Kehilath Israel Synagogue is privileged to name Bill Greenberg as its Minyannaire of the Year.
The synagogue will pay tribute to Greenberg on Shabbat, Feb. 12, during 9 a.m. services and at the following kiddush in his honor.
Bill Greenberg was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Sanford and Shirley Greenberg. He grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood in the city. He went to Peabody High School, his family were members of B’nai Israel Synagogue, and he was involved in the Jewish Community through the Jewish Community Center and its associated Emma Kaufmann Camp.
Greenberg attended Duquesne University on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned in the Army as an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant in 1978. Throughout his 28-year military career, he lived and worked around the world in places such as Germany, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey, East Timor, Panama, and more. Greenberg was involved in historical events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War, the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, peacekeeping in Bosnia, the war in Kosovo, East Timor becoming an independent nation, and the Iraq War.
Upon retirement in 2007, he taught cultural empathy and critical and creative thinking at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth in Leavenworth, Kansas. Greenberg is now an analyst at The Research and Analysis Center in Fort Leavenworth.
Greenberg’s impact can be seen in all corners of K.I., but because of his modesty, many people would never be the wiser. He joined the synagogue four years ago, and the moment he became a member, he also became a volunteer. Greenberg is someone you can count on when you need something done, and oftentimes he does things before the need becomes apparent. He is a visionary, and his vision expresses itself in both the day-to-day, mundane tasks as well as in grander, more obvious projects.
Greenberg records names of weekday minyan attendees (for COVID tracking), volunteers to coordinate the ushers for the High Holidays, and approaches and welcomes newcomers to K.I., among many other things. He can always be counted on when an officer is needed to sit on the bimah on Shabbat and holidays.
These are just a few of the often considered “minor” ways that Greenberg contributes to K.I. Without these day-to-day, routine tasks, things can quickly fall apart.
Greenberg has been on the K.I. Board of Directors for three years. He is the chair of the Cemetery Committee, and he oversaw the coming together of the new Fani & Bill Schifman Tech Center, housed in the K.I. Melvin & Evelyn Spitcaufsky Library.
Greenberg’s involvement extends to the larger community as well. He is a faculty member of Melton KC, and he is in his second term teaching a class on a subject for which he is extremely passionate and knowledgeable: “Beyond Borders: The History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” The class is taught at K.I. on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. Originally slated to be a one-semester class, he is continuing the class at his students’ request.
Greenberg is also commander of the local chapter of the Jewish War Veterans, Post 605.
He is married to Melinda McConnell and has two sons: J.E.B., who works in marketing in Georgia, and Grant, who is a professional basketball player in Israel.
Greenberg believes that many people in the Jewish community are not aware that K.I. has daily, in-person Shacharit, Mincha and Maariv services. He sees the daily minyans at K.I. as an extremely important opportunity for individuals to say Kaddish for departed loved ones and as a place to gain a sense of spirituality on a daily basis.
