Through the eyes of another Goldberg: No relation, but what an inspiring life

As a daily reader of the Globe, I open the paper each morning with trepidation knowing that the news of the world and at home is invariably fraught with the sorrowful deeds humanity inflicts upon itself and on the natural world. Shannon Larson’s Dec. 31, 2023, article about the late Bernard Goldberg offered a refreshing moment of uplift and inspiration (“Remembering a man who was ‘the very best of Cambridge,’ ” Metro).

As the article pointed out, Bernard and his twin brother, Bill, who predeceased him, spent their careers as lawyers serving the public with integrity and compassion from their office in Central Square. As Larson detailed, Bernard had a particularly long and loving relationship with an immigrant Palestinian family, who were both clients and surrogate family to him.

In the early 1970s, when I moved to Central Square from out of town and introduced myself to people, I was often met with the question, “Are you related to the Goldbergs who are lawyers?” I had no idea who these Goldbergs were, but judging from people’s excitement about the possibility of my being related, I knew that these brothers were not only well known but also highly regarded.

After reading this article 50 years later, I understand why.

For those of us clinging to any shred of goodness we can find in the news, this story, which recognizes someone who spent his life helping others with kindness and respect and who looked beyond political and ethnic differences to see our common humanity, was most welcome.

PAUL GOLDBERG Arlington