At the funeral service for Dr. Bernard Einhorn, Rabbi Michael Panitz noted that “Barry had the unusual gift of positively intersecting” with countless people. The nearly full Temple Israel sanctuary was proof of his remark.
Personally, I know Rabbi Panitz’s words to be true. Along with his late son Marty, I was one of 15 teenagers from Tidewater chosen by Barry and Lois Einhorn to participate in SIJL – Summer Institute for Jewish Living, a program they created that culminated with a month-long trip to Israel. When our group met 40 years later for a reunion, we each told the Einhorns how that trip had impacted our Jewish lives, and how appreciative we were for the opportunity they gave our younger selves.
SIJL was just one of the many programs this couple imagined and brought to fruition. And we were just a few of the many hundreds who were fortunate enough to be the recipients of the Einhorns’ visions.
“Barry Einhorn was a model Jew: an exemplar of ethical living, a tireless bridge-builder reminding all people that they are part of the one human family,” says Rabbi Panitz. “He was a paradigm of devotion to regular prayer, Torah study, and the joyful performance of Heaven’s commandments.”
Betty Ann Levin, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s executive vice president, says, “Barry Einhorn was truly a mensch and an inspirational leader. It is hard to remember a time when he and Lois were not spearheading a new initiative or program that brought our Jewish community together, often with our friends in the broader community and throughout our state. From Temple Israel to the Jewish Community Center of Tidewater, to what was then the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Barry left a legacy that will be felt for generations.”
Those generations begin, of course, with his own devoted family.
Wendy Brodsky, Einhorn’s daughter, delivered the eulogy at the funeral that took place on Monday, Dec. 30. “Where to begin in capturing the 95 years of someone who has been described as a mensch, a visionary, a humanitarian, an inspiration, a role model, a leader, a mentor, an intellectual, thoughtful, kind, generous, funny, humble, and just an all-around awesome husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was my hero. I had him for 69 years. I am so sad but feel so lucky.”
Her father, she noted, did not just meet people – he took the time and effort to get to know them. “He was genuinely interested and really tried to understand and connect on many different levels,” says Brodsky. “In the words of his grandson, Jay, ‘he was a very deeply thoughtful person, and he was always interested in going deeper than the surface. He always made an effort to draw people in and understand people on a deeper level.’
“And he encouraged others to be as open and as accepting as he was through the many projects which he either led or in which he was involved. Just an example of ‘practicing what he preached’ so to speak: when I was in high school, I worked one afternoon a week at his dental office. One day, I took a call from a mother who asked if Dr. Einhorn treated African American patients, which totally confused me since I had assisted Dad with patients of all races. So, I scheduled an appointment for the grateful mother but later questioned Dad why I would have been asked the question in the first place. I was shocked to hear that not all dentists would treat all patients but was proud to learn that Dad was not only figuratively color blind, but he also was one of the only pediatric dentists at the time who would treat children with disabilities.”
Many (though not all) of the programs Dr. Einhorn created, places he volunteered, and organizations he served, may be found in his obituary on page 36. As long as the list was, according to Brodsky, he wasn’t ready to stop helping others.
“Now, as I close, I am going to let you in on a secret about Dad – he was worried about his legacy,” said Brodsky. “Since August, we had many deep discussions about whether he had ‘done enough.’ He felt very strongly that he was put on this earth to make a difference, and he worried whether he had. In Judaism, the concept is called Tikun Olam, which means to repair the world, and it is something for which we are all responsible.
“The mere fact that so many people are here today to honor and pay their respects to my father tells me that he DID make a difference. But I’m going to paraphrase what Marlene (his granddaughter) said in her online tribute, about taking all that you honor today and paying it forward: Be an advocate for social justice, fight for the underrepresented and underprivileged, be a mensch, be a role model. Then Barry Einhorn’s legacy will live on, and you will have truly honored him.”