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Draft:Gerald Bubis

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  • Comment: The subject appear to meet some notability however 90% of the references cited are around his obituary and death. Do cite independent sources when resubmitting Tesleemah (talk) 14:17, 22 November 2024 (UTC)


Gerald Bubis (June 7, 1924 – August 21, 2015) was a Canadian-American academic, author, and advocate for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A professor at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), he was the founding director of its School of Jewish Communal Service (now the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management). Bubis played a significant role in shaping the field of Jewish communal service and advocating for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.[1]

Early Life and Education

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Gerald B. Bubis was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1924, but grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after moving there with his sister and divorced mother at the age of eleven. His father had abandoned the family due to legal troubles. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1943, where he trained as a combat engineer, specializing in removing land mines. However, just before his unit was deployed overseas, Bubis was reassigned to train new recruits. He later learned that his original unit was killed in action on the Italian front.[1][2][3][4]

Following his military service, Bubis earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Social Work, both from the University of Minnesota. His experiences in social work and Jewish community centers formed the foundation of his career in Jewish communal service.[2][5]

Career

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His first position after college was with Hillel at the University of Minnesota, and then he went on to work at Jewish Community Centers in various cities including Minneapolis, Oakland, and Long Beach.[6] In 1968, at the invitation of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), Bubis founded the School of Jewish Communal Service on the Los Angeles campus.[2][3] The school was designed to educate professionals who would go on to serve the Jewish community in leadership roles.[7] The program became a model for Jewish communal leadership and nonprofit management and was eventually renamed the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. Bubis led the school until his retirement in 1989, at which time he was appointed as the Alfred Gottschalk Professor Emeritus of Jewish Communal Studies.[8]

Throughout his career, Bubis was a prolific author, writing around 170 academic papers and 14 books, including Growing Jews and The Director Had a Heart Attack and The President Resigned: Board-Staff Relations for the 21st Century.[9] His work often addressed topics like Jewish identity, nonprofit governance, and Israel-Diaspora relations. Bubis was known for employing the Socratic method in his teaching, encouraging his students to question assumptions and rethink the Jewish communal experience.[2]

In 2002 Bubis wrote a seminal study on the high cost of living a Jewish life, and was quoted extensively on this subject in many newspapers and journals.[10][11][12] Bubis was considered an expert in his field and was interviewed by diverse media outlets on a wide variety of topics, including ethical wills,[13] crises in the Middle East,[14][15][16] philanthropy in the Jewish community,[17][18], same-sex marriage,[19] power dynamics and influence among American Jewish leaders,[20][21][22] and immigration to Israel.[23] In addition to dozens of interviews in the media, Bubis also authored op-ed pieces in mainstream national newspapers such as the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.[24][25]

A significant part of Bubis’ legacy was his early support for peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.[26] In the 1980s, he advocated for a two-state solution at a time when the idea was controversial in many Jewish communities. He also served as national co-chair of Americans for Peace Now and held leadership roles in numerous Jewish organizations, including the Los Angeles Jewish Federation, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and the New Israel Fund.[2][27][28]

Bubis' influence extended beyond academia and advocacy. He was a frequent lecturer and consultant, and his teaching and leadership impacted Jewish communities across the United States and internationally.[29][30] His work was recognized with numerous awards, including the Yitzhak Rabin Peace Award in 2003 and honorary doctorates from HUC-JIR and the University of Minnesota.[2][5] He also served as the president of the Conference of Jewish Communal Services, a professional association for Jewish social workers and community leaders.[31]

Personal Life and Death

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Gerald Bubis was married to Ruby Bubis, a retired Jewish communal worker, for nearly 67 years. They had two children, David and Deena, and several grandchildren, including Rabbi Jonathan Bubis.[1][2][3]

Bubis visited Israel more than 50 times, fostering deep connections with Israeli and Diaspora communities. He was involved with organizations such as the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and the Labor Zionist Alliance.[2][1]

Bubis passed away on August 21, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles after a series of lengthy illnesses. He was 91.[1]

Publications

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  • Serving the Jewish family, Ktav Publishing House, 1977.[32]
  • Synagogue Havurot: A Comparative Study, Center for Jewish Community Studies, 1983.[33]
  • Saving the Jewish Family, University Press of America, 1987.
  • Serving the Jewish Polity: The Application of Jewish Political Theory to Jewish Communal Practice, Center for Jewish Community Studies, 1997.
  • The Director had a Heart Attack and the President Resigned: Board-Staff Relations for the 21st Century, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 1999.
  • Growing Jews, Hebrew Union College Press, 2001.
  • Guide Yourself Accordingly: A Memoir, 2005.[2]
  • From Predictability to Chaos? How Jewish Leaders Reinvented Their National Communal System, Center for Jewish Community Studies, 2005. (co-authored with Steven Windmueller[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Marble, Steve (August 28, 2015). "Gerald Bubis dies at 91: peace activist, Hebrew Union College professor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Gerald Bubis, Jewish communal service pioneer, dies at 91". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. New York. August 23, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Fax, Julie Gruenbaum (September 12, 2012). "Community Profile: Gerald Bubis". Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Bubis, Gerald (October 26, 2011). "I believe pain and anger may offer opportunities for growth". Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Gerald B. Bubis". University of Minnesota. May 10, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Cohen, Ben. "Gerald Bubis: An Oral History Interview" (PDF). USC Libraries. University of Southern California. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  7. ^ Thrapp, Dan L. (1969-07-06). "Jewish School on Communal Work to Open". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ^ Abraham, Marla Eglash; Windmueller, Steven (2009). "Retrospection, Prognostication, and Innovation: A Conversation with Jerry and Ruby Bubis" (PDF). Journal of Jewish Communal Service. 84 (3/4): 173–180. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Windmueller, Steven. "The End of an Era: Remembering Gerald Bubis zl". Jewish Federation of San Diego. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Landers, Peggy (September 20, 1991). "High Fees Give Judaism Ethos of Affluence". Miami Herald. p. 1E. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  11. ^ Clarke, Elizabeth (June 12, 2002). "The High Cost of Judaism". Palm Beach Post. p. 1D. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Radler, Melissa (February 3, 2002). "Jewish Life Too Rich". Jerusalem Post. p. 07. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  13. ^ "Leaving a Legacy". NPR Weekend Edition Sunday. May 31, 1998. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Hendrix, Kathleen (1991-01-11). "In the Effort to Prevent War in the Gulf, Peace Groups Find that Presenting a United Front can be Tough Going Uneasy Alliance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  15. ^ Chazanov, Mathis (March 20, 1994). "Local Arabs, Jews to Speak for Peace". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Tugend, Tom (March 15, 1990). "Anger Greets Revelation That U.S. Jews Met PLO Man". Jerusalem Post. p. 02. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Libman, Gary (April 23, 1987). "L.A.'s United Jewish Fund Keeps Tradition of Giving Alive". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Spence, Rebecca (2008-10-24). "Savings Hit Hard by Economic Meltdown, Elderly Wait and Worry". Forward. New York. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  19. ^ Spence, Rebecca (April 24, 2009). "Leading Combatant in Gay Marriage Fight to Head Southern California Rabbis". Forward. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  20. ^ Watanabe, Teresa (2002-01-06). "American Jews Face East-West Power Struggle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  21. ^ Tugend, Tom (December 26, 2014). "A Rabbi of Rabbis". Baltimore Jewish Times. Vol. 341, no. 8. p. 34. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Lipman, Steve (December 10, 1999). "Daniel Elazar, Leading Professor: Scholar, 65, 'Inspired a Whole Generation of Disciples.'". The New York Jewish Week. p. 65. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Smith, Lynn (1988-07-28). "Act of Faith: A Jewish Family, Drawn Irresistibly to Israel, Gives Up Comforts of Home in Orange County". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  24. ^ Bubis, Gerald B.; Edelman, Peter B. (1990-10-19). "Hurting Israel's Cause". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  25. ^ Goldberg, Danny; Bubis, Gerald (1991-01-11). "Beating the War Drum is no Favor to Israel: Gulf Crisis: American Jews Shouldn't Let their Emotions Blind them to the Backlash Effect of a U.S. War Against Iraq". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  26. ^ Hendrix, Kathleen (April 12, 1987). "Oasis of Understanding in Desert of Despair: It was for many the first time they had knowingly met someone from the other side; Jews, Arabs Start Dialogue Toward Understanding". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Jerry Bubis, z"l". Americans for Peace Now. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  28. ^ Hoffman, Elaine; Lainer, Luis (2013). "Honoring the Leadership of Jerry Bubis". Americans for Peace Now. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  29. ^ Popper, Nathaniel (September 17, 2004). "Merger of Communal Groups Yields Disappointment". The Forward. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  30. ^ Popper, Nathaniel (October 10, 2003). "Poverty Figures Lift Veil, a Bit, On Ills of Needy". The Forward. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  31. ^ Schoen, Myron E. (1981-11-01). "Qualified Jewish Civil Servants may Soon be in Short Supply". The New York Jewish Week. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  32. ^ Wasserman, Harry (1979). "Review of Serving the Jewish Family". Social Work. 24 (4): 343–344. JSTOR 23713942. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  33. ^ Winter, J. Alan (1984). "Review of Synagogue Havurot: A Comparative Study". Sociological Analysis. 45 (4): 399. doi:10.2307/3711307. JSTOR 3711307. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  34. ^ Cohen, Debra Nussbaum (2005-02-01). "Merger of Jewish Groups Fails to Meet Expectations, Report Finds". Chronicle of Philanthropy. 17 (9): 29. Retrieved 2024-11-25.



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