By Rich Bergman, Retired Federation Team Member
There is a hole in our hearts.
Last month, we lost Bob Heller, a dear friend to me and to so many in our community. At nearly 98, Bob lived a long, remarkable life that he joked wouldn’t end soon enough. Bob’s absence is felt every day by all of us who knew and loved him.
Bob Heller (z”l) (left), Rich Bergman (center), and Esther Heller (right).
Bob was a leader who challenged our Federation and our community to think big. Almost 20 years ago, he marched into our offices insisting that we expand our work to build bridges with the non-Jewish community.Because of his vision, we did, building bridges throughout the Christian, Black, and Latino communities to foster understanding and mutual respect. During my decades working for the Federation, I often turned to him for guidance on new community initiatives, even seeking his feedback on drafts of speeches.
Through his philanthropy, we launched the Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative, through which we took more than 150 community leaders to Israel. It also helped spark our Jewish Community Relations Committee, the Federation’s brain trust that is setting a national standard in fighting Jew-hatred.
Bob also dedicated the Heller Israel Center on the Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life to ensure his passion would always be represented on our campus.
His impact on our community and on Israel is not only lasting, it is generational. After Hamas’ brutal invasion, murders, and kidnappings on October 7, 2023, Bob’s daughter, Paula, and her husband, Jeff, partnered with Bob and Esther to provide a $500,000 matching grant for our Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign, which raised millions to help victims. Last spring, once it was finally safe enough to revive the Israel Mission program that Bob had inspired and funded, Paula and Jeff participated alongside our Federation’s top board members.
Bob and I spoke nearly every day for many years. Nearly to his last days on Earth, we continued to talk about our shared passion for Israel, the urgency of fighting Jew-hatred, the centrality of family, and the values that guided our lives.
There is an ancient Hebrew proverb: “Say not in grief that he is no more, but in thankfulness that he was.” I hold tightly to that sentiment. Our community has been forever changed by Bob’s life, and I am endlessly grateful for the love, wisdom, and friendship he gave so freely.
May Bob Heller’s memory be a blessing for all time.