On June 22, Rabbi Ben Zion Bergman passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 91. Known for his kindness and sense of humor, he was revered in the Jewish community and loved by his friends and family, who called him “Benzi.”
Bergman was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and led congregations in Burbank, Encino and Sierra Madre (once calling himself the “Padre of Sierra Madre”). He earned his juris doctor degree from the University of the San Fernando Valley and was admitted to the California Bar before becoming adjunct professor at Loyola Law School.
Bergman found his calling as a scholar of Jewish law and later proved instrumental in the founding and success of many Jewish institutions, including the Joint Beit Din of the Conservative Movement. He was a member of the Rabbinic Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards and an influential authority in mikveh, the halachic ritual bath. In 1981, he designed the mikveh at American Jewish University and went on to travel the country consulting with other institutions on their design and construction of mikvaot.
Rabbi Ben Zion Bergman is survived by his wife of 69 years, Bella, son Avi, daughter Aviva and granddaughter Alexa.
