Bertram W. SALZMAN

SALZMAN, Bertram W. Passed away peacefully at home, with his beloved wife Jeannie at his side on November 29, 2016, in Sonoma, California. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1931 to Emma and Philip Salzman. When he was four years old his mother died and he and his brother were sent to live in an orphanage. Bert enlisted in the Marines at a young age and served in the Korean War where, in late 1950, he was severely wounded in combat and awarded the Purple Heart. After his recovery and return, he studied at the famed Art Students League in Manhattan. He entered into his career in film almost by accident and went on to become a leading light in the educational film world during the 1970s. A gifted storyteller, Bert used to say that he would get out of bed every morning stumbling over story ideas. He wrote and directed eight acclaimed short films for the Learning Corporation of America, one of which, "Angel & Big Joe", won the Oscar for best Live Action Short in 1975. From 1975 to 1982, he also wrote, directed, and produced several television shows in the US and France, and wrote and directed the Canadian 1977 feature film "Just Jessie". In 1977 he moved to France with his wife Jeanne. There, Bert painted and pursued an intense program of studying a wide array of spiritual traditions and practices. In 1991 they returned to the States and settled in Sonoma, CA. It was in Sonoma that Bert directed his last films, which were documentaries on two contemporary Indian mystics: "Awaken to the Eternal (1997)" and "Abide as the Self (1998)". The insights of Bert's spiritual investigations are distilled in the book he wrote in 2004, titled "Being a Buddha on Broadway". Bert eagerly and joyfully shared the expansive awareness that became the focus of his life. He had the rare gift of being able to express the great love he felt for others, and the great wonder inspired in him by the universe, with infectious wit, warmth and passion. His light lives on in the hearts of all those who loved him and learned from him. He leaves a wife, Jean Davidson Salzman, two nephews, a niece and their children, several godchildren and many friends.