Community mourns Ben Osgrove, 25, Israel advocate

By Audrey Jacobs and Glenda Sacks Jaffe

ENCINITAS, California– “Visiting Israel gave my life purpose,” Ben said the first time we met when he was interviewing to be an intern at Stand With Us through Hillel of North County.  He was a joyful and sincere 25 year old, but became very animated when he spoke about Israel, and his desire to promote her, defend her and inspire others to love her.  Israel and the Jewish people tragically lost a young leader this week when Ben Osgrove was hit by a car on Leucadia boulevard and killed on Saturday August 11.

Ben grew up at Temple Solel and he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah there.  Tragically he lost his mother Janet while in high school and was raised the last five years by guardians Rhona and Richard Gordon while he attended Cal State San Marcos.

But though he struggled financially to afford school, he always enthusiastically made time to engage and give back to the Jewish community.  He went to Israel on a Hasbarah Fellowship and became a devoted activist in the community and on campus.

Ben was a founding leader of Hillel of North County. He worked on many projects that helped to establish Jewish life on campus and create Jewish community for students on North County campuses. When he interned for Hillel he helped think about ways to spread the word and connect with more students. Ben was a strong voice for Israel on campus attending as many conferences as he could to learn more and network. His ability to understand and balance all the complexities of Israel on campus was one of his unique contributions.

Ben remained an active member of Hillel throughout his time in college at California State University San Marcos. He was a prominent student leader and always eager to be involved, whether it was taking advantage of post-Birthright opportunities through Hasbara and JAM, or seeking personal and professional development by working at Stand With Us as a Goldberg Intern or attending an Anto-Defamation League program.  He was always the first to volunteer at Jewish events, finding a way to experience our community while also giving back in the best way he knew how – sharing his presence. He could be seen at events of the Friends of the Israel Defense Force  and numerous other community happenings.

Further, Ben was a leader. He was a go-to helper at Hillel, always setting up for events, signing up for tabling, and volunteering to take pictures at events. He was always the first to welcome new students to any occasion, usually with a joke. He advocated for Israel and promoted Zionistic programs to other students, both on campus and at the house. He was on the Hillel Board –as Israel Chair .He attended retreats and leadership conferences, leading by example by becoming surprisingly serious during the relationship and team building exercises.

Ben went even further by acting in subtle ways to show his commitment to Jewish life. True to his Jewish roots, Ben had an incredible appetite for knowledge, learning, and bettering himself. Despite his playful nature, he had a thoughtful and contemplative side to him that emerged during reflective conversations. He also encouraged others to participate by treating the Hillel House like a second home. He would drop in with his lunch, just to chat and be in a friendly Jewish space. He would bring other students to the space to study (which always included an unusual amount of giggling) or spend hours in the garage, listening to music and playing pool in the sunshine. More than anything, Ben demonstrated sincere leadership in the Jewish community by being an incredible friend.

So while Ben’s involvement seems impressive on paper, it was his personality that really made him stand out and shine as a student leader at Hillel. Anyone who has ever met Ben remembers his smile; they remember his friendly demeanor and luminous warmth. His laughter was insatiable. More than that, Ben carried the rare ability to boost the spirits of those around him, listening to the troubles of others and helping them find the silver lining in any situation. In this way, Ben developed a reputation amongst students and community members for being a quality conversationalist. The topic never mattered – whether he was discussing the music industry and his favorite artists, baseball games and his loyal devotion to the Los Angeles Dodgers, or philosophy, politics, religion, and social justice – he was sincerely interested in learning about new things and more importantly, getting to know people. Ben was engaging by nature and thoughtful by choice. He unintentionally built and nurtured our community, just by being himself.

In December 2011 Ben was introduced to Stand With Us through the Hillel Goldberg internship program.  The Stand With Us team was immediately impressed by his passion, creativity, photography and high-tech knowledge.  He joined young Stand With Us to share in our mission to boldly empower others to stand with Israel on campus, in community and the media.  He took every task, whether it was photographing an anti-Israel event or developing a social media strategy with a sincere belief that he was truly serving Israel.

Through all of Ben’s experiences on campus, in Israel and in the Jewish community he touched others in profound and meaningful ways.

Hillel of San Diego will  be hosting a gathering in memory of Ben at the Hillel house in San Marcos on Wednesday, August 22 at 6:30 p.m.. The address is 156 E. Barham Drive, San Marcos, CA 92078. This gathering is open to all of Ben’s friends and loved ones and all those in the community who would like to join together in this time of grief to share fond memories of Ben. Rabbi Lenore Bohm will lead us in reflection and discussion. Light refreshments will be served.

Hillel of San Diego and Stand With Us have launched the Ben Osgrove Memorial Fund supporting Jewish leadership on campus for friends and loved ones to make a contribution in Ben’s memory. Click to   donate online and select “Ben Osgrove Memorial Fund.” A committee of Hillel and Stand With Us representatives will consult with Ben’s father, Si, to determine the most appropriate use of the funds to honor Ben’s memory.

May God comfort the Osgrove family among the mourners of Zion, and may Ben’s memory be a blessing.

*
Jacobs is regional director of Stand With Us and Jaffe is North County Program Associate for Hillel of San Diego

 

2 thoughts on “Community mourns Ben Osgrove, 25, Israel advocate”

  1. Great article about Ben. He was the one who pushed me to go on Birthright. Had he not, I likely wouldn’t have gone on such an amazing trip.

Comments are closed.