He Was True to His School--for 35 Years

David Lieber of Beverly Hills recently retired as president of the University of Judaism with the distinction of being one of the longest-serving college presidents in the nation. Last week, the 67-year-old Jewish scholar was honored for his dedication during a tribute dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

During his nearly three decades as president, Lieber transformed the University of Judaism from a modest teacher’s college into a major educational institute in American Jewish life. Lieber joined the University of Judaism in 1957 as dean of students of the small school, then located near downtown Los Angeles. About seven years later, he became the university’s first full-time president.

Under his leadership, the university moved from the former Hollywood Athletic Club to its present home in the Santa Monica Mountains. He developed and expanded undergraduate, graduate and extension classes on Jewish and secular topics, in addition to creating arts and cultural programs for the Bel-Air campus.

“It’s a very busy place here,” he said. “We have an unusual faculty and we also have a very wide support group (in the community).”

Born in Poland, Lieber immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was 2. Educated at the City College of New York, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree, he received his rabbinical ordination and earned a doctorate in Hebrew Letters from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

“I was raised in a traditional Jewish home. . . . I began to study those materials when I was about 4 years old,” he said. “I knew I wanted to teach people, help people, clarify ideas and teach my own children values.”

Before joining the university, Lieber was the spiritual leader of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, a chaplain in the Air Force and a chaplain at both the University of Washington and Harvard University.

“I admired my teachers and always had an interest in teaching people,” he said. “When I completed my studies, I tried my hand at a variety of things which were all somehow connected with education.”

Devoted to teaching throughout his career, Lieber plans to continue to teach and write at the university as the Skovron Distinguished Service Professor of Biblical Literature and Thought, and serve as president emeritus.

“I always felt that I wanted to teach and keep a foot in the classroom because I enjoyed it,” he said. “It keeps you intellectually alive and abreast of your field.”

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The state Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Sen. David Roberti, has appointed Cynthia Emmets to the Emergency Roadside Assistance Advisory Committee.

The Brentwood resident is project director for Home Team, a nonprofit public health foundation of Los Angeles County. She will assist in making recommendations for standards of training for tow service and emergency road service employees. The committee also recommends guidelines for the enhancement of motorist safety and procedures for telephone dispatchers.

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The Research Corporation of Tucson, Ariz., awarded a $25,000 Cottrell College Science Award to Westchester resident James Roe.

The grant is for a research project in which Roe and a team of researchers at the University of Utah will attempt to engineer proteins that last a long time at high temperatures.

Roe is an assistant professor of chemistry at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

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Santa Monica podiatrist Michael Levi has initiated a sock donation campaign.

Levi, who started the podiatry clinic at the Venice Family Clinic nearly five years ago, is collecting new socks of any style, color or size at the Venice Family Clinic and his office.

Last year, he collected more than 3,500 pairs of shoes for the Venice Family Clinic and other homeless shelters on the Westside.

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Deeba Hargis, a licensed vocational nurse specializing in weight control at Lindora Medical Clinic in Culver City, has been named president of the Culver City Health Advisory Council.

The council was created by the Culver City Chamber of Commerce to assess the public heath needs of the community.

In addition to this appointment, the Culver City resident has held a seat on the Santa Monica Health Committee for three years. She recently received a commendation by Ken Genser, mayor of Santa Monica, for her contribution to a health fair there.

Items can be mailed to People, Suite 200, 1717 4th St., Santa Monica, Calif. 90401.