Harold Goldman

Harold Goldman, former CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and Jewish Family and Child Services in Philadelphia, Dies at 79.

Harold Bonavita-goldman, JD, PHD, 79, died of complications from COVID 19 on February 5, 2022. The son of Louis and Rebecca Goldman, he leaves his beloved husband, John Bonavita-goldman, MD of 39 years, his sister, Marilyn Goldman Weinman (Bernie Weinman), his sweet dog, Charlie, and many nieces and nephews.

Born in Memphis, TN in 1942, Harold received his BA and JD from the University of Memphis, his MSW from the University of Illinois, and PHD in Social Policy from the University of Chicago.

From the beginning, Bonavita-goldman devoted his life to serving others. In the 1960s, he volunteered with VISTA (now Americorp), providing legal services to indigent people in rural Tennessee. After moving to Illinois, he worked as a legal aid lawyer and then as an aide to a member of the Illinois legislature and as Chief Legal Counsel to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Bonavita-goldman moved to Philadelphia in the early 1980s and served as Chief Executive Officer to two Jewish organizations: Jewish Family and Children Services for 16 years and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for six years. He was the first out gay leader in both organizations.

In 2006, Bonavita-goldman retired and moved to New York City with his husband John who took a position as the Assistant Director of Faculty Practice Radiology and, later as Transitional Chief of New York University Langone’s Radiology Department. Harold’s retirement was short-lived. He became the Executive Director of B’nai Jeshurun in New York, City for five years. He retired with his husband John in Red Hook, New York.

Memorial contributions in Harold’s name may be made to B’nai Jeshurun, https://www.bj.org or to the President’s Scholarship fund at (the State University of New York) Suny-ulster, where full tuition scholarships together with high school and college mentoring are provided for talented but financially needy incoming college students in the region. https://www.sunyulster.edu/foundation/ scholarships/

Arrangements by West Laurel Hill Funeral Home, Inc.