Obituaries

We regret to announce the passing of Milton aka: “Mickey” Bienenfeld, aged 96, who passed away peacefully on July 11th in Santa Monica, California after complications of old age.

Mickey Bienenfeld had an amazing life. As a founding family in the Jewish Reconstructionist Movement as a member of Kehillat Israel in Pacific Palisades, CA, which later became the largest Reconstructionist congregation in the U.S, he served as the cantor for the congregation for decades, serving with KI’s founding rabbi, Abraham Winokur. Mickey was dedicated to the weekly study of Torah well into his 90s, and the philosophy and ethical practices of Reconstructionism. He was on the prayerbook commission of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Collage for decades, collaborating with rabbis and lay people on new prayerbooks for synagogue use, exploring inclusive language that everyone could relate to. He loved serving as clergy for patient visitations at UCLA Hospital for many years, comforting the sick and their families. All of his service to the synagogue, the Jewish community, and Israel was performed as a volunteer while he worked full time in the family business and after his retirement. Mickey was considered to be the best shofar (ram’s horn) blower in the world. His shofar blasts were used in the 1957 film, The Ten Commandments, and he continued to blow the shofar at high holidays services at age 96.

Mickey grew up in Chicago to his parents, Jonas and Ester Bienenfeld, who immigrated to the U.S. as teenagers from Poland, and what was called “white” Russia. They settled in Chicago and had three children, Robert, Milton, and Shelley. Jonas started the family glass business, and when Mickey was a teenager the family moved to Los Angeles where the family business developed into sliding doors and windows, sound-proof products for industrial buildings and residential homes. The entire family was involved in their company, Premiere Aluminum Products, until they closed the business in the early 1980s when there was a construction slump in southern California.

Milton met his future wife, Florence, at a volunteer Temple choir, and they married a year and a half later. Mickey and Florence were happily married for nearly 65 years before Florence passed away. When asked, what is the most important thing I learned from being a husband, he said, “companionship, and it was important for me to follow her dreams and interests, and she did the same for me.” They “encouraged each other.”

The couple had three children, Ruth, Joel, and Daniel. They kept a kosher, and later a vegetarian home that was always open to friends and community members. Mickey and Florence published many cookbooks for people interested in healthy eating and baking. Together they could be counted on to enrich their communities with warmth, open hearts, and minds. Mickey said that he learned about kindness from his parents who provided a place for emigrating families to stay until they got on their feet. He also stayed in contact with relatives living all over the world.

Mickey loved to travel and by the end of his life he had been to 160 countries, including Antarctica, and was a member of the Explorers Club. When asked which country he loved the best he said, “I love them all. Whether it’s a village in Polynesia or deep in Africa or the deserts of the middle east, human being share many emotions such as love, hate, frustrations, etc. As human beings we are all the same.” One of Mickey’s longest adventures was in the early 1960s, when he took his entire family on a journey for over 13 months around the world. He drove a car through Europe, and the family stayed in youth hostels, B&Bs, and some hotels until living in Israel for nine months before continuing home by way of Africa, India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti.

Mickey was always interested in doing hands-on archeology and would travel to Israel twice a year to work on archeological digs. He described himself as an “amateur rock shlepper.” He loved the physical work, the discovery of artifacts connected to the centuries of habitation there, and meeting people from all over the world who shared the same hobby.

Mickey played the folk guitar and sang in his clear tenor voice (even taking some guitar lessons from the Pete Seeger in the late 1950s) and made sure that everyone in the family played at least one instrument. The family became a band and played a variety of Israeli and American folk music at charity events, temple events, and just for fun. Mickey felt very proud of his grown children (and one granddaughter) who went on to play and sing professionally as well as in the healing professions.

Mickey will be remembered for his lifelong service to the Jewish community, self-deprecating humor, constant bad puns, and jokes, for being principled and modest, his ability to keep confidences, never gossiped, and walked his talk through the Jewish values he lived by. Among his favorite sayings are: “Life is funny, and we all go through many experiences.”

Mickey Bienenfeld is survived by his children Ruth Barrett (Falcon River), Joel (Kimm Hollander), and Daniel, grandchildren Amanda Barrett, Adam, Heather Barlam (Jeff), Marc, and Jesse, great grandchildren Jack and Haley Barlam, sister Shelley Seltzer, as well as numerous nieces, one nephew, countless cousins, and friends.

Mickey will be dearly missed by all who knew him, but his legacy will live on through his family, friends, and community members.

A gravesite funeral service will be held at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary at 6001 W Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045 on Monday, July 15th at 2pm with a reception following at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.