There are some people that we meet along the way that we just know will be your friend for life! Alan is one of those people, a loving, sincere, kind man that I have known since 1966. We were in college together at what is now the University of Central Missouri – he a Theater Arts major with an English minor along with a BS in Education and I a Sociology major with a second major in English. Alan had the lead roles in Charlie’s Aunt, USA, Waltz of the Toreadors, The Male Animal, Servant of Two Masters and Rhinoceros at UCM. Alan graduated and returned to his hometown on Long Island – teaching English at a middle school and avoiding the draft. He continued to teach, but moved to New York City and began to further his acting abilities with William Esper at an acting school next to Carnegie Hall. He auditioned for roles at The Theater For The New City and performed in two shows, Dracula Sabbat with George Bartenieff and Crystal Field and The Keepers of the Hippo Horn with Marlene Willoughby directed by Lawrence Korfeld. He had great times hanging out with theater people. Earl Neiman, brother of Leroy Neiman, had many parties at his apartment in the Hotel D’Artiste that Alan attended. He also demonstrated against the Vietnam War at Columbia University.
On my first visit to New York City in 1969 I saw my first Broadway Show (COCO, with Katharine Hepburn) and Alan showed me the city – Chinatown, Harlem, Times Square, the Staten Island Ferry and other sights! We had dinner at the famed Mamma Leone’s, had Ray’s Pizza and Dim Sum in Chinatown! Unforgettable! Over the years we have met in New York and attended the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Galas, and eaten lots more wonderful food!
As with many people I have known, Alan decided to take a vacation to think about what it was that he was going to do with his life! After backpacking through Europe, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and travel the path of becoming a psychologist. He accepted a position from his father (who owned and operated a hospital on Long Island that served as an alcoholism treatment center) as an assistant administrator at Freeport Hospital. Alan then went on to study the field of addiction and became credentialed in New York State as a Certified Alcoholism Professional. He received his PhD in Counseling Psychology and continued with Freeport Hospital in a number of capacities including administration and treatment. The Herzlin family opened the Rhinebeck Lodge for Successful Living and then opened outpatient sites in New York City and Albany.
Alan left the Freeport Group after 21 years and in 1990 moved to Wellington, FL and began a long consulting career advising alcoholism programs in the United States, Iceland and around the world as well as teaching others in the field. Alan is happily retired now, still living in Florida and is a past president of his synagogue, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Union For Reform Judaism and is now the Alumni Chair of URJ.
When I asked him about growing up on Long Island he remembers his family legacy of the joys of music. He attended concerts of the New York Philharmonic and the children’s concerts hosted by the great Leonard Bernstein. His grandparents were subscribers to the Metropolitan Opera. Alan played drums, a little violin and a little piano. Michael, his brother is a professional musician (French Horn) and David, another brother, played the saxophone.
I asked him where he would go that he has never been and without hesitation he said Paris though France has a very real problem with anti-Semitism. Where would he not go? Moscow or anyplace cold!
What advice would he give a 21 year old Alan? Don’t give up on anything. Have many careers, do your dreams! Love what you do! Don’t have regrets!
Who is the most famous person you ever met? Alan met many people with recognizable names that he won’t reveal at Freeport Hospital and met Martin Balsam and Dustin Hoffman in New York. Who would he have liked to have met – Groucho Marx!
And so, Dr. Herzlin, thanks for the memories – many of which are recent in Florida, two Temple Beth Torah Galas, lunches by the ocean and meeting your wife Laurie who reached out to me to come to your 70th birthday party after not seeing each other for way too many years! I will love you forever. …and he is a Yankee fan!
