A beautiful tribute to Bob Lappin, dear friend of CJUI and recipient of CJUI's Emet Award at the annual Genesis Awards in 2019.
The passing of Bob Lappin leaves a large hole in the hearts of so many of us whose lives he touched personally and through the impact of numerous educational programs provided by the Lappin Foundation.
Bob had a passion to strengthen Jewish identity, Jewish family life, and to connect Jewish high schoolers to their roots in Israel and to experience the pride in being Jewish. In these troubling times of increased anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, and the BDS movement, we celebrate the many Lappin educational initiatives that underscore the mega-mission of the Jewish people to bring the message of the Torah to the world, a message rooted in justice, tikkun olam, and shalom.
On more than one occasion, Bob shared with me a motto by which he sought to live: “To have a friend,” he said, “you must be a friend.” As a businessman, Bob was outgoing, thoughtful, and even courageous in the way he reached out to others and addressed problems.
As a recently retired professor and longtime resident of the North Shore, I celebrate the variety of ways Bob actively sought to improve Christian-Jewish relations and partnerships locally and nationally. Bob was always pleased to find Christians who had a heart for Israel. He believed Israel needed all the genuine friends she could get.