Raised in Spanish Town, Jamaica by his Grandma Pearl, Yoseph Robinson, like most of the island kids, thought of the United States as a kind of utopia. It was a fantasy come true when he and his two sisters were finally able to join his parents in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York, in 1989. At the age of 12, he exchanged his slower-paced life of mango-picking, fresh water fishing and swimming for an Americanized one filled with stylized clothes and worries about being cool enough.
During his teenage years, Yoseph lived in the Bronx, Philly, and finally Los Angeles, where he became involved in music.
By the time he was 23 years old, Yoseph knew he had to leave the affluent Hollywood scene behind in order to physically and mentally survive. He turned to Yiddishkeit as a means to surrender control, accept humility, and educate. He became a ger tzedek.
Yoseph persevered through many highs and lows in his lifetime, but converting to Yiddishkeit was his greatest accomplishment. At the time of his petirah, Yoseph had been working on a book about his struggles, transformation, and experiences as a black Jewish man in the United States. The book was slated to be released this coming December.
Unfortunately, this life was snuffed out one year ago today, when he was shot, ending an amazing journey of a brave and courageous man.
Click here to read an interview with Yosef last year.
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
