Peter B. Friedman was often greeted by his grandchildren with, “Lift me up!” recalled his daughter Margalit Segal. But their grandfather’s life’s work had always been lifting others up–out of poverty, danger, and ignorance. Friedman passed away on June 30; he was 76.

For 47 years, Friedman worked at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago, rising from associate director to executive vice president in the department of Planning and Allocations. This department manages the allocation of resources to address identified community needs through a system of local, national and overseas agencies.

“He would have loved this” gathering of his friends and colleagues, Segal said at Friedman’s funeral, “but he never would have wanted it to be about himself.”

Younger daughter Shoshana Friedman was grateful that her father had been able to attend her wedding, just two weeks prior to his death; she thanked her parents for modeling a successful marriage.

“He was vital, loving, and authentic,” she said of her father. “It is a privilege to be around such love.” Shoshana had followed her father’s footsteps, interning at JUF in the summer of 2002, and serving as a Program Associate for the TOV Volunteer Network for nearly two years in the mid-2000s.

A native of Philadelphia, Friedman was a Cum Laude graduate of Williams College in Political Science. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D.– on “Jewish Philanthropic Leadership and Policy”– at the University of Chicago.

Among Friedman’s many academic achievements, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Fulbright Scholar at the Free University of Berlin, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and a winner of the Fuerstenberg Award. Later, he lectured at Northeastern Illinois University and was adjunct faculty at Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies. But he never stopped learning; he attended many classes in Jewish subjects throughout his life.

Just before his passing, he completed a Hebrew ulpan (immersion course) in Israel. Passionate about the language, he had already helped establish Hebrew education in many Chicago-area public schools.

Friedman was a devoted family man; his wife Andrea called him “the kindest man in the world.” But the family knew he had another true love– “Feddy,” as the Friedman family nicknamed Peter’s beloved Federation.

The affection was mutual. Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, JUF Executive Vice Chairman, mourned his colleague of 47 years, and a “dear, loyal, and true friend.” He praised Friedman as “a walking storehouse of knowledge” who also “brought out the best in people.”

Friedman came to the institution in 1972, and was involved in community planning for Federation for over 40 years. For the last seven, he was Senior Planning Advisor. He even met his wife through his work; Andrea, whom he married in 1976, worked at the Jewish Vocational Service, a JUF-supported agency.

Amongst national Federations, he was the Dean of Planning Directors and his contribution to the Jewish people was extraordinarily significant, Nasatir said.

Locally, Friedman led four comprehensive Jewish population studies of the Chicago Jewish community over four decades. By overseeing the launch of J-HELP, he helped steer the community through the recession of the late 2000s.

Friedman championed the idea of collaboration. He enhanced Federation’s partnerships with synagogues and with other religious communities’ philanthropies, the United Way, and the YMCA/YWCA. His relationships with professionals and volunteers alike made their projects possible. “Peter’s ideas and his energy for projects, large and small, were always about the collective ideal,” said Nasatir.

Friedman’s work had international impact as well. He was directly involved in the resettlement of 30,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union by Chicago’s Jewish community, made possible by Operation Exodus. He developed partnerships with Federation’s counterparts in Israel, strengthening human services and education in Israel–and relationships between Israelis and Chicagoans.

Appreciating the benefits of his own education, Friedman grew scholarship programs for college, graduate school, and Israel programs. And he helped expand funding for Jewish day schools.

Personally hiring and mentoring hundreds of professionals in Jewish communal work, Friedman was a pioneer in the field of Jewish communal service. In 2011, he received the Mandelkorn Award for Distinguished Service from the Jewish Communal Service Association/AJCOP.

“He was absolutely committed to making sure that the next generations of staff feel excited to be part of Federation and spent time with younger staff to share his knowledge and provide mentorship,” said Nasatir.

“It was Peter’s view that one should get involved, be a member of the community, and keep the Jewish people strong,” Nasatir said. “The Jewish Federation of Chicago is stronger today because of Peter Friedman, and we will miss him dearly.”

Friedman is survived by his wife Andrea (nee Levin), his daughters Margalit (Nathaniel) Segal and Shoshana (Avner Warner), and his grandchildren, Asher, Avital, and Gideon Segal. He is also survived by his siblings, Ellen and Steven (Marcie) Friedman of Philadelphia and his mother-in-law Jan (the late Frank) Levin.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Paul S. Friedman Fund at JUF.