Lerner, Bernice 1956-

views updated

LERNER, Bernice 1956-

PERSONAL:

Born January 6, 1956, in NY; daughter of Sidney and Ruth (a sales associate) Mermelstein; married Joel Lerner (an attorney), August 10, 1980; children: Amy Beth, Joshua Noah. Education: State University of New York at Stony Brook, B.S. (summa cum laude), 1977; Jewish Theological Seminary, M.A., 1980; Boston University, Ed.D., 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Newton, MA. Office—Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, Boston University, 621 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Elementary schoolteacher, 1975-91; Hebrew College, North Newton, MA, director of continuing education, 1991-98; Boston University, Boston, MA, Margaret McKenna fellow, 1998-99, director of professional development at Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, 2001-03, acting director of the center, 2003-05, director, 2005—, lecturer in education, 2003—. Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, leadership development associate for United Jewish Appeal, 1980-83; Bureau of Jewish Education, community and family education coordinator, 1988-91; Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, member of academic advisory committee; conference presenter and public speaker on character education; guest on television and radio programs; consultant.

MEMBER:

Sherman Seminar for Outstanding Professionals.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Sidney Hillson Memorial Prize for Achievement in Jewish Education, 1998.

WRITINGS:

The Triumph of Wounded Souls: Seven Holocaust Survivors' Lives, University of Notre Dame Press (Notre Dame, IN), 2004.

(Editor, with Karen Bohlin) Great Lives, Vital Lessons: A Curriculum Resource for Grades 5-9, Character Development Group (Greensboro, NC), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including Character and Education Week.

SIDELIGHTS:

Bernice Lerner told CA: "I am the daughter of Holocaust survivors. This fact motivates much of my work. My first book, The Triumph of Wounded Souls: Seven Holocaust Survivors' Lives, includes narrative chapters that describe the trajectory of seven Holocaust survivors who became academicians. The book I am currently working on is a biography of the liberator of Bergen-Belsen: Brigadier Hugh Llewelyn Glyn Hughes. These projects answer philosophical questions pertaining to individuals' lives. They are also closely related to my work at the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University's School of Education.

"Writing, for me, is a craft. I spend a great deal of time in search of the right word, in constructing the perfect sentence. One should only undertake a study that fascinates—research is like detective work. One challenge is deciding what to include in a book. I often find myself drowning in compelling data."