Eileen Kitzis Berger

I´ve just learned of Eileen´s passing. I was a student of hers in the ICP/NYU program `91-94. Eileen was like no other. She always got straight to the heart of the matter. Always. She was intense, vivacious, curious, probing, and an advocate for ideas. Deep thinking. Eileen has stayed with me over the years, leaving her mark. She knew just how to push students, when it mattered. In a writing class, "Now that´s interesting...empathy for the broken glass." I wanted to be in Eileen´s orbit, even...

Eileen was a brilliant and kind teacher and friend. I am so grateful to her for being an inspiration to so many, and creating a space for so many ideas about imagery, language, and life. Blessings to Milo and Samantha. She will be missed and lovingly remembered.

Eileen was a powerful force as co-professor at NYU/ICP. She brought so many interesting perspectives about imagery to photography. She will be missed and remembered!

It´s 12:30 AM I couldn´t sleep and somehow Eileen came into my train of thought. I studied with her in the MFA program ICP / NYU Program and 1983 ... shocked to hear he passed away.. my deepest condolences.

I had exchanged emails with Eileen on March 7, 2023 at 10:19:55PM CST! - and wrote since then quite a few times, but not receiving responses, I thought that she was just too busy. Only yesterday, June 10, 2024 did I decide to do a search on the internet... and found this terrible news. What happened? Please let me know. I did not know Eileen was ill. We shared so much from travelling from to Budapest to Auschwitz and Warsaw... and Flatbush. So much, besides her work on Korczak, the Catskills....

Eileen was the last of the true Lamed Vav Tzadikim, and was a devoted guardian, like her Janusz Korczak, to many of us abandoned children. She led us by virtue of her ecstatic philosophical and mystical melody into the ominous familiar of the great unknown. She cracked open the tight grain of our voices to release the soft, authentic animal within. I would say that I miss her, except that I carry her everywhere with me. She and her green marker know that.

I was an ICP/NYU student and so sad to only now hear of Eileen´s passing. I loved Eileen, she was a brilliant teacher and inspiration. I have so much gratitude to her for her kindness and understanding heart. The last time I saw her was at Barnes and Noble and we had a coffee and got to catch up a bit. She will be deeply missed! My deepest condolences to Samantha and Milo.

I was a student of Eileen's in the NYU/ICP program 2000. She challenged me in a way that few teachers ever have and was an incredibly formative mentor. I reached out to her in February 2023 to humbly ask if she'd be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me for my (second!) graduate school application for Counseling. She so graciously agreed, and I emailed her yesterday to let her know that I received acceptance and to let her know I was back in NY, as we'd discussed getting together...

I love Eileen so much. I met her through my frequent trips to the Barnes and Nobles Cafe after school. I recently heard of her passing about 3 days ago. I stopped going so often because of school and testing season. I would take occasional trips to see her as we were supposed to go to the new AMNH gilder theater opening together. It has been awhile until I saw her again, I phoned her and emailed her multiple times and didn't get a response. Until I asked around of the old staff at BN...