Maurice Galpert; Rabbi, Hebrew Literature Scholar
Funeral services for Rabbi Maurice T. Galpert, spiritual leader of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center for the past 36 years, were held Tuesday at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park.
Galpert died Sunday of complications after cardiac surgery, temple officials said. He was 71.
A noted scholar in Hebrew literature, Galpert came to the Pasadena temple from Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana in 1952.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Galpert received his bachelor’s degree in education at Kent State University and a master’s degree in comparative literature from the University of Iowa. He was ordained in New York in 1945 by the late Stephen S. Wise at the Hebrew Union College Institute for Religion.
A prolific author, Galpert translated major works of poetry from German, Yiddish and Hebrew into English. Associates said his diverse interests ranged from an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball to a love of classical music, particularly Mozart.
He is survived by his wife, Susan; four children; four sisters, and six grandchildren.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, friends may phone the temple office, (818) 798-1161, to inquire about a memorial.
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