By Jerry Barrish, , Seattle
I wish to commend the JTNews and Charlene Kahn for the coverage of the disbanding of the Jewish Club of Washington (“Mission complete: Club’s disbanding marks the passing of a generation,” May 11). I was especially pleased at seeing the photo of Klaus and Paula Stern and the comments of their daughter, Marion Kitz.
I have considered Klaus to be my teacher, although that relationship was never formalized. When I first joined Congregation Beth Shalom in the late 1980s, Klaus was the gabbai. The way he conducted himself and the way he related to people in the congregation was itself a lesson to me and to many others. Klaus and I had a number of discussions about how to do the things he did in the shul and, again, I learned much from him.
In addition, Klaus and Paula never missed the opportunity to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, including their own horrific personal experiences and what we could take away from that time.
Klaus never acted in any way other than as a gentleman and he will always be remembered by me as one who gave of himself and always thought of others. All through the years that I have known them, Paula has remained the “woman behind the man,” yet she has always thought of others and has been of great help to those in need.
I thank them for their years of service and congratulate them on achieving a sense of recognition.