By David Bruce

• Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild, wife of Baron Jules de Koenigswarter, was an unlikely patron of jazz musicians. She did such things as buy their groceries, pay their rent, give them rides in her silver Bentley to their gigs, and even invite them when things were bad to share her home. She said, "I could see that an awful lot of help was needed. I couldn't just stand there and watch."

Jazz great Charlie Parker even died in her home. A doctor told him that he needed to rest, so Nina invited him to stay with her. Three days later, as they were watching TV together, he slumped and died.

She was white, and the jazz musicians were mainly black, and when she was riding in her silver Bentley with jazz great Thelonious Monk, a police officer stopped them, searched the Bentley, and found some marijuana — a small amount. The marijuana belonged to Thelonious, but Nina said that it was hers because she knew that Thelonious would not be able to get work if he were convicted of marijuana possession. She spent a night in jail, but her three-year jail sentence was fortunately overturned. The jazz musicians paid her back by naming compositions after her. Thelonious wrote "Pannonica," and other jazz musicians wrote such compositions as "Blues for Nica," "Nica Steps Out," "Nica's Dream," "Nica's Tempo," and many more.

• Long ago, Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski decided to go to medical school despite having a wife and two children (and a third child on its way). He managed to pay the bills, including tuition, for a while, but in the middle of his third year, he was no longer able to do so. In addition, he was deep in debt. However, his wife called him and told him that comedian Danny Thomas had pledged $4,000 to help him finish medical school. Mr. Thomas had met with officials from Marquette University, and they had told him about a Rabbi who needed financial help to get through medical school. Mr. Thomas asked, "How much money does he need?" Hearing the answer—$4,000—he said, "Tell your Rabbi he's got it." Mr. Thomas is a Christian, but he generously helped a Jew. Rabbi Abraham says, "Who would think of a less likely combination: a Lebanese Christian and a Chassidic rabbi?"

http://www.athensnews.com/news/features/2008/dec/29/wise-good-deeds/

Sphere: Related Content