Once, when Tobias Vogelstein was very young, his parents left him in the car with his grandfather while they did errands. They weren’t gone all that long, but, as was typical for Vogelstein, he used that time to enjoy some stories.

Vogelstein’s grandfather read to him from a book of poetry. He heard some he liked, and when he did, he asked his grandfather to repeat them. When Kenny and Debbie Vogelstein came back to the car and asked their son what he had read with his grandfather, his answer was wonderful, unique and so indicative of who Tobias was.

“He literally recited several poems right out of the book,” Debbie Vogelstein said. “He read them twice, and that was it. He knew them verbatim. His memory was incredible.”

In 2023, Tobias passed away from cancer, his second bout with the disease. He was first diagnosed as a 6-year-old, and while he survived childhood cancer, it took his sight and hearing. The same radiation that treated his first tumor eventually caused cancer to return 2 1/2 decades later, eventually leading to his untimely passing at just 32 years old.

But Tobias was far, far too special to forget.

So special, in fact, that two men — Vogelstein’s former bar mitzvah tutor, Stan Lustman, and former camp counselor-turned-friend Brad Kauffman — decided that everyone else needed to get to know Tobias, too, even if he is physically no longer around.

That’s possible because Tobias didn’t just love hearing stories — he loved telling them, too.

Today, Tobias’s Tent, an organization started by Lustman and Kauffman, sells his books, advocates for those affected by terminal diseases and loneliness and looks to provide the same warmth to the community that Tobias provided them for so many years.

“Brad and I just have this common, affection, love, connection with Tobias,” Lustman said.

Kauffman said that anyone who knew Vogelstein feels the same way, and it’s because of Tobias’ infectious energy that this idea came about.

“Above all, he loved to entertain others through his infectious laughter and personality, so we wanted to do something after his passing. Stan and I [wanted] to really build on his legacy, and that’s how we came up with the idea of Tobias’s Tent to serve really an underserved population of people who may be homebound, who are looking for companionship, or people maybe local while residing in nursing homes, and that’s really how the idea started. And we’re really growing,” Kauffman said.

Today, two books by Vogelstein are available from the organization. “Outfoxed” and “Stories Can Inspire” are both made for younger audiences, and feature illustrations by Axel Alan Rose, Vogelstein’s best friend during his time at Towson University.

Kenny and Debbie Vogelstein serve on the board of the organization, and said that doing so is their way of fulfilling a lifelong dream of their son. While Lustman and Kauffman are the ones who publish the books today, Tobias always wanted to become a published author himself. And, as was typical for him, he was focused on writing and storytelling even during the hardest points of his life.

“It’s his dream come true to be able to share what he wrote to others,” Debbie Vogelstein said. “Even while we were sitting and waiting for his radiation treatments at the end [of his life] at the University of Maryland, he and I were going back and forth, and I was taking notes like crazy, because he was giving me ideas of what he wanted included in different books.”

Kenny Vogelstein said his son was remembered by more than just the people close to him. Nurses, other Beth Tfiloh members and people around Pikesville would smile and wave at the kind man with the white cane whenever they saw him.

At his bar mitzvah, which Tobias was adamant about completing no matter what it took, Lustman helped prepare him for using a Torah written in braille. The longtime bar mitzvah tutor said, even among the many ceremonies he has seen, this one was special.

“There wasn’t a dry eye. It has never been so quiet in [the synagogue],” Lustman said.

Debbie Vogelstein said even decades later, people still bring that day up to her.

“Before a packed crowd, he gave a speech and the crowd erupted. They gave a standing ovation, and to this day, there are people that say, ‘I was in the crowd that day, and I’ll never forget it,’” she said.

For Kauffman, Tobias Vogelstein’s impact was so pronounced that he decided to continue his late friend’s spirit in a seismic way.

“He’s always in my life, because I named my son after him,” Kauffman said. “So every day, I see him through my son’s eyes.”

Sure, Tobias’s Tent is about preserving his legacy and sharing his work with the world, but it’s also about helping anyone who finds themselves in a situation in which they could use a friend. Tobias was always that friend, and now the organization named after him is, too.

“I want Tobias’s Tent to be the staple in Baltimore. If there’s loneliness out there, we can tackle it, we can be successful,” Lustman said.

For Debbie and Kenny Vogelstein, knowing that Tobias’ work is solidified in a physical form by the books and in a spiritual sense by the mission of the organization is wonderful. In those ways, he is still here.

“It’s very fulfilling for us, on behalf of him,” Debbie Vogelstein said.

aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com