MILWAUKEE – Jonathan Brostoff, a city alderman and former state Assembly representative – a man who loved Milwaukee, gaming, family, people, Israel and Judaism, a passionate fighter for what he believed in – died by suicide Monday, Nov. 4.
His death came as a shock in the Milwaukee area, though Brostoff wrote publicly about his struggle with mental illness, and friends say he was bullied for his Zionist and Jewish identities. (See story, page 5.)
“He had a bad day, but he won every battle until then,” said longtime friend Victor Shikhman, speaking at the funeral on Nov. 8, at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “I’m so proud of him.”
Shikhman met Brostoff at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee more than 20 years ago. “He loved Milwaukee. My goodness, he loved Milwaukee,” Shikhman said. Their friendship endured, and Brostoff would typically ask Shikhman, who is observant, about the week’s Torah portion, he said.
“Jonathan Brostoff was a dedicated public servant and an unwavering advocate for Milwaukee and our Jewish community,” said Miryam Rosenzweig, president and CEO of Milwaukee Jewish Federation. “Those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him witnessed a Jewish leader who anchored his Jewish values in all he did. He proudly showed that in his caring values, his love of the Jewish people and his commitment to Zionist ideals.”
Gov. Tony Evers ordered the flags of the U.S. and state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Fri., Nov. 8, in honor of Brostoff. “There are few who advocate as zealously and tenaciously as Jonathan did for the people and causes he cared about,” Evers said in a statement.
At the funeral, Diana Vang-Brostoff, Jonathan Brostoff’s wife, spoke about his commitment to the community and how he lived the power of kindness and mitzvot, or Jewish commandments. “Jonathan was one of the best humans I have ever had the privilege of knowing,” she said.
Vang-Brostoff referred to how her husband felt “isolated”: “We are living in a time right now where people are feeling very sensitive about everything, and they should. But I really pray, just I ask all of you to please consider how we speak to each other, how we show up in a room with other people. We have our personal beliefs, but we are all still human. We all have our own experiences. Can we just please be nice to each other? Be kind. Have grace. Please. You don’t know how your words impact people.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley described Brostoff as “one of my best friends.” He said, at the funeral, that “Jonathan lived with unwavering purpose, deep compassion and relentless dedication to leaving the world a better place than how he found it.”
Crowley added: “He was unexpected. He was joyful. He had a boundless spirit …. He taught me so much about what it means to show up.”
Judaism shaped Brostoff’s character and influenced his actions in public and private life, said state Rep. Daniel Riemer, his childhood friend. “He had many qualities associated with his Jewishness – love of family, a sense of humor, and a passion for wisdom. In my mind, three of his Jewish virtues stand above the rest: his performance of mitzvot, his deep curiosity about people, and his moral leadership.”
“Jonathan joyfully performed mitzvot. The Torah lists 613 mitzvot to observe. Sometimes it seemed like Jonathan tried to do 613 mitzvot every day.”
Rosenzweig said: “Jonathan’s legacy will endure in the lives he touched, the Jewish values he exuded and the causes he championed. We have lost a leader, a great Jewish leader. It will be up to all of us to honor his legacy and continue his work.”
Rabbi Yisroel Lein, the spiritual leader of Chabad of the East Side, said Brostoff would insist on donning tefillin, with Lein’s assistance, in a public place.
Brostoff was a leader and a Zionist. After the attacks of Oct. 7, Brostoff texted to his friend, Eli Federman: “Don’t be scared. The Islamists and leftist radicals bow down to emptiness and nothingness, a passing shadow.”
Shikhman, of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, said Brostoff “wore everything on his sleeve.” Brostoff himself told Shikhman that he was inclined to “bust people’s chops,” Shikhman said at the funeral, to laughter laced with love and appreciation, from an audience of more than 1,000. Shikhman also remembered Brostoff as a great connector, who brought people together.
A GoFundMe page to support Brostoff’s family raised more than $180,000, as of mid-November. Visit this story online for a link to the page, which was noted during the funeral and was created by Daniel Hoeft.
Brian Kowal spoke at the funeral of their shared love of the fantasy card game, Magic: The Gathering. Brostoff enjoyed building a “cube” in the game, and he developed a large online following of people who watched him play, Kowal said. He used his fame among gamers to raise more than $100,000 for charity, Kowal said.
“He used that platform to promote his views and change minds, often politically,” Kowal said. “A lot of people weren’t prepared to hear that … but he would engage with them.”
The two men co-launched the first Cube convention for Magic: The Gathering players. The annual CubeCon last took place in October of this year, serving about 600 players at Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
Kowal said, from the podium at the funeral: “I love you, Jon.”
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GoFundMe
A GoFundMe page to support Jonathan Brostoff’s family raised more than $180,000, as of mid-November. Visit this story online for a link to the page.
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‘We Can Save Lives Tour’
The Friendship Circle of Wisconsin is holding a “We Can Save Lives Tour”, a safeTALK Suicide Prevention Training initiative dedicated to the memory of Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, OBM.
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