February 22, 2025
I spoke with David Sokoloff about the life of Eli Pauli and his Yahrzeit this coming Shabbos.
This coming Shabbos, Parshas Mishpatim, is the Yahrzeit of Eli Pauly, Eli Ben Moshe Halevi. He died in 2002 at 54 years old. Eli was a dear friend to many including David Sokoloff, Rabbi Yochanan Nahan, Ruby Harris, Rabbi Ziskind ZL,zichrono livracha, of blessed memory and others.
I remember the funeral and Hespedim,eulogies; each one was special. My son Sholem came with me to the funeral. Rabbi Ziskind ZL was the first eulogizer and was the principal of the Veitzner Cheder, and himself succumbed to cancer soon thereafter. He opened his speech saying that Eli lived in tumultuous times of the 60s and his life was tumultuous, represented by the eponymous song of the Byrds – Turn,Turn, Turn (To Every Season) which are verses in Koheles.
Ruby Harris spoke about the Sunday that he and Eli went down to Maxwell Street and played with the great musicians. David Sokoloff spoke for only five minutes but every sentence was perfect and pregnant with meaning. Rabbi Unger of the Veitzener Cheder also spoke. Eli Pauli drove kids to school and he became very friendly with Rabbi Unger.
I did not eulogize him and have regretted it to today. At that time I did not have the confidence to speak publicly. I would have said that what merit did Eli have when he went to the court in heaven. He would have Shabbos. In those years, every Friday night my nerves were raw. When he came for the meal we spoke, we laughed, we talked history and some Torah. He calmed me down and we would have a great Shabbos meal. My kids were better behaved when he came over. He did this for other people who looked forward to his being a guest at their Shabbos table.
Eli wanted to produce a CD of his music. He worked hard on the CD cover which was a compilation of many pictures of Jewish leaders, with himself and the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the center. I lent him $3,000 to produce and distribute the CD. He was to pay me off from sales. Once he completed the CD, he came to the bank to play the CD for me. The first 15 minutes were his composition of music he played on the piano and only afterwards had lively music. I told him that he should have put more lively music upfront. He paid me back $900 and he was looking good. He had lost weight and seemed happy. About two weeks before Eli Paule died he came to the bank to talk. I took him into the Board room and we talked. He looked terrible and I felt terrible for him. He gained weight. He needed the $900 back because he needed money for his ex-wife and kids. Of course, I gave him the $900. I remember looking at him and thinking, what can I do for you, Eli Paule? Maybe I should take him out for dinner, however, I myself was emotionally tired so I did nothing. This entire scene came backing rushing to me when I heard he died and felt I should have done more.
As I was speaking to David Sokoloff last night, we were trying to remember where and when we first met him. I did not remember exactly but it must have been one Friday night when he came to daven, pray, at the Mishna Gemara shul, synagogue during the 1990’s. At that time I was always looking to invite guests for our Shabbos meals. Eli lived on California Avenue immediately north of the laundromat. He lived in the back in a ground level apartment.
His entire persona was a musician. He played piano and the keyboard. At my son’s Bar Mitzvah, Eli and Ruby played from about 11:00 PM to about 2:00 AM. They started with Jewish music and we danced. Then they started playing rock and roll and Elvis. We had a three hour concert of great music. Eli and Ruby argued about what to play. Sholem, my son, remembers lending Eli his keyboard. He was the tech guy.
Every first Shabbos in January we would drink a L’Chaim on the birthday of Elvis Pressley, the King. We both loved Elvis. I loved him not only for his great music, but when I ran the 1995 LA Marathon, I had lost weight but had not trained properly. At mile 14 I had nothing in me. I did not get any food on the marathon path, did not have any money to run into a store and get some food, and failed to carbon load. It was drizzling, 60 degrees, and I was freezing. I had no idea how I would finish. Pulling up behind me were 3 runners wearing white pant suits pushing a stroller with a boombox strapped to it playing Elvis songs on a continuous loop. Elvis’s music pounded into me and I made it. I finished the marathon. His song Shake, Rock, and Roll has never left my mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srdl2452J1I
Eli Paule had a story. A story of a life that took unexpected turns due to the Vietnam War and politics. He grew up in Northbrook in the 1950s. His father was a dentist and they were part of the Jewish migration out of the ghettos of the West side of Chicago, They lived in Northbrook which meant that they were somewhat wealthy. Most Jews moved to Skokie and Morton Grove which were nice but had tract housing. Northbrook had bigger homes and wealthier Jews moved to Northbrook. He played football in high school. For whatever reason this Jewish kid from the suburbs who was a musical artist by heart, ends up in the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. I never asked him about those years because they were private and I am not one to inquire about private matters. The only thing he told me was that during Basic training his Drill Instructor loved Miles Davis, a Blues musician, and they bonded over Miles Davis. The DI went easy on Eli. I did know that one day Eli went AWOL. Rabbi Ziskind said during his Hesped, eulogy, that Eli was part of the entertainment group and Eli was to give a speech about the joys of war. He could not do this and went AWOL. He ended up in France, Sweden, and ultimately Canada, playing in nightclubs and other musical gigs. In France he got married and had a son. He prided himself for playing with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. I recall he married a second time and had another kid. They came in for his funeral along with his French wife. I gave one of his kids a Chumash, The Five Books of the Torah, with an English translation. He had a third child whom he called his love child with a woman in Hawaii. He flew her into Chicago and they ate over on Friday night.
Eli came back to Chicago when President Clinton pardoned the people who went AWOL. He had a picture of himself at Chicagofest at Navy Pier when Jane Byrne was mayor.
I wanted Eli to play at my kids’ weddings with Ruby Harris. Eli passed away before it could happen.
Eli should be a Melitz Yosher for us and may all his memories be sweet.
The song Turn, Turn Turn:
Koheles 3:1-8
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ {ס}
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
עֵ֤ת לַהֲרוֹג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפּ֔וֹא עֵ֥ת לִפְר֖וֹץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֽוֹת׃
A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;
עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמ֖וֹר וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃
A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃
A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ {ס}
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.
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