By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — Some forty years ago a member of the congregation in London I then served told me that as he and his wife were getting old and had no children, they wanted to leave the little money they had to a good cause in Israel. I brought them in touch with the Leo Baeck Educational Centre in Haifa and its principal Rabbi Robert (Reuven, Bob) Samuels.
I had known Rabbi Samuels since the 1960s. He was one of the pioneers who helped to establish Reform Judaism in Israel. When he came there from the United States he started a Reform congregation in Haifa. We would meet at conventions of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. I also visited him and the congregation in 1968.
Not many years after his aliyah he succeeded Rabbi Dr. Max (Meir) Elk, the founder and principal of the Leo Baeck School in Haifa. Rabbi Elk came to Palestine in the 1930s from Germany. Under Rabbi Samuels’ leadership the school has grown into a major educational institution in Israel. In addition to pursuing excellence in learning, the school has also become an important community centre with an enviable history of outreach to new immigrants and Israeli Arabs.
Despite his many commitments Rabbi Samuels found time for the couple who were looking for an anchor in Israel. What they had to offer wasn’t a fortune and I know that Rabbi Samuels raised much larger sums from many enthusiastic donors who helped him build the centre. By receiving the couple with rabbinic care rather than a fundraisers “bottom line” attitude, he helped the two to find a family. Their ongoing connection to the school brought them much joy and purpose and they never tired of telling me about it.
As mentioned, Rabbi Samuels was one of the founders of Reform Judaism in Israel. He built up a great institution that has enriched the country. He was a role model for students and teachers. As a measure of his greatness he allowed those who followed him to stand on his shoulders and expand the scope of the school, the community centre and the second Reform congregation in Haifa that’s now part of the institution. His legacy will never be forgotten.
Rabbi Samuels died earlier this week after a long illness borne with dignity and fortitude. The last time I saw him was a couple of years ago when I travelled to Haifa to join in the celebration of his 80th birthday. I well remember the many warm tributes by women and men representing different walks of life in the city and beyond. We all knew that he was ill, but that wasn’t the theme of the day.
Much will be written and said about Bob Samuels, the courageous exponent of Reform Judaism in Israel with a passion for education and social justice. They will come from people who knew him well and worked with him. The purpose of these reflections is to remember Bob Samuels the engaging human being and the caring rabbi, a man for whom I always had great respect and admiration, not least for his way of fusing Zionism with liberal Judaism
His life was a blessing to the many who were touched by it. May his memory be a blessing to all who mourn his passing.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now residing in Jerusalem, he may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com. Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (City and country for those outside the United States.)