Sol Barzune passed away on September 18, 2013. Sol was not a musician. But often in a musician’s life there are people who are influential in other ways.
Sol was born in 1918 in Dallas, TX, and spent his entire life there. His mother was born in Poland. He fought in World War II. In 1949, he married a wonderful woman named Estelle. Sol and Estelle were close friends of my grandparents. They were exceptionally friendly and warm, so much so that I grew up thinking that they were my aunt and uncle. And because of this, when I found out that Lisa Loeb was a niece of some sort of theirs, I naturally assumed I was related to Lisa Loeb. My house was probably one of the first in the world to have her debut album. It owned. I’m not related to her, of course. Lisa Loeb still owns.
Sol was always incredibly supportive. As I settled into college and a new life across the country, my memories of home faded. After almost a decade away from my past, I ran into Sol again, at a synagogue in Dallas. The same one he had attended for most likely his entire life. He treated my girlfriend at the time like she was already family, and gave her a photo of me from junior high that he still carried in his wallet. I’m so thankful he got to see us engaged.
My great great grandfather was a useful man in the early part of the 20th century. I know very little about Reverend Fram. I know that he was the shochet. I know that he was the cantor. I know that I’ll never be able to grow a beard like the one he had circa 1920. There is a picture of him in the halls of Shearith Israel. I sat once with Sol and another older woman and we talked about my family. Sol mentioned that Rev. Fram was also the mohel, and with his mid-range, sweet, gravelly Texas-accented voice, asked her if she wanted to see the late Reverend’s handiwork.
So Sol was this amazing person, a living link that bonded five generations together, who was always there for me even when I didn’t know or think of needing anyone. His last gift to me was pushing me forward as an adult, after being a part of every significant life event from my birth on.
We all have artists that are role models and inspirations, but sometimes the greatest role models are those who are simply and steadfastly themselves. They remind us that in this very competitive world, we have just one goal: to be who we are.
