Rabbi H. David Teitelbaum, revered as much for his commitment to his congregants and the Bay Area Jewish community as for his passionate social activism on national and international stages, died at age 94 on Monday.
The next day, about 150 people took part in a memorial service on Zoom in which the native San Franciscan was remembered for his participation in the U.S. civil rights movement, his advocacy on behalf of Soviet Jews and his love for Israel but, above all, for his kindness and conviction that the true task of Judaism is to build community.
“His was a Judaism about belonging, about connectedness,” said Rabbi Nat Ezray of Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City, where Teitelbaum served for 38 years until “retiring” in 1995. “He taught us to be mensches by being one.”