Associated Press Videos • June 18, 2020
College dream fulfilled for student lost to COVID
Saadya Ehrenpreis fulfilled his lifelong dream of attending Yeshiva University through the Makor College Experience. Ehrenpreis was born with Down syndrome and he died from COVID-19 one month before his graduation ceremony at the Jewish Orthodox university. (June 18)
Video Transcript
AHAVA EHRENPREIS: This picture says it all. I hope he saw this picture. Because we got it right before he was hit with COVID.
– (SINGING) [INAUDIBLE]
AHAVA EHRENPREIS: He had an amazing personality. He always was– he was just– he was born just a joyful child. He was just– I don’t think if you said to him, you have a disability, he would have, really? He didn’t notice. So among his favorite things, I would say music and pizza were pretty high. And he loved his– he did like his [INAUDIBLE] very much. He also loved being in Yeshiva University.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
– This is a different world than the one we inhabited just a few months ago. It is fraught with tension and filled with great uncertainty.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
STEPHEN GLICKSMAN: Knowing that he is missing something, that he was so looking forward to having is sad. I’m comforted in believing that he’s not missing it, that he’s watching it. But I’m also comforted in knowing that he would really want his peers to celebrate and to be happy and to live in the moment like he did. You know, live out his dream, have the time of their lives.
[CHEERING]
JONAH GOLDSTEIN: He was like, a great person, great heart. He’s always watching. But he’s not [INAUDIBLE]. He’s always watching me everywhere.
– Thank you, everyone for coming here.
AHAVA EHRENPREIS: I’m so happy that Saadya’s life has been an inspiration. I think people are very excited when they know you can just– you can go the whole way.
[MUSIC PLAYING]