1932 – 2022
The following remembrances of Dick were sent to us by scholar-members of the New University in Exile Consortium, who came to know Dick as the first leader of our weekly scholar seminar, and as a cherished friend and mentor. Dick was on the steering committee of the Consortium from its beginning and was a devoted supporter of all the Consortium does. He was my cherished colleague, my beloved friend, my wise counselor, and my cheerleader. I will miss him for the rest of my life.
-Arien Mack
I am devastated to hear the sad news. Please accept my condolences. He admired you (Arien) and the Consortium! I think of the day we first met in September 2018. In addition to all you have done and continue to do for us and the Consortium, I am grateful to you for allowing us to call Dick our mentor, colleague, and friend. I loved and respected him very much. He was very supportive, writing letters to every single application I submitted over the years and reading everything I sent him. He cared deeply about us and our work. I do not know how he could be so humble.
After our first online meeting, I started reading his books, and since then, whenever I get stuck on writing, I read a few sentences of his first. Just reading his words, even if the topic has nothing to do with what I was about to write, has inspired me. I was planning to invite him to an online conversation this spring semester but did not want to bother him because he was not feeling well. I will miss him a lot.
– Nazan Bedirhanoglu
My feelings about this sad news echo Nazan’s. I wish that I had spent more effort interacting with Dick so that I could have learned more from him. His unconditional support for us helped us to get where we are now. We’ll be always indebted to him.
His son’s letter is not only very touching but also highly illustrative of his optimistic perspective on life, which is a lesson in itself… We will never forget him.
We (or, at least, I) have been on the receiving end of our relationship with Dick. Thus, I see his presence in our lives as a form of intergenerational reciprocity that comes with a mission: helping out intellectuals to keep the dark forces off the path humanity has been walking on for centuries.
I feel very lucky and grateful that I had the opportunity to meet him. Please accept my sincere condolences.
-Utku Balaban
That’s really sad news. My deepest condolences to his family members and you and all academic community. May his soul rest in peace.
-Abdulgaleel Ahmed
So sorry to hear the passing of Dick; it’s so sad. He was so generous to spare his time for us, and will always be remembered with his vivid attitude, comments, feedback, and jokes. Please accept my condolences, and please pass my regards to his family too if you can. –
-Bengi Gümrükçü
How sad this is! How lucky I was to have discussed with him. All my condolences, to you, to his friends and to his family.
-Mustafa Alabsi
I’m very, very sorry. Dick was one of the most open-minded, intellectual, and extraordinary people I have ever known.
-Cem Özatalay
I am really sorry for your loss. May his soul rest in peace, my deep condolences! What a huge loss! Kind regards,
-Nahed Ghazzoul
God bless him. As for as I know from his son notice, he was one of those who always served humanity and I believed that his place is in heaven. Kind regards,
-Ajmal Sabawoon
These are very sad news indeed. I’m deeply sorry to hear that, and Dick will be missed greatly.
-Gaudêncio Fidelis
I’m so sorry for your loss (our loss); Richard Bernstein was a great scholar and human being. My deepest condolences. May he rest in peace.
-Basileus Zeno
I am sorry to hear, I am sure his demise is a great loss to the academic community. May his soul rest in peace.
-Crystal Bayat
Such big loss, such sad news! Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues.
-Simten Cosar
I’m so sorry to hear that. My deepest sympathy for your loss. Rest in peace.
-Rand Abou Ackl
My sincere condolences. May his soul rest in peace.
-Omar Sharifi
I am deeply saddened to hear about Dick Bernstein’s death. It was a privilege and honor for me to meet him and join the first seminar he led. He was really a wonderful philosopher/teacher and generous person. He will be greatly missed. I want to pass along my sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
-Savaş Ergül
Oh, that is very sad. It is a great loss indeed. May his soul rest in peace!
-Mohammed Muharram
There are no words that can express our deep sorrow at Professor Richard J. Bernstein’s death. His innovative approach to philosophy and his energy in teaching are in our thoughts. May his memory be a blessing! Love,
-Tomasz Kitliski & Pawel Leszkowicz
We are very sorry for his death. What a privilege to be able to meet him through our seminars and to be able to enjoy his mind and clear speeches from him. Without knowing him very well, I think we came to esteem him as a great academic and a better person. May he rest in peace.
–Jose Daniel and Maria Auxiliadora
I’m so sorry for this loss. His image is in mind. My condolences for his family, friends, colleagues, and us.
-Ahmed Kzzo
My deepest sympathies to Dick’s family and friends. I met Dick when I joined the New University in Exile Consortium in 2019 as a staff member. I am honored to have known him and learned from him during our weekly Scholars’ Seminars. He was incredibly generous with his time, and never without a kind word and a sincere smile. He was thoughtful, thought provoking, and a wise mentor to us all. We will miss him greatly.
-Nicole Tuszynski
I am so sad to hear this news. He is so kind and supportive. I love him. May his soul rest in peace. Kind regards,
-Sreang Heng
My sincere condolences to this family for the passing on of Professor Richard Bernstein. While his soul Rest In Peace, he has left an indelible mark in the hearts of many and so he lives on forever.
-Henry Meriki
I am so sorry for Dick’s loss. My deepest condolences to Dick’s relativities and friends who grieve his passing. Respectfully,
-Gubad Ibadoghlu
I am so sorry for your loss. It is very sad news to hear about this. Please accept my deepest condolences. May he rest in peace. Best regards,
-Mohammad Alahmad
Remembering Professor Richard Bernstein – Our first mentor at the New University in Exile Consortium (NUIEC)
We received the news of the passing away of Professor Richard Bernstein on 4 July 2022. Knowing Dick as we all who know him, he had to leave all of us on America’s Independence Day. He went off from this world just like he always is, warm, witty, gentle and full of life. Our hearts wept at his passing away and like a rainbow after the rains, thinking about him also made us smile as he left behind a beautiful legacy that will remain a part of us and our lives.
For the first 13 those of us who were the first Fellows of the New University in Exile Consortium, we first met Professor Bernstein in 2018 at the launch dinner at The New School and we were truly touched by his kindness, compassion and humility with which be became our first mentor. He told us that the first seminars of NUIEC be designed by us – scholars in exile, in a manner that best suit us. The first few months of the NUIEC thus became what I would call “Caring and sharing sessions” where we listened to one another’s stories of trail, tribulations and our ways of overcoming them. I learned about what’s happening in Syria, Turkey, Iran and other countries and bonded with stories I heard. No other NUIEC session that came after him was ever the same again. Even after his seminars with us were over, Professor Bernstein did not leave us and continued to be a part, helping us at every step of our fledgling lives and existence – whether it was correcting our papers, writing references etc.
When in 2019, I hosted a book launch at the New York Public Library near MoMA, Professor Bernstein was the first with his wife to arrive and stayed with us till the end. He always supported us in the most caring way. Till March 2022, we communicated as he always cared and was concerned for us. Always supportive, kind and witty, he will be truly and dearly missed.
Rest in eternal wit, Professor Bernstein. You were a teacher, a mentor, a human extraordinaire. We will carry on life’s unfinished struggles, so that you can smile from the heavens and continue to tell us, “I know that this one will bring about a revolution.”
In deep condolences to Professor Bernstein’s family and all who loved and knew him dearly. Sincerely Yours,
-Binalakshmi Nepram
My sincere condolences. I am deeply saddened. Unfortunately I didn’t get to know him as well as others, but in each meeting I was able to join his presence was invaluable.
-Meltem Toksoz
I add my condolences to the loss of someone I’ve known about from afar as a major philosopher for many years and then finally got to meet and know. Please convey my condolences to his widow whom we met and saw frequently. Dick was a good mentor to our group and to me personally. Regards,
-Kian Tajbakhsh
My deepest condolences! Although I didn’t know him, aside from seeing him at our meetings, Dick seemed like a good man.
-Mabruk Derbesh
Please accept my deepest condolences. May he rest in peace. Respectfully,
-Mehmet Ari
I am very saddened to hear of his passing. My deepest condolences to you and to all his colleagues and friends. May his soul rest in peace and may his teachings remain a mark of his legacy and continue to inspire us all.
-Sameer Samadi