Local attorney and longtime community leader Abraham Louis Adler died last Thursday, Mar. 16. The Pikesville resident and Beth Tfiloh congregant was 91.
“Abe was one of my favorite shul buddies, always brought a smile to my face, and like he did with everyone, made me feel like his most important friend at Beth Tfiloh,” Del. Jon S. Cardin (D-11B) wrote in a memorial post on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral home. “His memory is for a blessing.”
A Baltimore native, Adler was the son of Milton and Anna Adler. He grew up on Burleith Avenue in West Baltimore and his family belonged to Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue. Both of his parents were regular volunteers for the Associated Jewish Charities and Welfare Fund, now known as The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
“My parents took great pride in what they were doing,” he said. “They never preached to us about giving back. They didn’t have to. We saw how important it was by watching their example. We learned that if we didn’t take care of the Jewish community, no one else would.”
On the Sol Levinson website, Shaarei Tfiloh’s Rabbi David E. Herman called Adler “a man of great substance. He personified the word ‘Mensch.’ He was a friend to one and all.
“He always enjoyed telling me about his having grown up at Shaarei Tfiloh and his parents’ involvement with the shul,” Rabbi Herman wrote. “He never forgot the shul nor his roots. He even regaled me with stories about his spending Shabbos with his Bubbie and Zayde of blessed memory. He was a fascinating person and a proud Jew.”
Adler received his bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College in 1952 and his law degree from the University of Maryland in 1956. He specialized in estate law, commercial law, corporate law, business law, civil litigation, real estate and collections.
Adler first became involved in The Associated as a young attorney when the federation’s campaign director, Julius Rosenberg, recruited him to participate in the organization’s Young Lawyer Division. Over the years, Adler served as an Associated lay leader in various capacities, from chair of the Young Lawyers and Senior Lawyers Division to chair of the Julius Rosenberg Memorial Award Committee and chair and solicitor of the mentor-mentee program.
Adler was a recipient of the Carole Sibel Outstanding Fundraising Achievement Award from The Associated. He called the award a great honor since it was named after “the ultimate volunteer.”
But he emphasized, “I didn’t go into this to get any awards. I did it because I believe it’s important we all take care of our community.”
In his capacity with the Young Lawyers Division, Adler often organized tours of the city and took members to the Jewish Community Center, the Lloyd Street Synagogue and the neighborhoods over seen by Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc. (CHAI). “I wanted them to get a flavor of where their money goes,” he said.
Giving back to the community was something Adler — who served as president of Beth Jacob Congregation from 1985 to 1988 — passed down to his children. His daughter, Linda A. Hurwitz, has held many lay leadership roles at The Associated, including chair of the board. His son, Arthur, is a former chair of the board of the JCC of Greater Baltimore, in addition to holding other communal positions, and Abe Adler’s daughter, Debra Buslik Adler, is involved in UJA-Federation of New York, Long Island.
Adler is survived by his wife, Faye Adler (nee Kovens); his children, Debra Adler (James) Buslik, Linda Adler (Steven) Hurwitz and Arthur (Rachel) Adler; his sister, Judith Adler (late Irvin) Hyatt; his grandchildren, Jeffrey (Nicole) Buslik, Bradley (Sophie) Buslik, Daniel Buslik, Lauren (David) Braunstein, Michael (Morgan) Hurwitz, Andrew (Jordana) Hurwitz, David (Elisabeth) Adler, Sara Beth (Jordan) Cavayero, Aaron Adler, Noah Adler, Matthew Goldbloom and Allison Jill Goldbloom; his great-grandchildren, Jordan, Ryan, Brett, Chase and Jack Buslik, Max, Nathan, Hannah and Jacob Braunstein and Maya Hurwitz; and his nieces and nephews, Louise K. Goodman, Marjorie Kovens, Scott Kovens, Marc Kovens, Julius and Barbara Hyatt, Esther Greenberg and Jeff Rubin, Saul and Elissa Hyatt, Richard and Shelley Porter-Hyatt.
He was predeceased by his parents; his daughter-in-law, Esther Ann Adler, and his brothers-in-law, Irvin (Jacqueline) Kovens and Calvin Kovens.
Services were held at Sol Levinson’s Chapel, 8900 Reisterstown Rd. in Pikesville, on Friday, Mar. 17. Interment was at Beth Jacob Cemetery in Finksburg.
Contributions in Adler’s memory may be sent to The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, 101 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore, Maryland 21201, or Beth Tfiloh Congregation, 3300 Old Court Rd., Baltimore, Maryland 21208.
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