Hildegard Lewis

Hildegard Lewis Born in Koblenz, Germany, on March 23, 1915, Hilde Jordan Lewis passed away peacefully on December 15, 2010, with friends and family by her side. In 1939 at the age of 24, Hilde left Germany to establish a new life in America. She became a U.S. citizen and received her Masters in Social Work at Columbia University. She began work as a social worker, working for the Veterans Administration. There she began a lifetime career that gave her the opportunity to help others. In 1949, she moved to Israel to join her sister Carry (may she rest in peace). Their brother Fritz had been killed the previous year in the Israeli independence war. After working for five years in Israel as a social worker specializing in chronic diseases, she decided to move back to the U.S., rejoining the Veterans Administration in Oakland, CA. Hilde created a life full of friends and her passions. In 1966, she married Reinhard Lewis, and they enjoyed the next thirty years together. Hilde and Reinhard were known for their entertaining, traveling, telling stories to each other, and reading. Up until the day of her passing, she read ferociously, and always had an opinion and theory that she wished to discuss! Hilde will be vividly remembered by friends and family alike. As Hilde's grandniece, Ornit Sagy, of Israel, reflects, "It was always nice to come visit in Berkeley. I remember having a Passover Seder at her house. After returning to Israel, we would speak on the phone and exchange letters. Hilde, it was always nice to hear your voice or get a letter; you were always so optimistic." And Hilde's granddaughter, Bettina Lewis, reflects, "Hilde's concern and interest in the world around her was a great source of inspiration for many." Memorial donations may be made to Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 629, New York, NY 10027 or Kol Hadash, Northern California Community for Humanistic Judaism, PO Box 2777, Berkeley, CA 94702.