David Bonderman
David Bonderman, a founder of the giant investment firm TPG, who helped transform private equity into a multitrillion-dollar industry that reshaped corporate America, died on Dec. 11. He was 82.
Mr. Bonderman, a lawyer, took various legal paths over his career — law professor, civil rights lawyer, corporate lawyer — before becoming a financier. That led him to create what is now TPG, a $239 billion behemoth that buys companies, invests in start-ups, makes loans and more. Although he stepped down from day-to-day management at TPG about a decade ago, he retained the title nonexecutive chairman.
Finance was not the only field in which he made a mark. He became involved in historic preservation, playing a key role in the survival of Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. He donated to wilderness conservation efforts, including the Wilderness Society and the World Wildlife Fund.
Rick Kaufmann
Art et Industrie was not a typical SoHo gallery. Nor was its proprietor, Rick Kaufmann, a typical SoHo gallerist. His wares were inscrutable objects that hinted at utility. Were they art or were they furniture? Mr. Kaufmann died on Nov. 2 in Carbondale, PA. He was 77.
Mr. Kaufmann, an incubator of what might be called the New York chapter of the art furniture movement — that is furniture made by artists, in single or limited editions that could sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
Hugues Magen, a fellow gallerist said this to The New York Times: “It was so forward thinking to be presenting furniture that people couldn’t sit on.”
Howard Meister chair: Luiz Corzo, via Superhouse
Manfred Ohrenstein
Manfred Ohrenstein, a reformer who served in the New York State Senate for 34 years and successfully championed progressive legislation that safeguarded rent controls, legalized abortion, and repealed the death penalty, died on Nov. 18 at his home in Manhattan. He was 99.
In addition to his government service, Mr. Ohrenstein was a founder of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan.
Richard Perry
Richard Perry, a record producer who became one of the most sought-after figures behind the scenes of pop music in the 1970s and ‘80s through his work with Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, the Pointer Sisters and others, died on Dec. 24 in Los Angeles. He was 82.
A trained oboist and drummer who had sung in a teenage doo-wop group, Mr. Perry had a deft ear for crafting the sharpest and most appealing performance of a song. Thatr often involved huge studio budgets and exacting attention to detail. For “You’re So Vain,” he went through three drummers in search of the ideal beat. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
“I try to make the artist the biggest and best they can possibly be,” he told Musician magazine in 1985. “I always conceived of producing as bringing the artist to life in someone’s living room in the most glorious, complimentary performance one could imagine.”
Eulogy For Paul Birman: A Tribute To A Veteran, A Sailor, And A Friend
By Rabbi Gadi Capela
On a sunny day in Pompano Beach, Florida, Monday, November 11, we gathered at the graveside to honor the memory of Paul Birman, A”H, a beloved member and benefactor of Congregation Tifereth Israel, who passed away at the age of 89. His mahogany casket, adorned with the United States Military emblem, was a testament to his service and dedication as a veteran. Fittingly, on Veterans Day, we celebrated Paul’s life, marked by service to his country, his community, and his family, particularly as caregiver to his first wife, Rosemarie, during her long illness. In his later years, Paul continued to give of himself, enriching the lives of those around him.
Paul was also an adventurer, a sailor, and a world traveler. He journeyed across Europe and Japan countless times, but always cherished the comfort of home. His connection to the North Fork began while sailing along the Long Island Sound to Orient, a place he came to treasure deeply. In all his endeavors, Paul found meaning in tradition, prayer, and the community he loved.
Paul was born and raised in the Cunningham Park section of Queens, where he pursued many interests. Then, as a proud MIT graduate and electrical engineer, Paul’s passions focused on technology and communication. He was an avid member of the ham radio club, and his love for innovation extended to our synagogue, where he was instrumental in establishing and maintaining CTI’s first website over a decade ago. Together with his wife Pamela, he continued to champion the integration of technology into synagogue life, modernizing and expanding our digital presence. In 2015, Paul and Pamela generously endowed the Paul S. Birman Technology Fund. Their gift supported Jewish education, interfaith relationships, and accessibility for members near and far, extending CTI’s reach beyond the East End of Long Island.
Paul was a long-time member of the synagogue’s Board of Directors, and served several terms as vice president. In 2018, Paul and Pamela were honored at the annual Journal Dinner-Dance, a testament to their enduring impact on CTI. Paul’s legacy is one of generosity, vision, and service, and his memory will forever inspire us to pursue growth and connection.
May Paul’s memory be for a blessing. Yishar Koach to all who carry forward his legacy.
Yehuda Bauer
Yehuda Bauer, whose family narrowly escaped the Nazis in their flight to Mandatory Palestine from Czechoslovakia in 1939, and who later drew on that experience in becoming a leading scholar of the Holocaust and antisemitism, died on Oct. 18 at his home in Jerusalem. He was 98.
Fluent in German, English, Yiddish and other languages, Dr. Bauer pored over archives and conducted numerous interviews with survivors, material he used in writing some 40 books and countless journal articles.
“The Holocaust is unprecedented,” he often said. “But it is not unique. If it were unique, we could forget about it, because it could happen only once. But it could happen again. We are here because we want to avoid that.”
Lynda Obst
Lynda Obst a New York journalist turned Hollywood producer, who promoted women in films like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Contact” while writing dispatches from Hollywood for The Atlantic and The New York Times, died on Oct. 22 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 74.
As a producer, she excelled at frothy romantic comedies and serious science fiction dramas. She was at times an outspoken critic of the movie industry, especially its treatment of women, and was an advocate for stories focused on women.
In 1993, in need of an escape from the pressure chamber of Hollywood, Ms. Obst bought a ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas, about 80 miles west of Austin. With its awe-inspiring views, it became her happy place. “No special-effects house can beat our own,” she said.
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