Our father possessed a remarkable pool of wisdom and a gentle and generous way of sharing it. He was a good question-asker, loved to talk about life’s twists and turns, did not shy away from his own struggles, and was always there to help. It was this combination of characteristics that made him a particularly special scholarship administrator, and much more than that to the young adults that came to know him.
Born to parents who immigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States in the early part of the 20th century and spoke mostly Yiddish, he grew up extremely poor on the lower east side of New York City. Surrounded by immediate and extended family, he was raised by a uniquely warm, loving, generous and selfless mother. His parents had been forced to work from a young age and unable to go to school beyond the elementary grades. Their lack of opportunity was vital in shaping how our father began to see the transformative power of education. He knew getting an education was his ‘only way out’. Both our father and his sole sibling, his younger brother Seymour (who was tragically killed in World War II), were excellent students. Our father worked his way through college, obtained his CPA degree and after his own military service, went on to Harvard Law School on the GI Bill where he graduated in 1948, 21st in a class of 376.
Soon after graduating, he formed a partnership with his close friend and law school classmate, Stanley Sevilla. Not long after that, Alan Ross joined the firm. The three practiced law together for many satisfying years and remained close friends. After retiring, our father did some mediation work and then began writing a much-read and much-loved monthly column titled ‘Looking Around’ in the B’nai B’rith Record. He wrote about everything that was important to him - sports, politics, the economy, travel and family.
Our father was devoted to family. His main thrust, he would say, was to raise decent children who would be good human beings.
"I always thought of life as a relay race. If you can pass on the baton successfully and then they pass it on, you can have a nice world full of decent human beings."
He was always there for family, but also did not hesitate to help friends, and often strangers, in need.
In 1991, our father found his true calling as scholarship administrator for the Casper Mills Scholarship Foundation, mentoring youngsters from single-parent homes who were struggling to overcome economic and other hardships. For over 15 years, he guided the distribution of funds to many young students. But far beyond the scholarship money the foundation provided, it was his wisdom, kindness, warmth, and ability to connect that made such a profound impact on the young scholarship recipients. He relished his role as administrator, and often called the recipients ‘his kids’. He was always available to them for support and advice (and mild scolding when appropriate), but also willing to reveal his own personal issues and hardships, and that made a big impact on them.
"I’m personally interested in each and every one of them. I want to be there for them."
And he was. Indeed, many of the scholarship recipients continued a friendship with him long after they received their last check.
In 2008, we established the Bernard Axelrad Scholarship Fund in honor of our father. We continue, as best we can, to emulate him.