Radio Personality Mr. Norman Laster z”l

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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Mr. Norman Laster z”l. He was 80 years old.

A humble and kind man, Norman was a pioneer of Jewish radio in the United States, who hosted The Neshoma Show, heard on Friday mornings, on WFMU in New York.

Norman, or Norm as he was known, is credited with saving Nachum Segal’s JM in the AM radio program during its early years. In fact, when Nachum Segal was a senior at Yeshiva University, he was approached by Norman Laster through Mr. Larry Wachsman, Director of Student Activities at YU, and offered the opportunity to produce and host the Hebrew and Jewish Program at Upsala College’s WFMU. Norm was instrumental in working with Upsala College’s acting dean, Dr. Rhoda Freeman, to keep the JM in the AM program on the air.
Norm also hosted two radio shows on WFDU (89.1fm) that air on Sundays, Sounds of a People and Dialogue.

Norm was born on December 16, 1935 in the Bronx. He later lived in Fair Lawn, NJ, where he was close to the rov of Fair Lawn’s Shomrei Torah shul, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin. It was Norm who, years ago, got Rabbi Yudin to deliver his weekly devar Torah on the radio, now a popular feature of the JM in the AM show on Fridays. At the time, Norm was involved with Upsala College and said to Rabbi Yudein, “Rabbi, why not say a devar Torah? There are so many Jews out there listening. Let them hear a good word.’” The rest, as they say, is history. When Nachum Segal took over the program, Rabbi Yudin stayed on.

Norm passed away yesterday at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey.

The levaya is being held today at the Mount Moriah Cemetery, located at 685 Fairview Avenue in Fairview, NJ. Norm’s family and friends will be gathering in the Talmud Torah of West New York section of the cemetery.

{Gavriel Sitrit-Matzav.com Newscenter}


1 COMMENT

  1. I enjoyed his radio program, the Neshoma one, which I used to sometimes hear on Friday mornings.

    I actually realized a while ago (maybe a 1-2 years) that it was not on anymore, and tried to find out what had happened.

    יהי זכרו ברוך, may the zechusim for all the hours of Jewish radio stand in his stead.

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