Charles Mittelman, a cornerstone of Brandeis Hillel Day School of San Francisco and Marin, died Nov. 18 in Mill Valley at 84. He had never fully recovered from a stroke suffered several years ago.
Mittelman, a past president and longtime board member of Brandeis Hillel, “was one of the people who shouldered the school,” said Ardath Kirchner, the school’s development office assistant. “He was very, very passionate about Jewish education.”
He had been president of the Hillel Day School when it merged with Brandeis Day School in 1973.
“He was an incredible supporter of change and evolution in the school and was very open-minded to it,” said Henry Shreibman, head of the school.
In addition to his involvement with Brandeis Hillel, Mittelman served on the boards of Sinai Memorial Chapel and the Hebrew Free Loan Association.
“I’ll always remember him for being very vibrant and very concerned,” said Peter Samuels, who knew him through all three organizations.
A first-generation American, Mittelman grew up in Brooklyn. “He and his wife struggled through the Depression. They came from nothing and they built something and then they shared it with others,” Kirchner said.
“He and his wife together were like stand-up, sit-down comics,” she added. “They had this whole repertoire.”
Kirchner recalls Mittelman as a generous, well-loved man. “His greatness came from his heart and his neshamah. He brought a warmth and cheer into people’s lives.”
In addition to his wife, Ida, Mittelman is survived by daughters Freude Bartlett and Jessica Johnson, and grandchildren Samantha Solomon, Adam Elan Bartlett, Kimberly Johnson and Kaersten Johnson. Contributions can be sent to the charity of one’s choice.