Dr Bernstein was my science teacher at Meyer Levin in the early '70s and left a lasting impression on a young African American girl. His teaching of the periodic table was next level and I still remember the symbols. My deepest condolences.

DEAR KARL,  YOU FILLED MY WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF WORKING ASIDE YOU AT   KOTOHKE, TMR.

WHEREVER YOUR SOUL MAY BE - YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN IN MY EVERYDAY THOUGHTS OF THE YEARS I SPENT ON STAFF OF TMR, BROOKLYN DIVISON, KOTOHKE-FIGHT AND WIN/
I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT YOU TO MY FAMILY.  I AM  PROUD TO HAVE BEEN WITH YOU ON THE EARTH AT NARROWSBURG, NY .                               DR. EDWIN GOLDBERG
4/20/2019

Dr. Bernstein, I can only smile when I think back on my time at Meyer Levin and our friendship. Thank you for making my JHS eprerience a memorable one.
              Your student and friend forevermore.

   Students go through school having many teachers.
Few are fortunate enough to have had Dr. Karl E. Bernstein as their teacher. I was one of those lucky ones.
   As a young adolescent he not only gave me an excellent knowledge of Science but also so much emotional support.
He made me feel smart and important. He provided opportunities to develop self esteem and good life values.
   In more recent years we had a wonderful friendship and pleasant memories. He will be missed.

   Love and Peace to Gail and all of the family.

Dear Gail, It has taken me some time to collect my thoughts and realize that Karl will be with us no more. Working together for more thant twenty-two years at Meyer Levin was truly a privilege. We collaborated on many projects including numerous graduations.Not only was he a great educational leader but a true "mensch".I last saw Karl in 2005 at the 50th anniversary. He was the historian of Meyer Levin.We both knew Mrs Leah Levin, Meyer's mother.He honored me numerous times when he recalled that I was the first recipient of the Meyer Levin Award.He will be remembered by the many students and teachers that had the honor to know and work with him. May He Rest in Peace.  Sincerely, Mel

My heartfelt sympathy to Dr. Bernstein's family for their great loss.  Dr. Bernstein was my earth science teacher at Meyer Levin Jr. High in 1963.  Although I was stymied by earth science, it was a great class and Dr. Bernstein was one of a small number of memorable teachers that I was fortunate to have.  He was so handsome, too, and always smiling, always engaged with his students.  He seems to have had a wonderful life and I hope his family takes great comfort in knowing that he touched many many lives in a very positive way. 
Claudia Silbert
Great Neck, New York.

in profound sorrow, my deepest condolences

Goodbye, Allowat Sakima!  You were indeed a Mighty Chieftan!  My Condolences to the family!

I wrote this letter to Karl just a few days before he passed and Gail read it to him while he was still able to understand it...

June 4, 2014


Dear Friend Karl,

I see that you and Gail have decided to give in to your reality in a peaceful and accepting manner. And that may well be the best way of handling the situation. Keep love in your life and trust for what will come in your heart. You are a remarkable fellow whose life has been filled with accomplishment and recognition of it, fully deserved. I guess that in the same way you have always accepted your achievements with humility and sanity is the same way you are living everything out now. God bless you, Karl. You are setting the highest example for all of us who will eventually follow you.

One may never know what is in a friend's heart of hearts. We talk around it and seldom get to the core. But we have had a very special opportunity over the course of these many years through our scouting background to occasionally touch the bedrock of life's meaning...the brotherly love, the cheerful service, the good deeds, all that good stuff pounded into us in our youth and lived out as best we could through the decades. And now we have reached this point. What matter is it who takes the lead now? We will all be there one day sooner or later. I want you to know now, in our world, of my feelings of brotherly love toward you, of my respect for who you are and what you have done with your life and how much you are in my heart. I wish I could be with you for a visit and a chat. If that is not to be then this note written with a tear in my eye while the campfire burns low will have to be our comradely loving farewell, 'til we meet again.

In WWW,
Alan Yanofsky

Dear Gail, I am so sorry to learn of your loss. It has been 22 years since I retired from Meyer Levin but the wonderful memories of working with Karl still last.He was always kind and brought a smile to school each day. My condolences to your family of which he was so proud.

Dear All:
Elaine and I are so happy to see the feelings that we all have about Karl.

Yours In Scouting

Harold Wolchok-WWW

My condolences to Karl's family. I only knew Karl for the last 20 years through the Brooklyn Arrowheads at Ten Mile River Scout Camps, but those reunions and the stories Karl told about camp will always be remembered. When my dad passed, Karl knew the right words to say to my brother and me. When my brother passes 8 years later, Karl was one of the first Scouts to come up to me at our Arrowhead Reunion and again knew the right words to say to me. He was a true Scout and will always be remembered by me and those that knew him in Scouting.

Please accept my sincerest sympathy for your loss.  Both Gail and Karl showed myself, my two daughters and granddaughter around New York City in January of 2012.  It was a wonderful time, one which all of us remember with fondness.

My heartfelt sympathies go out to all of Karl's friends and family. Gail, I know that there are no words that may comfort you. Still, I want to tell you how much I will miss him. He was very special to me as he was to so many people.

My 65 years of memories of Karl are topped by one at TMR in 1950. It was due to him that I was finally able to pass my swimming test to earn my Scouting First Class rating and thus become eligible for membership in The Order of the Arrow.

I remember him jumping up and down along the dock and cheering, urging me on to finish and pass the test. Then later in the next week on August 24, 1950 both of us were inducted into the Order.

May he rest in peace and may you take some comfort in your memories of a truly remarkable man.

My condolences to the Bernstein family. I am a brother in the Order of the Arrow. 
I looked forward to seeing him annually at the Arrow dinners which he organized each year.  May G-D comfort you among the other mourners of Zion  & Jerusalem.

                                                                   Martin P. Hacker, in Brotherhood

My heartfelt sympathy to the Bernstein family.  I met Karl in 2010 through the Big Apple Greeter program, along  with three other tourist friends from Michigan.  We were assigned Karl and we could not have been LUCKIER and happier to meet such a charming, genuine and passionate community minded New Yorker.   We were supposed to spend 4 hours with Karl, and 7 hours later we were still enjoying his company.  I communicated with Karl via email through the years and will miss his friendly NYC greetings and friendship.  He will forever be in our hearts.  Carol Lechel, Saginaw, MI

I send my condolences.to the family of Dr. Karl Bernstein. Karl was a great man willing to help other people out. I met Karl in the 1980's at TMR. I was always helpful to me. Karl touched a lot of peoples lives & he will be missed by a lot of people. 

Richard Bellin - Freeport NY

I remember meeting Karl when I was a teenager at TMR.I was from a Boy Scott Troop from Long Island but did not have a summer program some members of my troop joined a troop from Brooklyn to go to came at TMR. Karl was a great guy and will be missed by a lot of people.

lMy memories of Karl go back 50 years when we were all beginning teachers at Meyer Levin Jr.H.S.  I could keep up  with Karl through  e mail, mutual friends and from the TMR newsletter.  Even in the "old days" it was easy to recognize Karl's skill as a wonderful teacher.  and  mench

1966 - 1999, the most productive years of my life, enriched by our friendship and the friendships of our families.  Your Boy Scout enthusiasm encouraged my son, Peter, to join and spend summers at the camp.  Your jokes and support enriched the daily experiences at Meyer Levin for the teachers and the students. You are remembered with affection.

A Gentleman of the highest order, Karl Bernstein always had a ready smile and sage advice (whether one wanted it or not) for his fellows in the Order of the Arrow. A true loss for not only Brooklyn scouting, but scouting everywhere. He will be missed but his legacy lives on. Godspeed!

Before there was Google, there was you, Karl. You were always a source of information, be it significant or trivial.  No wonder you were such a great inspiration to your students and colleagues.  
As I began to reminisce  about our fifty year friendship, I realized that you were always a part of my Meyer Levin experience.  We even shared an office together and I marveled at your neatness, efficiency and even-temper. I actually learned to enjoy and look forward to some of your silly jokes. Know that you will be missed by all who knew you.

Dear Gail:  Karl touched so many lives in ways we could not imagined. we liked to tell everyone that he was responsible for me becoming an Eagle Scout.  I was taking swimming, merit badge,my first year as a camper at D 1. Karl was the head of the waterfront. A requirement was to retrieve a 5 pound rock under water and you had 3 tries to accomplish it.  I missed the first 2 and today i can hear Karl saying to me "Herman you bring that rock up or don't come up" He certainly motivated me and on my last bit of air I accomplished the task!  It probably was one of the first great lessons for in my brief life.  never give up.  Karl will be loved and missed forever.   My sympathies to you and your family.  Steve Herman   PS  We loved  Puccini

Dr. Bernstein was a huge influence on my life. He was the Assistant Principal at Meyer Levin JHS 285 which I attended. I have many fond memories of Dr. Bernstein. He started my lifelong love-affair with roller-coasters on one of many school trips to Six-Flags Great Adventure.  He totally supported me wanting to be a musician. He was truly happy when I was accepted to Performing Arts HS. He was so proud of me that when I graduated from Meyer Levin.  He took me to my very first opera at Lincoln Center during the summer before I began my new phase of my journey in HS. We stayed in touch online through the years and he always maintained that incredible sense of humor. 
My sincere condolences goes out to Dr. Bernstein's family. 
I will miss you friend......you fought the good fight

I have lost a brother and friend of 60 years.

Karl~ you are and always will be in my heart. A rare combination of intellect, humor, style and grace. I am reading some of our many emails and most of the jokes are still corny. But funny. Rest well, heaven just got a rising star.

Gail and family
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Memorial Service. 
Karl was always the living example we all hope to achieve during our lifetime. He was living proof that the ideals and teachings of Scouting and the Order of the Arrow can be realized and put into practice.
I will always cherish his presence.
Please know that many join  you and your daughters in feeling the grief of his passing.

Karl you  were such a presence in our lives. From P.S. 238  to Madison to Brooklyn College to the Frat House parties
Our trips with you and Gail are memorable
 We will miss you.

Hello Karl,

It is so hard to believe that we have known each other for over 60 years.

Needless to say I will miss our rememberances about our years at KOTOHKE at TMR.

Karl was my science teacher in 7th and 9th grade from 1962-1965. He was the best teacher and a friend who, with Gail, would sometimes take me and my friend to school when he saw us waiting at the bus stop over two miles away.  It is weird, but I just happened to think of him this weekend.  I am so sorry to read of his passing and I offer my sincere condolences to Karl's family.  To a 13-year-old boy 50 years ago, he was model of what an adult male could be.

The best big brother a girl could have. I love you and miss you. There is a big hole in my heart.

It was our great pleasure to have known Karl Bernstein.

Karl was a great Scout leader, a wonderful person and an extraordinary friend.  He has made many lives better, always sharing himself with those he met and were lucky enough to call him his friend.  I will always remember and miss him.

Dear Karl, we all had great times together. You were a great friend. Miss you. Xoxo

Karl Bernstein was my colleague in  CSD # 18.  We had many fun times even with "official" business.    Bright, dedicated, caring....all that but most importantly a "mensch".  Sincere condolences to his family,   Jerry Tiegel, St. Paul, MN.

karl you will be missed greatly by so many. 
On a personal note, you made my Italian class interesting and brought your love of opera to our class. Our many dinners and Italian excursions were always fun and interesting thanks to your humor, intelligence and love for learning. 
Peter and I would not have met if it weren't for your continued encouragement to meet. We will truly miss you.

Karl was a wonderful friend and brother.  I met him more than 50 years ago in the O/A and also through his brother Ivan in APO at Brooklyn College.  His cheerfulness and humor will be missed.  I always knew when I ran into Karl I would hear a funny story or joke.  Our  brother Karl will be sorely missed.

Your humor & wisdom will be greatly missed! Always in our hearts Uncle Karl... Xo

Dear Karl,
Will always remember our good times at the beach. Although you never did take your socks or sneakers off unless Harris wanted to go into the ocean. Your warm smile will be sorely missed.

It was a pleasure meeting you from our brotherhood lodge,wishing you WWW always. May the great scoutmaster watch over you and all of us.

June 9, 2014

You will be sorely missed. I cherish the friendship we had, sharing similar thoughts, life experiences, your caring attitude and your quick wit. If the purpose of life for being on this planet is to give service to others, you're capacity to care is what gives your life its deepest meaning and significance. 
-Don Zwerling

Thank you for the knowledge you bestowed on me as a child. However I thank you more for your friendship as an adult. Rest safe with HaShem.

Loraine Benjamin

Karl was a treasure to all that knew him. Built into his ways was the Scout Oath and Law..especially to "Help other people at all times"..To watch him in action at an Eagle Scout Review Board was a treat. He really engaged the Eagle Scout Candidate and challenged him to think and to share his thoughts and aspirations..and that is just a sample of Karl doing his "Good Trun Daily"
 Hal Rosenfeld

Karl always had a good word and a funny story- he was in the same middle school as my dad back in Brooklyn and I enjoyed hearing about it. His support as a fellow Scout was always appreciated. Thoughts and prayers to the family. Michael H. Moskowitz

Dr.B what can I say? You were the best teacher and my favorite teacher. I was always thrilled to read your comments on my Facebook posts, knowing that you took a few moments.
With your passing, a bright shining star has gone out.  
You will be sorely missed.

To my eldest cousin ... I will always miss you. Eleanor

Karl, I will never forget what an amazing person you were.  I am sorry to hear that you are gone.  You were a large influence in my life.  I will miss your sense of humor and great jokes you sent me.

I will miss you, never forget you and always respect you. You were the one person that always had a smile. You loved Scouting more than anyone I knew. Heaven has their Chief.

OBITUARY

Karl Bernstein

July 20, 1934 – June 7, 2014

Boulevard-Riverside Chapels

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