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New York, NY - Former Mayor Koch Says He's Not Afraid of Death |
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"Whatever God wants, God will have," Koch, 84, told the Daily News Wednesday by phone from his room at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia, where he is set to undergo a heart valve replacement in the coming days.
"If He wants me to hang around, I'll hang around. If He wants to have some legal [or political] advice, He'll take me," Koch said.
In the meantime, he cheerfully reported, "the food's delicious here."
And he's got a room with a view: "I'm looking at the Hudson - oh, wait a minute, Henry's going by... Henry Hudson. He's waving," the octogenarian joked.
Koch went into the hospital on Monday for what he thought was going to be a routine angioplasty to improve his heart's blood flow, a spokesman said.
Doctors decided not to perform that procedure, saying Koch instead needed an aortic valve replacement to address damage caused by his 1999 heart attack.
Koch - who is staying busy writing correspondence and commentary while he waits to go under the knife - says he trusts in his doctors and isn't worried about the outcome.
"These doctors do hundreds of them," he said of the procedure. "Almost everybody who reaches 80 has a problem with their heart valves."
The former three-term mayor says the operation date's not set in stone, but Friday seems likely. In the meantime, he's his usual wisecracking self.
"The mayor is in wonderful spirits," Koch reported. "Aren't we lucky being New Yorkers - and for as long as possible?"
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Read Comments (25) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:43 PM Anonymous Says:
Like our current mayor, he was not a frumme yid, but a really mensch in every sense of the word. Please daven for him that he should have a ref'uah shelamah.
2
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:05 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Like our current mayor, he was not a frumme yid, but a really mensch in every sense of the word. Please daven for him that he should have a ref'uah shelamah. ”
his and his mothers name, please?
3
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:29 PM Michoel Says:
“ his and his mothers name, please? ”
Listen, I know it's our tradition to be mispallelel for someone in their Hebrew name and the Hebrew name of the mother, but sometimes it seems like we feel it's mandatory to do so or else the tefilla won't be effective. Don't you think the Aibishter knows who you're davening for if you ask Him to grant a refuah shleimoh to Ed Koch???
4
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:59 PM Anonymous Says:
His father was a Litvak, and his mother a Galitz
5
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:49 PM Anonymous Says:
Those of us who suffered from crime, and who knew his stance on toeva, would not call him a mensch. Then there was the way he mocked the Satmar and Chabad communities (because neither voted for him en masse).
No wishes for him one way or the other. Far more worthy people to daven for, as many a Yid suffered during his mismanagement of the city.
6
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:45 PM Yitz Says:
Why is he a mentch he voted for gay rights,sided with former mayor dinkins when the holocust museam banned yms arafart and said negative statements about r. Kehana (jdl)after he got killed I will not raven for him!
7
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:19 PM Anonymous Says:
“ his and his mothers name, please? ”
His office was not giving out his "jewish" name......the ebeshter will recognize "Ed the mayor"...
8
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:59 PM Anonymous Says:
Boy is he in for a surprise when he will get up there! I don't think God needs his legal counsel in heaven. I think HE will need great legal help to keep him out of hell!!!!
9
Jun 17, 2009 at 04:09 PM Anonymous Says:
Someone who believes in God and in getting rewarded or punished for what he has done in life is afraid of death.
his statements are the same as all the non believers (Jews and gentiles) and its not worth listening to him and defiantly not quoting him in a site like this
of course we need to pray for him he may do tesuva even at the last moment
10
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:54 PM rav Says:
he was a lamed vavnik for the chesed he did for the frum comunity
11
Jun 17, 2009 at 04:51 PM Doch A Yid Says:
"Whatever God wants, God will have"
His pintale Yid is calling out; Yisroel af al pi shechoto, Yisrael hu.
12
Jun 17, 2009 at 05:01 PM EyesWideOpen Says:
I wish him the best but;
He claimed that Obama was a great supporter of Israel and that Jews should vote for him.
I heard him speak together with former Ambassador Danny Kurtzer.
What an embarrassment! He was a shill for the antisemite Obama
Obama is showing his true colors
13
Jun 17, 2009 at 04:46 PM Anonymous Says:
He is a shandah for yiden he recently bought a plot in a non Jewish cemetery saying he did so with permission from a rabbi, but said would have done the same thing if the rabbi said it was prohibited
14
Jun 17, 2009 at 08:41 PM jewess Says:
I wish hizzoner koch a speedy recovery.He always said how am I doin'. I hope he's doing well.
15
Jun 17, 2009 at 08:06 PM Anonymous Says:
That makes two of us. I am also not afraid of him dying.
16
Jun 17, 2009 at 07:25 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Why is he a mentch he voted for gay rights,sided with former mayor dinkins when the holocust museam banned yms arafart and said negative statements about r. Kehana (jdl)after he got killed I will not raven for him! ”
"he said negative statements about r. Kehana (jdl)after he got killed I will not raven for him!"
Rev Kehane's death was unfortunate but he had made himself a target by his own words. As for Mayor Koch, I'm not sure why you "won't RAVEN for him" but not to worry...thousands of yidden will and hashem will watch over him. He was one of the greatest mayors NY ever had.
17
Jun 17, 2009 at 09:50 PM ShatzMatz Says:
Poor Ed is a lesson in a wasted life. His alternative 'lifestyle' has granted him a very lonely retirement. No children or grandchildren to love him. He has absolutely nothing to live for. He political career has been washe up for over 20 years. He wants to die so bad that he bought himself a plot and even placed a tombstone on it. its in a catholic cemetery and has 'shema yisroel' engraved on it. Goodbye Mr. Koch. Keep in mind that when you close yuor eyes for the surgery you and your memory might very well disappear into oblivion.
18
Jun 17, 2009 at 09:59 PM Anonymous Says:
hope he finally comes out from closet...he was a rude obnoxious mayer that called Rabbi kahane names many times and at the same time entertained enemys of isreal..hope he will make the final statemnt asking for forgiveness ...
19
Jun 18, 2009 at 07:24 AM Anonymous Says:
“ He is a shandah for yiden he recently bought a plot in a non Jewish cemetery saying he did so with permission from a rabbi, but said would have done the same thing if the rabbi said it was prohibited ”
Halachicly that's where he belongs,
20
Jun 18, 2009 at 07:23 AM Common Sense Says:
The judgemental attitude of come people on VIN is beyond belief. We are not Hashem who is the only ONE who can make judgements about His kinderlech. Please, let's be more civil, understanding, and forgiving--just as we would want The Almighty to be with us come next Yom Kippur.
21
Jun 18, 2009 at 08:19 AM Allan Says:
I have never or will be a fan of Ed Koch...his politics, lifestyle (whatever that might be), choice of burial place and even his poor term as Mayor of NYC ..that aside I still cannot bring myself to wish him anything but a full and speedy recovery.
22
Jun 18, 2009 at 09:24 AM Joseph Says:
Rabbi Miller ZT'L was not a fan of his liberal lifestyle and views AT ALL to put it mildly. There's no reason to daven for him any more than any other unaffiliated, liberal anit-Torah Jew. If you feel you must daven for him, it's because your ahavas yisroel is being sorely misguided (and you're probably a severe ignoramus to boot).
And #10, I don't think you believe a word of what you wrote, you're probably just trying to start a blogging frenzy here.
23
Jun 18, 2009 at 12:29 PM emes Says:
Ed are you afraid of hell? do tshuvah while you can
24
Jun 18, 2009 at 04:11 PM Allan Says:
“ Rabbi Miller ZT'L was not a fan of his liberal lifestyle and views AT ALL to put it mildly. There's no reason to daven for him any more than any other unaffiliated, liberal anit-Torah Jew. If you feel you must daven for him, it's because your ahavas yisroel is being sorely misguided (and you're probably a severe ignoramus to boot).
And #10, I don't think you believe a word of what you wrote, you're probably just trying to start a blogging frenzy here. ”
Joseph, are you saying that all non affiliated,liberal, non Torah following Jews are not worthy of others prayers and that only the Orthodox are or are you singling out Ed Koch?
25
Jun 18, 2009 at 08:47 PM bigwheeel Says:
“ his and his mothers name, please? ”
His name is Yidl Itzik. His mother's name very few people know. New York magazine (I'm not proud of the fact I read that one article) had a lengthy article about the biography of then-Mayor Edward I. Koch. He claims that his grandfather (Yidl Itzik the First) was one of the "Shtarke" back in Russia. He took no ---- from anybody. And he was a gang leader.!!!