Harvey Firestone - B'nai B'rith International - The Global Voice of the Jewish Community

A Century of Life, 72 Years of BBI Service:
Firestone Feted For Seven Decades of Support
By Rich Bindell

For years, B’nai B’rith member and Chicago native William DeWoskin has contributed to B’nai B’rith International (BBI) through the same individual: Harvey Firestone.

It’s safe to say that DeWoskin has placed his trust in a seasoned professional—after all, Firestone not only just celebrated his 100th birthday, he has been fundraising for B’nai B’rith for more than 72 years. Harvey Firestone, a B'nai B'rith member and fundraiser for more than 72 years, is working on a book about BBI. He recently celebraded his 100th birthday.

“Although I have never met him, every year he calls me at about the same time to make my contribution,” DeWoskin says. “I always wait for his call, although I receive many solicitations from B’nai B’rith during the year.”

This exemplifies just one aspect of Harvey Firestone’s lifetime commitment to B’nai B’rith. To acknowledge this commitment, BBI honored the centenarian at the Midwest Region Annual Meeting on Oct. 19 in Chicago.

“Harvey is one individual for whom B’nai B’rith has made a difference, as you can tell through his story, and he has more than done his share in return,” says Chairman of the Executive Dennis Glick, who presented Firestone with a citation of service from the BBI Board of Governors. “His proactive approach to anything associated with B’nai B’rith has made him a solid asset to his community and to BBI as a whole.”

“Proactive and committed” define Firestone. He moved to the Chicago area in 1931, where he still resides with his wife, Dorothy, who is 96; the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in September.

Firestone joined Garfield Park Lodge on the city’s west side in 1936, and it didn’t take long before he found his role as a fundraiser. At first, he focused on the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, but eventually turned his attention to fundraising for the organization as a whole.

Outside of fundraising,

Firestone also founded two B’nai B’rith lodges in Chicago—Mission Hills Lodge and Metro Chicago Lodge; was responsible for membership retention and new membership; was the volunteer coordinator for fundraising for the Midwest for 40 years; and has worked on behalf of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the U.S.

Firestone’s B’nai B’rith Roots

To Firestone, his birthplace on New York City’s heavily Jewish Lower East Side bolstered his strong B’nai B’rith connection. “I grew up about three miles away from where B’nai B’rith was founded,” Firestone says.

Firestone’s full-time occupation honed skills needed to be a successful fundraiser. “I worked as a printing salesman; I had to learn how to project in order to survive,” Firestone says. “Service is the end result. I used to service my accounts to the nth degree and I’ve done the very same thing with B’nai B’rith. I believe in what I’m selling, and the product is 165 years old.”

And how he says he acquired those skills also strengthened Firestone’s ardent commitment to B’nai B’rith. Louis Orlovsky, past president of the former B'nai B'rith District 6, presents a certificate of appreciation to Firestone for his commitment to B'nai B'rith

As a sophomore at a public high school in New York City, he failed English, his favorite subject. Fearing his academic performance would block him from future opportunities, Firestone sought other education options. “I was despondent,” Firestone says.

That’s when he discovered the Hebrew Technical Institute (HTI) in Manhattan, a school funded in part by B’nai B’rith in the late 1880s, a fact he would learn years later. “B’nai B’rith furnished funds [for] the school to give Jewish boys all over the city of New York an opportunity to learn a trade. I learned woodworking.”

Firestone graduated from HTI in 1928, started working at a silk manufacturing factory, and studied architecture at New York University at night. He lost his job during the Great Depression and left for Chicago in 1931, where, through his sister, he got work as a salesman at a printing company.

While Firestone was living with his sister and her family in 1938, a neighbor remarked, “Have I got a girl for you!” He invited Firestone to synagogue, where, he recalls, “I met Dorothy Kling for the first time and she told me afterward that, in her mind’s eye, I was the one for her,” Firestone says. “We’ve been married 70 years.”

Once settled in his new job, Firestone began coaching in an amateur basketball league that traveled through Illinois and Indiana. It was through people he met on these trips that Firestone connected with Chicago B’nai B’rith, eventually joining Garfield Park Lodge.

“I’ve been raising money for B’nai B’rith ever since I was first a member. The president of the lodge happened to be the honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, who became a Supreme Court justice in the state of Illinois. He has been my inspiration,” he said.

A Relentless Pursuit of Excellence

In a society of decreased human interaction, Firestone’s cultivated relationships seem to be key to his success. “These are people he’s been dealing with for the last 30 years or so,” says former BBI Vice President of Field Services Alan Lessack. “During the course of the year, he addresses and stuffs over 1,000 pieces of mail. Last year, he was responsible for at least $30,000 of fundraising.”

Celeste Brown, former Midwest Region administrative assistant, who helps Firestone with his mailings, says his success is unusual. “Even in hard economic times, I send a mailing out with Harvey’s name on it and he gets at least $1,000 back,” she said.

On the occasion of Firestone’s 95th birthday, Lessack suggested creating the Harvey Firestone Future Leadership Fund (HFFLF) to attract young people, something that Firestone finds crucial to BBI’s future. Funds raised provide opportunities to participate in B’nai B’rith programs, including traveling to conferences and other events.

Lessack explained that, initially, the fund was expected to be a one-shot deal. But Firestone’s commitment to fundraising changed those plans. “He started aggressively soliciting and getting people to commit to a multiple-year promise,” Lessack says. “About $20,000 has been raised [for the fund] as of today.”

Those who have worked with Firestone are his biggest advocates—Brown still works on his behalf from Las Vegas, where she recently retired.

“I’ve been working with Harvey for over 30 years,” says Brown. “He still gets checks [from donors] saying, ‘Keep up with the good work.’ It’s a labor of love for Harvey to work for B’nai B’rith in the capacity that he’s in. His love for B’nai B’rith is almost unbelievable.”

A Model of Good Health, Preserver of History

Many in Firestone’s community can’t help but notice his remarkable health and sharp mind at 100 years. “For people who know him and see him, they marvel at him,” says Brown. “He doesn’t walk with a cane. He doesn’t look like he’s 100 at all. He’s got the mind of a 40 to 50 year old person.”

When asked if he feels like he’s 100, Firestone is quick to respond: “No, definitely not. My mind is as active as though I were 70. I still go to regional meetings, and I’m working on my book.”

The idea for Firestone’s book jelled in 1992, when he started to write a brochure on BBI’s history as a promotional tool. This led to “Revisiting the History of B’nai B’rith from Genesis to the Present,” a 300-page book to be published in the near future.

Firestone hopes his B’nai B’rith fundraising legacy will be passed along to the next generation of volunteers, and he is proud of and thankful for having had the opportunity to set a high standard. “Maybe I’ve created an image of my own, maybe not; it all depends on who’s looking at the situation,” he says. “But, for continuity, I’ve been there. I’m happy that I have the ability to do that.”