The rabbi at the Hebrew Educational Alliance retold the successes and hardships of Jack Goldman’s life at a Sunday memorial but left unanswered the question Goldman spent his life asking:
What will happen to the stories of Holocaust survivors like himself?
Goldman, 85, died last week, leaving behind a legacy as a beloved teacher and a “good soul,” according to his friends.
Much of Goldman’s life’s work — from writing plays about Nazi-era Jewish resistance to returning to the German concentration camp he left behind — was aimed at keeping the lessons of the Holocaust close to the hearts of those who would listen.
Goldman was praised at an Englewood service, which drew hundreds, as one of the most important voices in conservative Judaism in Colorado.
While many Holocaust survivors initially hesitated to speak publicly about their experiences, Goldman never did, said family friend Anita Werner.
“The question Jack worried about the most, what always concerned him, was that a generation will forget what happened,” Werner said. “As more survivors pass away, that becomes more and more of an issue.”
In the foyer outside the sanctuary, it was tough to find someone who had not come under Goldman’s tutelage.
Former students shared stories of the “soft-spoken guy” who “could be a taskmaster” if they lagged behind on bar or bat mitzvah studies.
The German-born Goldman lost his father to a bullet and mother to a gas chamber in Auschwitz, and he was later forced into a death march to Dachau.
Despite the cruelty he experienced, those who knew him described him Sunday as a sweet man and a calming force.
He worked with youth, writing plays and encouraging them to remember the importance of speaking up against injustice. Goldman also helped foster a conservative synagogue in Boulder.
In 1992, he took a painful trip back to Dachau, Germany, as part of the “Journey for Justice” delegation to highlight human and civil rights causes.
“He was a very gentle human being, but he was not afraid to stand up to power,” said Rabbi Steve Foster of Temple Emanuel, who lauded Goldman’s zealousness and perseverance. “We’ve all learned from him.”
