Last Friday, October 9, was a difficult day. Shortly after I came into the office, I received the news that Bert Goldberg had died earlier in the morning. Bert had been the CEO of AJFCA from 1986-2008, a time of dramatic growth for this organization, both in numbers and in visibility.  Prior to his leadership of AJFCA, Bert had been the executive director of the JFS in Orange County, CA, and the founding executive director of the JFS in Allentown, PA. Along with some stops at a few JCC's across the country, Bert had been a Jewish communal worker throughout his professional life. More recently he was teaching and directing a leadership program in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. Bert received many honors and awards during his career, but his greatest mark was on the people he mentored and advised along the way. 

As the news of Bert's death spread, I received many calls and emails from people who had known him during his leadership of AJFCA. Along with the shock at his untimely passing, there was an expression of gratitude for the work he had done to further the work of Jewish social service agencies throughout the United States and Canada. Bert often worked behind the scenes, but he was a strong guiding presence.

In this week's Torah reading, we read the story of Noach and the Flood, but in the context of the generations that preceded and followed his life. It is a story of strength in response to crisis and of the continuity of community. Even in the face of the ills of society or natural disaster, we find the resilience to keep moving forward. Bert Goldberg exemplified this in his life and work. May his memory be for a blessing.