Ohr Kodesh Leader
Alvin Browdy, together with his wife Letty, made a great contribution to the social, cultural and spiritual life of Ohr Kodesh and the Washington Jewish community as well, with a special emphasis on the field of Jewish education. Alvin’s kindness, generosity, integrity, strong feelings of responsibility, and deep love of Judaism inspired him to become a leader of Jewish causes throughout his life, and his good nature, sense of humor and devotion to family, friends and community made him a beloved member of every community fortunate enough to have him as a member.
An area resident since 1939, Alvin and Letty joined Ohr Kodesh Congregation (then the Montgomery County Jewish Community) in 1950 and Alvin served on its Board of Directors for over 20 years, including two terms as President. He was a member of the Executive Council of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington for twelve years.
Jewish education had always been one of Alvin's paramount concerns. This commitment inspired him to serve on the Executive Board of the Board of Jewish Education of Greater Washington since its formation in 1962. He was President from 1964-66. Over the years he chaired the Holocaust Education Committee, the Committee to Form the Consolidated School, and the Scholarship Committee of the Hebrew Academy, among others. In May 1989 Alvin was Guest of Honor at a ceremony at the Israeli Embassy recognizing his 50 years of service to Jewish Education in the Washington area and worldwide through ORT.
Alvin was a loyal supporter of the United Jewish Appeal Federation and worked on its Board and on many of its committees. Alvin was a member of American ORT, the American Society for Technion, the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington Men's Club, the Hebrew Sheltering Society, the Jewish Council for the Aging, the Zionist Organization of America, the American Jewish Committee and the American Jewish Congress. He was also a member of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists and a number of professional organizations.
Alvin was originally from Kansas City, MO. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and then received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. During World War II and the Korean War, Alvin served as a commissioned officer with the United States Naval Reserve on active duty. Throughout his legal career Alvin specialized in intellectual property law and was senior partner in the firm of Browdy and Neimark.
After retiring he and Letty moved to Sarasota, where he assumed the role of benefactor and leader on a number of Jewish charitable projects. The Sarasota Jewish Federation honored him with their prestigious "Tzedakeh Award." He was a member of Temple Beth Israel and joined the Men's Club where he excelled in his role as Membership Chairman.
Because of his lifelong commitment to Jewish education, Letty, her daughter Wendy and son Craig, together with her son Roger and his wife Irith and family, were happy to honor Alvin’s memory by dedicating the religious school of Ohr Kodesh in his memory. The OKC Board of Directors thought it entirely fitting to name their religious school in his memory.
