By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Family and friends of Rabbi James S. Diamond filed into a Princeton University lecture hall Tuesday night to remember a man whose sudden death in late March is still hard to fathom for some.
”The reality has not yet set in,” said Ziona Silverman before the service began. “It’s still unbelievable.”
Rabbi Diamond’s widow, Judy, the couple’s three adult children and other family attended the service that lasted just shy of 90 minutes inside Dodds Auditorium in Robertson Hall. Song, prayer and scripture sought to give shape to the evening, as friends sought to fill in with words what his life meant.
That life was cut short March 28 when a young man crashed his BMW into a car parked in front of the Prius that Rabbi Diamond was entering on Riverside Drive. The 74-year-old had been coming from a Talmud discussion group, something that he did often, for he loved learning and discussing things, friends said Tuesday.
”As most of you will remember, Jim loved to talk about everything and anything,” said Professor Stan Katz, past president of the board of directors of the university’s Center for Jewish Life, the Hillel campus organization that Rabbi Diamond had been director of from 1995 to 2003.
Rabbi Julie Roth, the current executive director, succeeded Rabbi Diamond when he retired. She recalled her coming to Princeton eight years ago, daunted by the opportunity of taking over from him.
”I soon learned that Rabbi Diamond’s greatness was matched by a rare humility,” she said. “He at once stepped back and allowed me to lead the Center for Jewish Life fully and yet was always available whenever I needed advice or mentorship.”
Rabbi Diamond had the opportunity to influence thousands of college students starting when he became the rabbi of the Hillel organization at Indiana University. Later, he moved on to lead the St. Louis Hillel at Washington University before coming to Princeton in the 1990s. One Princeton graduate spoke of the impact he had.
”Rabbi Diamond’s years at Princeton were about bringing students together and nurturing thoughtful, honest and respectful conversations,” said Rabbi Joseph Skloot of the class of 2005. “It takes a great deal of humility to make a career in empowering others. And Rabbi Diamond was a model of just that kind of humility.”
Rabbi Skloot recalled meeting Rabbi Diamond for the first time during a college visit. He got to know him, and found that he could always count on his support and encouragement.
After his retirement, Rabbi Diamond remained active, teaching adult school and more recently working on a translation of a work by the late Jewish writer S.Y. Agnon.
”He was an unusual guy, unusual in the sense that he was interested in everything he came across,” said Rabbi David Silverman.
As for the driver of the BMW, 20-year-old Eric Maltz, charged with killing Rabbi Diamond, was in Trenton Psychiatric Hospital as of last week, Princeton Police said.