I think, Mr. Madoff, that if I could look upon you now I would see in your blank stare the shell of a man who had the potential for greatness but who forgot to listen to our Torah. And in forgetting to do so, you lost your soul.
I am truly sad for you. By all appearances, you must be too far removed from reality to feel anything yourself. Despite the enormity of your actions, I hope you find the peace you will need to face each day. I also hope that you will, one day, share with the world the answers that will bring peace to your victims as well as to your people (in most cases, one and the same) or any other unsuspecting individuals whom you destroyed through your greed.
In the meantime, I do not have the luxury of staring out the window and waiting for a blue sky. I must look beyond the clouds now and make sure I am there to answer my daughter’s questions.
I am grateful that my child will continue as a student at Ramaz and learn the lessons that will give her the tools to recognize and choose right from wrong, good from evil.
I am also grateful that she can still experience pure joy through the eyes of a child, and that I can look into those beautiful eyes.