April 06, 2022
Remembering Rabbi Everett Gendler P’83, ’86
Beloved Jewish chaplain passes away at 94Rabbi Everett E. Gendler passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on the evening of April 1, 2022, in Sarasota, Florida. A funeral service was held Monday, April 4, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
Andover’s first Jewish chaplain, Gendler worked part-time at Phillips Academy in 1976 and was appointed to a full-time position in 1977, serving as the leader of the school’s Jewish community until retirement in 1995. During his tenure, Gendler also served as a mentor and advisor as well as an instructor in philosophy and religious studies. He was a champion for civil rights, repeatedly marching with members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Alabama during the 1960s, where he became well-acquainted with Martin Luther King Jr., and he later became known as a leader in Jewish environmentalism.
Alumni often remarked that while Gendler was small in stature, he was a giant on campus.
Gendler is survived by his wife, Mary, and daughters Tamar Szabo Gendler ’83 and Naomi Gendler Camper ’86.
Read a tribute to Rabbi Gendler in The Forward.
From The Archives
- Continuing the Journey | Andover Bulletin, spring 1995 — Looking back, and forward, as Rabbi Gendler retires
- Non Sibi For Life | Andover magazine, spring 2014 — The Gendler Grapevine
Categories: Alumni
Other Stories
