Honoring the Life and Light of Mort Mandel

Mort Mandel (may his memory be a blessing) was a staunch and dedicated supporter of the JCC movement, believing that the JCC is “about bringing Jewish people together in a Jewish atmosphere – that connection only makes us stronger.” He served as the former President of the Mandel JCC in Cleveland; former National Chair of the Jewish Community Centers Association; and in Israel, he was Founding Chair of the World Confederation of Jewish Community Centers. A matching challenge grant Mandel gifted the Asheville JCC in 2015 was critical to the success of the Asheville JCC’s capital campaign.

Mandel was a leader, entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and family man. He became involved at an early age in civic and charitable activities in his hometown of Cleveland and later on, nationally and internationally. He credited his parents for instilling his altruistic values and regularly devoted about 25 percent of his time to civic and philanthropic activities. With Mandel’s passing, we are reminded of the tremendous light that is his legacy – a light that empowers the missions of Jewish organizations and will continue to do so for years to come.

On Thursday, December 12, in the JCC’s Dave Family social hall, a memorial service will honor Mort Mandel’s important contributions to Jewish life and leadership, both at our JCC and in JCCs across our country. We will celebrate his extraordinary life and light with music, candles, and a sharing of stories. Please join us.