The Wisdom of Morrie: Rob Schwartz on His Father's Legacy

A 10-year-old boy popped the hood of a broken-down car in the Israeli desert, fiddled with the engine, and said, "Try it, Dad." The car started. Rob Schwartz—son of the beloved Morrie Schwartz of Tuesdays with Morrie fame, former Billboard bureau chief in Tokyo, and record label founder—joins Dara Levan to share his father's extraordinary legacy and his own global journey. Rob reveals how he discovered his father's completed manuscript, The Wisdom of Morrie, in a desk drawer 14 years after his passing, and the five-year journey of editing it while keeping his father's unique voice intact. He opens up about living in Japan for 30 years, the myths about Japanese culture and business, his work at NHK and Billboard, and his experiences in Indonesia. Above all, Rob shares his father's timeless message: human connection is what gives life meaning, and it's never too late to forge new friendships, forgive old wounds, and live vibrantly. Keywords: Rob Schwartz, Morrie Schwartz, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Wisdom of Morrie, human connection, aging, grief, Japan, Billboard, NHK, memoir.

0:04 - Intro
1:17 - Tuesdays with Morrie explained
4:15 - Discovering the manuscript
8:31 - Grieving & editing process
9:37 - Giving while dying
11:10 - Stories connect us
13:21 - Morrie as a father
16:02 - Rob's career in Japan
18:29 - Why Japan?
20:08 - Japanese myths & fax machines
25:59 - Japanese music industry & CDs
31:27 - Indonesia & fourth largest country
34:58 - Editing father's manuscript
37:48 - Father's message on connection
40:00 – Outro



• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.robschwartzhelps.com/


QUOTES:


"What's really going to bring you fulfillment and love and happiness in your life is your human connections."
– Dara Levan

"Japanese companies still use fax machines. They cling on to the way things are very strongly. In some ways, that's great—they keep their traditions alive. In some ways, it's hard for them to move into the future."
– Rob Schwartz