Temple News
In Memorium - Bernard Davidson
On March 12, 2005, at age 84, the Deaf community lost another of its treasured senior members, Bernard Davidson. His wife, Adele, sadly said, "God must have needed more deaf people in heaven."
Bernard Davidson
Bernard was born November 30, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts to Max Louis and Rose (nee) Garber Davidson. Bernie's mother came to Boston as a Russian immigrant when she was 13 years old. Max and Rose produced three sons, Bernie being the oldest. He had a very close relationship with his two bothers, Charles and Milton.
At two months of age, Bernard fractured his eardrums in an accident that caused his deafness. In 1921, doctors didn't know much about deafness and told Max and Rose that their son would never speak. But Boston was the home of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf, an oral school with a rich history of teaching the deaf since 1869. Bernard proudly graduated in 1938 from Horace Mann in the 38th graduating class with a class size of 18.
In 1935, at age 14, Bernie began to learn the craft of dental technician; which included repairing and making false teeth. He eventually did an apprenticeship earning $2.00 a week for 3 long years. He worked in Boston in this field until 1942 when he and his family moved to Denver because of his father's ailing health. Bernie opened his own dental lab in Denver and later in Salt Lake City, a profession that sustained him until he suffered a heart attack at age 50.
While in Denver, Bernard decided it was time to find a nice Jewish girl; he was now 21. The Shaners, a Jewish Deaf couple, advised Bernie to contact a woman in Cleveland who had a deaf niece by the name of Adele Cohen. Through that connection Bernard and Adele began a correspondence that lasted 3 years, a period that Adele sweetly calls their, "blind date letters." Finally, in October of 1945 they met. Bernie spent a week in Cleveland with Adele and her family and decided this was the girl for him; he thought she looked like a movie star! In February of '46 he invited Adele and her family to Denver to meet his family, which in those days was the proper thing to do. After the Cohens met the Davidsons, Adele's parents were anxious for a wedding but Adele wasn't quite ready to get married, she was only 19 and trying to figure out exactly what she wanted for her future. But her parents insisted and she reluctantly agreed. February 26th they were engaged and on June 22, 1946 they married in a Cleveland synagogue. They spent two years in Cleveland living with Adele's parents and then moved with the Cohens to settle in Denver.
In October of 1949, exactly four years after that first face-to-face meeting, Adele and Bernard had a beautiful daughter, Sherry, followed by their son, Donald, in July of 1952.
Bernard sold their business in Salt Lake City and moved to Los Angeles in 1963. After settling in, Adele and the children joined him the next year. Bernard became a member of Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf on his arrival in Los Angeles where he promptly joined the Men's Club and met Irvin Friedman, of blessed memory, also a dental technician. Irvin asked Bernie to come and work with him at Campbell Dental Lab and they became good friends carpooling to work from North Hollywood.
While living in Salt Lake City, at age 30, Bernard was interviewed by a local newspaper. Bernard said in answer to a question about his deafness that the doctors had told his parents he would never speak: "I knew that if I were going to learn to talk, I would have to learn from other people." To achieve this goal he joined the B'nai Brith, and since he loved bowling, joined a hearing league and also spent time fishing and camping with the people he met. Being an excellent lipreader and with the help of his hearing aid he learned not only to speak but more importantly to communicate. This ability to communicate with anyone and his intense interest in people stayed with him to the very end of his life.
Bernard's very close family friend, Joyce Linden said of him, "I was always impressed at his warmth and friendliness with everyone...people in the neighborhood and store owners. He even knew where they lived...he always knew what was going on-he talked with everybody!!!"
On his daily walks, Bernie would stop in at the San Carlos Italian Deli, just to say "hello." Roberto, the owner would treat him to his delicious Italian bread and in return Bernard would bring everyone he knew for dinner. He was also well known at his neighborhood Trader Joes where he would stop several times a week to see what was new and what they were up to.
Bernie was so outgoing in life and had varied interests and activities. In his early years, Bernie had a love for Dixieland Jazz and had a large collection of records. He loved playing billiards with his close friends, Irving Linden, Sherman Keyser and Fred Lessing. When their billiard get-togethers stopped after Sherman had back surgery, Bernie missed that special camaraderie immensely. But he continued playing pool with his grandsons whom he adored. He could often be found flying his model airplane with the men he met on the flying field or in someone's garage fixing them. As age and health concerns affected his ability to be active in the sports he loved, he never faltered or complained, he just found a new one he could do. He loved his fitness class and he adored walkingespecially walking because he could be out among people - people he knew or people he didn't know. He loved people and those that he didn't know that he met on his walks, he soon did know. He could tell you all about them and what was going on in their lives.
At Bernard's funeral, his brother, Rabbi Charles Davidson, who was 10 years younger, spoke to over 100 of Bernie's friends. One of the stories he shared that was especially captivating was of a Bernard none of us knew: Bernie the boxer. He excelled at boxing and became a very talented amateur boxer which was kept secret from his mother, who he knew would strongly object and make him quit. Charles was having difficulties with some bullies from school who insisted on beating him up. When Charles reported this to his brother, Bernard made it a priority the next day to walk with him to school and upon encountering the bullies, Bernard taught them all quite a painful lesson. But it didn't stop there: Bernie then taught his brother how to defend himself so that he would never have this problem again. From that experience, Charles gained a confidence that only an idolized older brother could give him and a love that is eternally deep, beyond words. As Bernie suspected, when his mother discovered he was boxing, she made him quit. It didn't matter how talented he was, no mother can accept her child immersed in this world. As much as Bernie loved it, he understood his mother's pain and never boxed again.
Bernie leaves fundamental yet profound life lessons of kindness, persistence and love of others to his beautiful family. We mourn along with Adele, his wife, of 59 years; his daughter, Sherry, and her husband, Michael Raber; son, Donald, and his wife, Bette, grandchildren: Elan, Ariel, Eli, Kyle, Erin, and great grandchild, Sydney.
Bernie's curious, sweet, gentle nature is a quiet lesson to us all and he will be deeply missed. But "God needed more deaf people in heaven" and begrudgingly we accept the fact that bodies do not last forever. Goodbye Bernie, your memory is a sweet blessing.
Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov to Renah Ben-Ari on the arrival of triplet grandchildren, Charlie, Chase and Delany Lee, born to daughter Verna and Jimmy Lee on September 7th.
Benjamin Morgan Bischoff
Mazel Tov to Joan and Murray Kurz on the birth of great grandson, Benjamin Morgan Bischoff, son of Randee and Scott Bischoff, grandson of Jim & Gayle Bischoff and Bruce & Lori Rudich. Born July 28, 6 lbs. 2 oz 19". We welcome him to our Jewish family.
Proud Grandparents and Abigail
Mazel Tov to proud grandparents Maurice and Ruth Richter on the April 16th arrival of their fourth granddaughter, Abigail Quinn Richter, first child born to Rodney and Gena Richter. Abigail weighed in at a dainty 5 lb, 6 oz and a slight 21 inches. We welcome her into our Jewish family!
Mazel Tov to former TBS Rabbis Alan Henkin and Aliza Berk on receiving Doctor of Divinity Degrees from Hebrew Union College.
Mazel Tov to member Bummy Burstein and TBS friend Virginia Hughes on receiving the Lou Fant Distinguished Service Award.
Mazel Tov to TBS friends, Mark & Peachy Levy on being awarded the 2005 American Jewish Distinguished Service Award from Hebrew Union College.
2005 Awards
Sixty people celebrated our TBS Volunteers on May 20th at a very special Shabbat service.
2005 Award Winners
Jean Greenberg, Joe Slotnick, Florence Haberman, Roz Robinson
Roz Robinson was honored with a beautiful hand-made Woman of Valor art piece made on three-quarter inch, polished, concave glass, finished in gold leaf, weighing about 20 pounds. The Woman of Valor prayer appears in raised gold letters; a physical representation of our deep feelings for her. Roz was also awarded Honorary member status which is only given to those special individuals who have served TBS far beyond any normal expectations.
Annie Kalivoda spoke on behalf of the Religious school with gratitude for all Roz has done for our students over the years, as well as a personal note for what Roz has meant to her family. Elaine Aikins signed the Woman of Valor prayer in ASL as her personal tribute to Roz. Rabbi Alan Henkin sent a touching letter to Roz on behalf of himself and the Union for Reform Judaism which was read to the congregation.
Roz Robinson is more than an inspiration to us. We say this year after year simply because there aren't enough words to adequately convey how awed we are by her. She has served TBS for 16 years, operating on the basis of the group good-not self good. Yet she does not forsake herself; she gets stronger by nurturing the group, a sign of a very enlightened and extremely capable individual.
We could enumerate the many projects and programs, committees and activities that she has directed, coordinated, masterminded and envisioned, but we have done that every year and it is well documented. Since who she is is shaped by what she does, it is difficult to separate the two. But this year we wanted to highlight her essence, her spirit, her courage; those intangible characteristics that are reflected in her work. Her profound love for people is demonstrated by her desire to make them better and more certain in the way they live and handle life. Her amazing ability to find that special key to learning that each person possesses is a testament to the precious being that she is. When that key is turned and she sees the "click" of understanding on someone's face, then her soul is filled with delight. This alone speaks volumes of her character.
We honor Roz because she makes us better, which makes our families better and in turn our world is bettered. Our love for her is deep, she truly embody the words of the prayer, "Woman of Valor."
This year's President's Award was lovingly given to Florence Haberman; a woman who brings a smile to all our faces. She has an exuberant thirst for knowledge that is inspiring. She never pretends to know and is never shy to ask. Her honesty and openness is a model that anyone would be proud to emulate.
Her impulse to help is overflowing and comes so naturally and is exhibited in everything she does. She is hard-working, loving and with her wonderful humor and warmth has a gift of making others feel so comfortable and at ease.
She approaches life with such pure enthusiasm and fascination that after being with her for any length of time she makes us feel great to be alive and inspires us to get curious about everything around us.
She is a model of living Judaism! Her love, caring and constant questioning of life around her and of her heritage is a true inspiration.
We thank you Florence for bringing such a bright light to Temple Beth Solomon and for your constant support and help to make TBS a warm and welcoming place. May your life be filled with many blessings and may you continue to grow from strength to strength.
Most of you are familiar with Jean Greenberg: serious Dodger fan, past TBS Board member, Donations chairwoman and member of TBS for 43 years. Her mother, Freda Schuman, was a Charter member of TBS and Jean was her deaf-blind interpreter during Freda's lifetime; a very dedicated daughter and TBS member in countless ways.
In addition to many certificates of Appreciation and Merit, Jean has earned multiple awards: Dedicated Service in 1961, Hersh Woman of the Year in 1981 & 1994, Special Recognition in 1999 and Lifetime Honorary Membership in 2000.
All the donations each of you has sent to TBS over the last 36 years went through Jean's hands. She knows all of you and your relatives intimately: dates of death, bar and bat mitzvahs, the birth of children, engagements, weddings, awards, each residence you have had over these years, illnesses and recoveries and many other details of your lives and the lives of your loved ones and friends. She knows who is related to whom and keeps track of hundreds of peoples' lives. She is a marvelous historian and can answer almost any question of our extended TBS family going back over 40 years. It is with the deepest love and gratitude that we honor Jean as Volunteer of the Year, for all she has done to support TBS and keep her going over the last 36 years.
Joe Slotnick was the recipient of a new TBS award: Mensch of the Year. Not only has he volunteered to lead TBS as our President, when no one else wanted the job, he is equally caring and concerned about the welfare of our individual members.
It may not seem like an important mitzvah to those of you who are independent and can transport yourselves anywhere you want and at any time, but Joe makes it a point to make sure our seniors are able to participate in TBS and community activities and he does it with grace and treats them with sincere dignity. He understands what it must feel like not to be able to drive any longer and be dependant on the whims and delays of Access Services or family members or friends for your everyday needs. Without making them feel like a burden, he picks them up or drops them off, or both, to ensure they are able to continue their lives as normally as possible. He transports them to Seniors' social on Wednesdays, our Passover seder, holiday services, activities at GLAD, birthdays and anniversary parties, card games and much more. Never does he treat this as a chore, always a mitzvah from his heart. And we honor the man with that big heart.
Rabbi Allen Henkin Returns To TBS
Rabbi Allen and Matt Henkin
On Friday, April 15, Rabbi Alan Henkin joined us for our yearly reunion. We are always excited for his return and his presence gives us a feeling of timelessness and nostalgia.
Rabbi Henkin is a Red Sox fan so his sermon described a wonderful comparison of Passover and baseball. He brought with him his son, Matt, who is learning sign language and keeping that tradition in the family.
Rabbi Henkin has such a busy travel schedule in his work with the URJ and we so appreciate him making the time to spend with us and we look forward to spending a Shabbat together in 2006.