If you need any further information, please feel free to call me at
my home number in San Francisco: 415-285-2792.

In solidarity and loving memory of our friend and comrade Ruth Schein,

Alan Benjamin

PS Please forward this notice to others who knew Ruth.







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