“Irreplaceable,” “honest,” “passionate” and an “inspiration to others” is how friends and colleagues described Louise Eder. Everyone who knew her said that for Louise, part of each day involved Jewish philanthropy.
The longtime community activist and volunteer died April 20 after a battle with lung cancer. She was 73.
Known locally, nationally and world-wide for her devotion to Jewish causes, she devoted her life to working for the betterment of all peoples.
Israel was one of her priorities. In 1969 she made the first of her 28 trips there as a member of a Women’s Division Mission of the United Jewish Appeal. She also was one of the first women to go on UJA’s Prime Minister’s Mission.
And as a national board member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for 12 years, she traveled extensively to Eastern Europe, Latin America and India to see firsthand how JDC funds help Jews throughout the world.
According to Eugene Ribakoff, president of the JDC board, “Louise carried on the tradition of generosity with a personal touch that was deeply caring. She was an effective advocate for JDC and supported both renewal and relief activities in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Israel, Argentina, Turkey and Kosovo.”
Dedicated to Jewish communal service, she contributed substantial time and money to the charities she was involved in. She was a former board member of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, an officer of Jewish Family Services, a past chair of the Jewish Community Foundation, MJF’s endowment development program, and a member of the Israel Bonds Campaign Cabinet and its Prime Minister’s Club for top-level investors.
Bert Bilsky, JCF executive director, said, “There are some people in the community who just are irreplaceable, and Louise is one of them. No one else has her dedication and passion for the work we do. She took everything she did very seriously — as if it were her highest calling. It was a privilege to work with her.”
“She was one of the greatest women I was privileged to know in my lifetime,” said Elliot Lubar, executive vice president of Jewish Family Services. “She was deeply supportive of me and the agency. She was honest, almost to a fault, in terms of telling it like it is. She was a special person and I feel honored to have been part of her life.”
She once said, Lubar added, that “the most important thing you can teach your children is to consider the well-being of those less fortunate and follow through in your heart and in your deeds.”
Childhood lessons
Louise Eder (nee Adler) was born and raised in Highland Park, Ill. Her parents instilled in her strong values about giving and helping others, and she learned at an early age that with leadership comes obligations. In high school, she took part in family meetings, where the family made decisions about its philanthropic giving.
She and her family were active in the arts. Her grandfather, Max Adler, donated the Adler Planetarium to the city of Chicago, the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. She continued the family’s interest, serving on its board of directors and executive committee.
She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1946 and in 1950 earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa.
She moved to Milwaukee in 1958 with her husband, Ralph, and raised four children here.
Early in her career, she was a probation officer for the Cook County Juvenile Court. Always interested in children, she also taught nursery school and worked with children with Downs Syndrome. She founded a pre-kindergarten school in Arad, Israel, in the 1970s and long supported ORT schools.
Also, she had served on the boards of the Zink the Zebra Foundation and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Milwaukee. In 1990, she was the first woman to be honored by the Israel Bonds Golda Meir Division.
When she wasn’t busy raising funds or volunteering her time, she enjoyed collecting stamps and Beanie Babies, attending theater, traveling, photography and reading.
Longtime friend and fellow JDC board member Betsy Green said, “We were really soul mates in that we cared about the same things — our family, our community, the state of Israel and Jews throughout the world. We felt it was our duty to raise awareness in others of the importance of our Jewish responsibility.”
To secure the future of the Jewish community, in 1993 she and her husband presented a Harvest Gift through the Jewish Community Foundation to Jewish Family Services, an agency they felt brought together their interests in family, Judaism and providing services to those in need.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughters Wendy Eder of Denver and Gail Eder of Milwaukee; sons Jonathan (Debra) Eder and Daniel (Laura) Eder, both of Milwaukee; and 10 grandchildren.
Rabbi Ronald Shapiro officiated at a memorial service on April 23 at Congregation Shalom, of which she was a longtime member and supporter. Private interment followed at Spring Hill Cemetery.
The family would appreciate memorial contributions to Jewish Family Services.
Also, a tribute event honoring Eder by Women’s American ORT scheduled for this Sunday will be held as originally planned at 11 a.m. at Brynwood Country Club.
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