Arnie was a man of intelligence, energy, and integrity, with a deep and unwavering commitment to Areivut, connectedness, and Klal Yisrael, unity. Arnie was so proud of the way his family embodied the ideal of Jewish pluralism. He was a past president of Beth Avodah, a URJ affiliated Temple, and later Arnie and Dale became long time members of Emanuel, a Conservative congregation.
Their son Jonathan and his family live locally and are members of a Reform synagogue. Their son Eric received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a Modern Orthodox yeshiva, and he and his family are members of an Orthodox synagogue in Skokie, Illinois.
Arnie served on the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts's board for 11 years, as President from 2013-2016. He held the presidency at a critical juncture in SCM's history, and extended his tenure an extra year to shepherd my onboarding as Executive Director, upon Alan Teperow's retirement. His steady hand and wise counsel assured a smooth transition for the organization and launched us to our next stage of viability and vitality.
The Rabbis instructed (Mishnah Tractate Avot 2:1): הֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְּבַחֲמוּרָה "Be equally attentive to minor and major principles." That was Arnie. He valued the big picture, and, at the same time, attended scrupulously to every detail, whether an arcane aspect of Robert's Rules, a complex Biblical Hebrew verb, a pitcher's ERA, or the knot of his bow tie.
Arnie's impact upon us, and upon the community, cannot be measured.
Zeicher Tzadik Livrachah זכר צדיק לברכה
May the righteous be remembered for Blessing.
