Leonard Beerman dies at 93; pacifist rabbi of L.A.'s Leo Baeck Temple
Leonard Beerman, who died at 93, often angered the Jewish community with his criticism of Israel
Kurt Streeter
December 24, 2014, 7:43 PM
Leonard Beerman, founding rabbi of the Westside's Leo Baeck Temple and a pacifist who often stoked anger with his vocal criticism of Israel, died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 93..
The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, Joan. He made his last significant public appearance at Leo Baeck in October, giving a Yom Kippur sermon chastising Israel's military for its actions during the summer's Gaza war.
That sermon was typical Beerman, said UCLA history professor David Myers, a close friend and an expert in Jewish studies.
"He never backed down from what he believed," Myers said. "Leonard was widely recognized in the Jewish community for being one of the most courageous and articulate fighters for social justice in the second half of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st.
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-leonard-beerman-20141225-story.htm
l
