Jack Sevita is a man of great determination. In his accounting practice and community
life he’s dealt with many famous people—none more renowned than Simon Wiesenthal,
the Nazi hunter. As an active member at Temple Gates of Prayer, in Queens, he arranged
programs whcih included such luminaries as Theodore Bikel, Mike Bursty, and Rabbi
Harold Kushner, author of “When Bad Things Happen to good people.” When he moved
to North Shore Towers, he promptly joined the nascent Men’s Club and soon became the
Treasurer and a valued, respected Board member.
BY FRED CHERNOW
Photo courtesy of Jack Sevita
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
I grew up in the Bronx, three blocks off
the Grand Concourse on 169th Street and
Morris Avenue, and spent many weekends
at Yankee Stadium. I went to P.S. 53 and Taft
High School and got an accounting degree
from Baruch College. All my courses were
taken at night. After high school, I had to work,
but I was determined to get a college diploma.
I worked in the accounting departments at
Adams Laboratories in Long Island City and
Executone, Inc. on 37th Street in Manhattan.
WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER
GRADUATING BARUCH?
I went on to earn an MBA from Fordham
University. In 1989, I went to work for the
Martin Rosen Law Firm as his controller. His
was a prestigious law practice which included
financial planning for clients. One of his
famous clients was Simon Wiesenthal, the
Nazi hunter and author, who dedicated his
life to tracking down fugitive Nazi war criminals,
so they could be brought to trial. Some
high-profile cases he handled involved Adolph
Eichmann and Kurt Waldheim.
WHERE WERE YOUR PARENTS BORN?
My father was born in Alexandria, Egypt,
and my mother came from Ismir, Turkey. They
met in New York, married and had two children,
my older sister and myself. We belonged
to the Spanish and Portugese Synagogue—the
oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S. It was
established in 1654. At home, I was exposed
to Ladino as well as English.
DO YOU HAVE A FAMILY?
I met my wife, Eva at a synagogue Teen
Group. We married in 1957. Our family
includes 3 children: Janet Siegel of Woodbury,
Debra Lowe of Syosset, and Joseph in
Manhattan. Sadly, Eva developed ovarian
cancer and passed away in 2009 at age 73.
Eva graduated City College Uptown with
a degree in mathematics. She worked as a
statistician until our children were born. Later,
she became a Special Education teacher and
taught at PS 88, but had to retire because of
her illness. She was born in Katovitz, a town
in Poland, which alternated between being
part of Poland one year and part of Germany
the next.
When World War II broke out her family
tried to leave and somehow get to Singapore
or the U.S. That was not possible, but they did
get to Genoa, Italy. Eva had two older brothers,
one was actually Bar Mitvahed in Genoa. The
government put her father in a concentration
camp, but the local Italian people treated the
rest of the family well.
WHAT WAS YOUR CONNECTION WITH
SIMON WIESENTHAL?
My boss, Martin Rosen, represented Simon
Wiesenthal in the United States. They grew
very close. Simon considered him to be his
‘American brother.’ Soon, the Nazi hunter
was making speeches across the U. S. and
earning honorariums. Wiesenthal hoped
to establish a center in Los Angeles. Rosen
asked me to handle his speaking fees and
manage his finances. I was happy to do so.
Eva and I even spent time with him in his
home in Vienna.
Soon there was enough money to build
what is now known as the Simon Wiesenthal
Center-Museum of Tolerance in L.A. It is a
global human rights organization and maintains
offices in New York, Toronto, Miami,
Chicago, Paris, Buenos Aires and Jerusalem.
It has forged alliances with college groups
fighting antisemitism on campuses.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO NST?
When Eva passed away, I knew I could no
longer live in a big house with steps. My daughter
urged me to buy a one-bedroom apartment
in Meadowbrook Pointe. A problem arose with
the seller and the deal was canceled. That was
my lucky day, because we then visited North
Shore Towers and I bought an apartment in
Building #2. That was 4 years ago. I immediately
joined the newly formed Men’s Club and
made many friends.
What you don’t know is one year after moving
in I suffered kidney failure while alone in
my apartment. I was spread out on the floor,
face down for hours, paralyzed from the waist
down. I couldn’t move to reach my phone.
My family couldn’t reach me, so they called
Security, who came up quickly and called an
ambulance. For two weeks, I was in LIJ taking
tests. The care was great, but the outlook was
terrible. One doctor even told the family to
get my affairs in order.
But I fooled them! I was determined to
make it home and I did. I now am under
the care of a nephrologist who sees me every
three months. My condition is improving. My
walking does not resemble my regular gait,
but who cares.
I’m here and enjoy my friends and family,
which now includes seven grandchildren and
one new great grandson. I spend a great deal
of time with them. Also, 160 brothers which
constitute the NST Men’s Club, for which I
am the treasurer. This is a great place to live.
JACK SEVITA
A Determined Man
Jack and late wife Eva with Simon Wiesenthal
4 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ October 2018