Alex philanthropist, Bertie Lubner dies
JOBURG – Leading philanthropist, Dr Bertie Lubner has died.
Well-known and loved Alexandra philanthropist, Dr Bertie Lubner of Afrika Tikkun and the Field Band Foundation, has died.
Not much detail was available on the cause of his death, except that he passed away early in the morning of 18 April, and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies immediately sent out a statement in which it said ‘it mourns the loss of Bertie Lubner’.
The statement described Lubner as, “An extraordinary man who contributed to so many worthy causes, not just in Alexandra, but the whole country. Whose vision and leadership was responsible for the creation and development of some leading South Africa non-governmental organisations such as Afrika Tikkun and the Field Band Foundation.
“Whether in the business, philanthropic, educational, Zionistic or Jewish communal fields, he made a huge contribution to poverty alleviation, capacity building and education in our country.”
Lubner was honorary life chairman of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) and served on its national executive council for several decades.
“His warmth, insight, humour, anecdotes and valuable input at our meetings will be sorely missed,” the statement added.
Lubner received many prestigious awards, including the State President’s Award for Meritorious Service and the Order of Meritorious Service – Silver, and was recently honoured at the SAJBD conference in November last year.
At this conference, he was presented with the Eric Samson Mendel Kaplan Award for Community Service, ‘for his lifetime of commitment to communities and our country’.
For his work on behalf of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Lubner, who worked closely with Alex philanthropist, Linda Twala at the Puthaditjaba Centre in 16th Avenue, received an Honorary Doctorate and a Lifetime Achiever’s Award.
On one of the occasions when he was presented with an award, Lubner stated, “One should never expect to be rewarded for doing the right thing. The reward in one’s own soul is far greater.”
Throughout his life, he was true to this stirring maxim, making him a source of inspiration to all he has known. May his memory be a blessing to his family and all who had the good fortune of engaging with him, the statement concluded.
Details: Wendy Kahn 082 44 3675.
