In loving memory of Heshy · צבי בן יוסף מארילעס · 1953 – 2026 · זכרונו לברכה
Pencil portrait of Heshy Maryles

Portrait by Meira, 2026

Heshy Maryles

צבי בן יוסף מארילעס

April 27, 1953 – July 24, 2026  ·  z"l

This began as a spoof — a whole website built to prank the man we loved, and it gave him the laugh of his life. We're keeping it, and turning it into a place to remember him together.

Obituary

Remembering Heshy


Draft — replace with the family's own words.

Tzvi (Heshy) Maryles — צבי בן יוסף מארילעס — born April 27, 1953, passed away on July 24, 2026, in [place]. He is survived by [family].

[A few paragraphs about his life — who he was, what he loved, the way he made people feel, the mitzvos and moments people will remember. The family will write this; we can help shape it once you share the details.]

The Story Behind This Site

The prank that became a tribute


Draft — edit freely, or tell me the real version and I'll rewrite it.

In the summer of 2024, a few of us hatched a plan that could only have been born out of love: we would build Heshy his very own charity website. Not a real one, of course — a gloriously over-the-top spoof called "A Mitzvah For Heshy," complete with a heroic bio ("the Mitzvah Maestro"), a "Mitzvah Hall of Fame," and a completely straight-faced donation form begging the world to chip in on his behalf.

We registered a real domain. We wrote real copy. We made it look just official enough to be dangerous. And then, on August 28, 2024, we sat Heshy down and showed him the site that the internet could supposedly now use to donate to him.

The reaction was everything we'd hoped for. That laugh — the one that filled the whole room — is exactly why we could never let this site quietly expire. Heshy found the joke as funny as we did, maybe funnier, and it instantly became one of those stories the family would tell again and again.

Now that he's gone, we've brought the site back — not for the joke's punchline, but for its heart. It's here to keep his laugh alive, and to give everyone who loved him a place to gather, remember, and smile.

See the original spoof, exactly as he saw it

We've preserved the very first version of the site — donation form, straight face, and all — untouched.

View the original site

Caught on camera

The moment he found out


August 28, 2024

The reveal video will live here — David's getting it to us soon.

Heshy seeing "A Mitzvah For Heshy" for the very first time.

Levaya & Shiva

Funeral information


Levaya / hesped video embed goes here.

In his memory

The Wall of Stories


"[A favorite Heshy memory will appear here once the family approves it.]"

— [Name]

"[Another story — the one-liners, the kindnesses, the laughs.]"

— [Name]

Stories are sent privately to the family first. With permission, the family will add the ones they'd like to share here.

For family & friends

Share a Heshy story


A memory, a one-liner he'd have loved, the time he made you laugh — we'd treasure them all. These go privately to Heshy's family.

Delivered privately to the family. Nothing is shown publicly without their okay.

Private note

Write a letter to the family


A note of comfort, just for Heshy's family. Only they will read it.

Prefer email? Write directly to [email protected].