E
ULOGY BY
R
ABBI
D
AVID
M. P
OSNER
,
Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York:
For Rabbi Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, the
Holy One had a special purpose and a unique
providence. The very day that he was born,
March 7, l930, was
erev Shabbat Zachor
,
the
Sabbath of Remembrance preceding the fes-
tival of Purim.
I know of no one more deserving or bet-
ter suited to be born on the eve of the
Sabbath that includes the commandment “to
remember.” Of all of Fred’s outstanding at-
tributes, it was his dedication to the memory
of the entire sweep of Jewish history and to
the full scope of Jewish civilization that was
the most distinguishing aspect of his life.
Whether it was the history of the Holocaust
or the history of Zionism; all of the person-
alities whom he encountered in his wonderful
career; all of the teachers and luminaries long
gone who inspired him; all of the events in
which he participated – what tied them and
Fred’s life all together was his passion for the
word
Zachor
,
remember. And so, for Fred, the
Torah
portion of his birth was his destiny.
When Fred became the president of
HUC-JIR in l971, he was all of forty-one.
Never in his wildest dreams could he have
imagined that he was going to hold that po-
sition longer than any of his predecessors ever
did and lead the College-Institute into years
of tremendous innovation and expansion. For
Fred, no task was too difficult; no effort was
too exhausting. I know of no other person
who was so capable of building from the bot-
tom up. And if it happened that a bottom
didn’t actually exist, then Fred knew how to
create one. He didn’t just need students to
start a program. All Fred ever needed was a
vision. He would create the vision, and then
everything else would fall into place.
He was one of the bravest people I ever
knew. He had many lives – and watching
Fred over the years was like witnessing the
wanderings and the struggles and the chal-
lenges of the Jewish people and of Jewish
history. He went wherever and whenever the
Holy One demanded.
Zecher Tsaddik livrocho,
the memory of
the righteous is a blessing.
E
ULOGY BY
R
ABBI
L
EWIS
K
AMRASS
,
Plum Street Temple, Cincinnati:
When I first met Dr. Alfred Gottschalk
nearly thirty years ago as a twenty-year-old
rabbinical student, I was struck by three
physical characteristics that were a mirror of
his character and his soul.
The first trait I noticed was his com-
manding presence. We marveled at his
unmatched ability as an orator, who spoke
with deep substance on so many topics, and
without a note. It was always a joy to watch
his great mind at work, and witness his ca-
pacity to tell a story, to teach, to inspire, to
inform, to challenge. The man and the mes-
sage were one, true extensions of one another;
there was genuineness to what we heard in his
words, and saw in his deeds. Fred’s com-
manding presence could also be seen in his
high expectations. He could be demanding of
others, just as he was of himself, but he was
always good to his word, and did not let peo-
ple down. Beneath that physical strength was
an indomitable strength of will that enabled
him to weather all of life’s challenges and even
its tragedies, as well as to feel such gratitude
for life’s blessings.
The second characteristic was his wide,
embracing smile that was shaped by warmth
and caring, and revealed a genuineness of soul
that drew people to him. There was never pre-
tense with Fred, for he was a man truly at
home with all people because he was always
comfortable with himself. When that smile
widened into laughter, with his keen wit and
sense of humor, he reminded us that even a se-
riousness of purpose was never justification
for taking oneself too seriously. It also taught
us of his joy for life, his ability to smile at life’s
unfairness and its limitations, because there
was always even more for which to feel grateful.
And the third characteristic was Fred’s
piercing, clear blue eyes. He saw the future
with vision, with clarity of imagination and
of purpose that contributed, in part, to his
confident leadership. He led HUC-JIR at a
time when the Jewish world was undergoing
unimaginable transformation, and yet Fred
could always see into that distant horizon that
others could not fathom, and then lead peo-
ple to new horizons. Fred also saw deeply and
confidently into the future with people and
with relationships, as revealed in his great gift
of seeing potential in students, in young
scholars, and in colleagues, whose potential
he would foster with a rare combination of
genuine support and honesty. Yes, he built an
international institution with four campuses,
but he also shaped a world-class faculty, and
two generations of students and colleagues by
identifying potential and believing in people.
Alfred Gottschalk was called to a life of
purpose and a destiny of meaning at an early
age. May the blessing of what he did and
what he taught us continue to imbue our
lives with meaning, and help to shape Fred’s
enduring legacy.
4
| THE CHRONICLE
(
From left) Dr. Alfred Gottschalk at the
dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum with President Bill Clinton and
Hillary Clinton; meeting with Israeli
Prime Minister Shimon Peres; dedicating
the memorial to his grandparents in the
Jewish cemetery of Oberwesel, Germany;
and with his wife Deanna in Jerusalem.
