September 7, 2007
You bloom where you’re planted programs other than the traditional, residential college. by JOAN K. MARCUS It was a time of turmoil. Penny Lipkin Berger, AB, During her two years, an additional masters program MA, JD, grew up in the 1960s. However, it was also a was added and the college moved from losing money to time for young people to learn the concept of tikkun operating at a surplus. Over the years, Penny has served on at least 20-30 vololam -- repairing the world. This concept was to form Penny’s whole philosophy about the rest of her life. unteer boards. “Most of them have to do with social Hers, so far, has been dedicated to helping those who services and the arts. I was on the Lincoln City Libraries are less fortunate. She has used her talents and intellect Foundation Board for 23 years and on the Lincoln to try to repair the world -- an ongoing job. Even as she Library Board for seven years; I believe you can’t have a speaks, she knits and creates things for other people. democratic society without an educated voting base. I “No time must go to waste,” is her mantra. am committed to the importance of an education as the “I was born under a lucky star. I have a good head, a basis of lifelong learning and responsible citizenship,” superior education, an excellent constitution and a lov- she says. ing and supportive family. I believe in tikkun olam “I don’t think that the free market can solve every because we have an obligation to leave the earth a little problem or every social ill. Capitalism is fine and it has bit better place than we found it,” she says. “We each its place. But, there is such a thing as the public interest need to use whatever little sphere of influence that we and the public good. It really upsets me that since 1980, have.” the public good and interest is no longer talked about She was born in Danville, Illinois in 1944. Her father, with respect. And that our leaders by and large, have Dr. Sam Lipkin, was, as neglected it.” she calls him, “a shrink” She went on to say, with the Veterans “Our environment, eduAdministration. “My cational system and the mother demanded that general well-being and we live where there were health of our nation has Jews, so we moved to suffered. It’s a disgrace Chicago,” Berger recalls. that 45 million people in After World War II this country are uninended, the family moved sured.” to Chicago where her She added, “It’s also a father underwent psychodisgrace that the analytic training and Nebraska Legislature is established a practice. thinking about removing (Dr. Lipkin currently education as an alternaresides at Savannah Pines tive to work in the welfare in Lincoln. And, at age bill. We’re going to 98, Penny says that he encourage people to take will psychoanalyze you if minimum wage jobs and you just ask!) then wonder why they’re In 1962, Penny left coming back on to welChicago to attend fare!” Barnard College in New She has been a volunYork City, then one of the teer staff attorney at the “Seven Sister” womenAppleseed Center and a Penny Berger only schools, associated member of the commitwith Ivy League colleges, in this case, Columbia tee of the Wealth Spring Fund, an affiliated fund of the University. Her dream was to become an historian of Nebraska Community Foundation -- a group that creAmerican social history. After earning a Master’s at ates resources for women’s economic self-sufficiency and Barnard, she returned to Chicago to work on a Ph.D. financial literacy in Nebraska. Her plans for a career in history took a sharp detour Other community service includes serving on boards when she met and married Patrice Berger. They were of the Asian Cultural and Community Center, the married in 1968 and moved to Paris for a year while Friends of the Ross Film Theater, and as president of the Patrice did research on his dissertation. After their Nebraska Order of the Coif. She also served as president return to Chicago, he received two job offers. of Planned Parenthood of Lincoln and was on the board “One was at Kent State University and the other was of trustees of Medici Society, friends of the departments at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. That was about of art and architecture of UNL. the time of the Kent State shoot out and we liked the She was on the board of the UNL College of Law people at Nebraska better anyway!” she smiles. That’s Alumni Association and Lincoln General Hospital. In how they ended up coming to Lincoln in 1970. addition to that, service to Big Brothers/Big Sisters Penny soon realized that even though she had com- Branch of the Lincoln YMCA is on her volunteer pleted her course work for her Ph.D. and passed her resume. comprehensive examinations, “it became very clear to Some political committees on which she worked me that I was never going to get a job in the History include Lincoln Mayor Colleen Seng, the finance cabidepartment at UNL. In those days, they had written net for former Lt. Governor Kim Robak, and serving as ‘nepotism’ rules and they wouldn’t hire husbands and treasurer of the Nelson/Robak Inaugural Committee. wives. Another thing that was obvious was that we There are so many more boards and committees that it wouldn’t be in Lincoln for long,” she explains. is impossible to list them all. “I come from the school of ‘you bloom where you’re As part of her preparation for retirement, Penny planted.’ So I looked around and went to work for the recently went to Nicaragua. She wanted to do someLincoln Action Program as a job developer and the thing that interests her, would be of help to others, and director of Neighborhood Youth Corp. They were com- uses her skills. She hopes to join with the American Bar munity action programs that had been established under Association in some of the programs they’ve established the anti-poverty legislation of the 1960s.” in other countries. Penny jokes, “After that, what does a nice Jewish girl Another possibility is helping the Bar Association and do? I didn’t have the personality of a social worker and the courts in a program to help low income people who I was too old to go to medical school. So, I went to law want to try to represent themselves in very simple cases. school. It was a no brainer! When I graduated, I was the “Either these people can’t afford lawyers or there only woman in my class to get two job offers. I took the aren’t enough volunteers to go around. The Bar has set one in Lincoln with Rembolt Ludtke (now “and up a help desk,” she adds, “ and I’d like to add my Berger”) and stayed there for more than 29 years.” name.” In addition to her law career, Penny and Patrice had When she speaks of Judaism, Penny says, “I was raised what she describes as, “Two beautiful, wonderful, a Reform Jew and I have a Jewish soul. I attend synacharming and adorable children.” Gabrielle, now a med- gogue because if the Jews are going to die out after ical student at Emory University, was born in 1978, and 5000 years, it isn’t going to be Penny Lipkin’s fault!” Mark, beginning a two-year masters program in East She was president of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Asian languages at Columbia University, was born in Lincoln from 1991-94. 1982. “My challenge will be to stay relevant within the In August of 2004, she left her law firm to become the boundaries that I will set for myself,” Berger says. “I dean and general counsel of University College at want to be a creative problem solver, strategic thinker Nebraska Wesleyan University. In that position, she and a team player. Even in retirement, I need to keep my managed the division of the university that housed all eye on the goal of helping to repair the world.”
Jewish Press, Omaha, NE
Page 33
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