H eadlines
Longtime Gratz Educator Uziel Adini Dies at 83
OB ITUARY
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
UZIEL ADINI, an educator
and administrator who won
admirers across the country
for his dedication, innovation
and energy for Jewish educa-
tion, died on May 27 at the age
of 83. Adini — Uzi, to those
who knew him — had battled
leukemia for some time.

Adini, wrote Joseph Davis,
a professor of Jewish studies
at Gratz College, “was one of
the leading Jewish educational
administrators in the United
States from the 1970s until his
retirement in 2007.”
Jonathan Sarna, the famed
scholar of American Jewish
history, wrote in an academic
forum last week that “we
extend deepest condolences to
Prof. Adini’s family, colleagues,
students and friends.”
Uziel Adini
Courtesy of Tali Adini
Adini was born in
Mandatory Palestine in 1937.

His parents, Leah and Yisrael
Adini, were active members
of Ha-Poel Ha-Mizrachi, the
Religious Zionist Workers
Party, and his mother was the
first religious woman to address
the Zionist Congress. All four
of Adini’s grandparents died
in Auschwitz; his parents, and
the parents of his wife, Tamar
(Löw) Adini, all lived and died
in Tel Aviv.

Though Adini left Israel
for Philadelphia in the 1960s,
never to return for an extended
period, Israel was entwined
with everything he did.

“Israel was instilled in every
aspect of his life,” said his
daughter, Tali Adini.

After completing his Israel
Defense Forces service, Adini
earned bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in Bible, Hebrew
literature and education
at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem. Following that, he
and his wife packed up and
left for Philadelphia, where
Adini studied for a doctorate of
education at Dropsie College.

His dissertation, completed
in 1969, was a preview of what
was to come: It was about
the transmission of Jewish
values to high school students
through Hebrew literature.

Tamar Adini knew something
about that; for 28 years, she led
the Hebrew, Jewish Studies and
Foreign languages department
at Akiba Hebrew Academy
(now the Jack M. Barrack
Hebrew Academy).

In 1965, Adini began
teaching at Gratz, an associ-
ation that he would maintain
for the rest of his life. At a time
when Hebrew language educa-
tion was flourishing, Adini
was an expert in contemporary
and Biblical Hebrew, and he
instructed students at Gratz as
well as at Temple University.

He was a beloved teacher,
according to his daughter.

“He really knew how to tell
a story, how to captivate an
audience,” Tali Adini said. “So
many of his students have come
up to me and said, ‘He was the
best teacher I’ve ever had.’”
In addition to his time as
a professor at Gratz, Adini
spent 23 years as the director
of the Jewish Community High
School of Gratz College, and
he eventually served as the
school’s vice president.

Adini loved riddles and jokes,
and had a lovely singing voice.

He led seders, and when family
members celebrated milestones,
he would come up with a special
gematria of the person’s name.

His weekly recitation of the
Kiddush, Tali Adini said, will
be greatly missed.

Adini is survived by his
wife, Tamar; his brother, Ami;
his daughters, Tali and Ronit;
and four grandchildren. l
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
Joe Zuritsky to Receive Award From AJC
L OCA L
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
JOE ZURITSKY, chairman
and CEO of Parkway Corp.,
will be honored with the
American Jewish Committee
Philadelphia/Southern New
Jersey’s Human Relations
Award at the organization’s
annual meeting on June 23.

Zuritsky, a longtime AJC
board member and a key
supporter, was an obvious
candidate to be this year’s
recipient, according to Marcia
Bronstein, regional director
of AJC Philadelphia/Southern
New Jersey.

The Human Relations Award
“is for a person who’s near
and dear to AJC, like a family
member,” Bronstein said. “That
really does mean Joe, to a T.”
“I am honored, very much
honored,” Zuritsky said. “It’s
8 JUNE 17, 2021
University President
part of supporting an
John A. Fry in the
organization that I hold
virtual ceremony where
in high value.”
Zuritsky will receive his
Zuritsky, a patron
award. of many local, national
Bronstein was not yet
and Israeli organiza-
AJC’s regional director
tions, said he is flattered
when she
met Zuritsky
he was selected for
for the
first time.

the award, though he
Working in
develop- admits that, having been
ment and
engagement, honored in a similar
her first contact with
fashion so many times
Zuritsky was on a cold
over the years, he looks
call; she “wanted to tell
forward to when he
him a little bit about
won’t impose on friends
who we are and what
for their support.

Joe Zuritsky
Courtesy of Parkway Corp.

we do, because he didn’t
“Hopefully, this is
know.” Zuritsky agreed
the last honor I’ll get,”
Israel, and advocating for to a meeting, and it was a
he laughed.

Per the AJC, Zuritsky “has democratic values and human fruitful one.

The AJC “captured his
been a stalwart member of rights for all. Joe has long been
AJC’s Board and Executive a supporter of interfaith and imagination,” Bronstein said,
Committee for many years. intergroup dialogue, and a by dint of its impact on local
and national politics. Zuritsky,
He is a passionate advocate for lifelong learner.”
The 2021 annual meeting, with his interest in intergroup
AJC’s mission of protecting
Jewish lives and communities, AJC’s 77th, will feature a relations and ensuring the
ensuring a safe and secure keynote address from Drexel future success of Jewish and
JEWISH EXPONENT
Zionist organizations, found a
home at AJC.

“He’s a role model, a mentor
and innovator, someone
not afraid to tackle issues,”
Bronstein said. “And Joe
embodies what AJC stands for.

He is a centrist. He will work
with everybody on both sides
of the aisle.”
Zuritsky, for his part, sees the
AJC as a bastion of well-trained,
intelligent representatives of
the Jewish people, bringing a
“diplomatic approach” to sensi-
tive, important issues for Jews
around the world.

“That’s something that
the Jewish people really
need: really highly qualified
spokesmen to speak around
the world on Jewish and Israeli
issues. And that’s what the AJC
does,” Zuritsky said. l
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
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