JOE ESKENAZI
Bulletin Staff
When he was growing up in the coal-mining town of Scranton, Pa., Larry Myers' contribution to the Jewish community was beating the tar out of local bullies who preyed upon his buddies.
At 78, Myers' days as "somewhat of a good amateur boxer" are far behind him -- but his advocacy on behalf of the Jewish community is not. In fact, "slap around bullies" may be the only entry not found in the fund-raiser's legendary date book.
"You ought to take a photo of his appointment book. There are amazing color codes that, believe me, no other person in the world could understand," said Nate Levine, executive director of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and Myers' friend for 20 years. "He's one of the most effective people; he does so much and does it in a genial kind of way. Plus, his organizational skills are really pretty amazing. Get a look at that little day calendar and you see how he gets so much done."
Myers, a two-time JCC board president who helped pull the organization out of a financial black hole in the mid-1990s, will be its guest of honor at a gathering on Wednesday. The event also marks a public launching of the JCC's capital campaign to raise the remaining $6.3 million needed to rebuild the JCC's home, which it has outgrown. Working with major donors, the JCC already has $63.7 million in the bank.
"I was president of the JCC more than 30 years ago the first time around," recalled Myers, a longtime San Francisco resident and member of Congregation Emanu-El. "Even in those days, the building was inadequate and outmoded and worn out. We've been living with it for a long time."
In the lengthy interim between his two terms as JCC president, Myers managed to land the presidency or at least a board membership on almost every Jewish organization in the region. Among many other positions, he has served as president of San Francisco's Jewish Home and Menorah Park, and, like two of his uncles, is a past president of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. He has also served on the boards of Mount Zion Hospital and the Jewish Community Endowment Fund.
Myers' ability to put in 60-hour weeks as a "semi-professional volunteer" began when he sold his construction equipment business in 1964 at age 42. The skills that allowed him to flourish as a businessman translated well into his Jewish community work, especially in the field of fund-raising.
"He's very hard to say no to," said Don Sweet, JCC vice president and a friend of Myers' for the past 45 years. "Larry's very, very smart, and not afraid to go to work. He gets to the core of an issue. Because he's so giving in anything you go to him for, when he asks you for something, how can you say no?"
Apparently, not many can.
"He was able to secure support from foundations we had never received support from," recalled longtime JCC board member Gail Mondry of Myers' second presidential term. "He basically mobilized community support for the center. I remember he arranged a meeting at the center and a lot of people who probably hadn't been in the building for years came, largely because he'd asked them to. I don't think anybody on the board could have done what he did. He was the catalyst, definitely."
As a fund-raiser, Myers often leads by example
"He has credibility -- you cannot be a good fund-raiser without credibility," said Jerry Braun, his friend of over 40 years. "So when he goes to talk to someone, usually he's prepared to say, 'Here's what I've done.' Because of his generosity of spirit and kindness, both translate themselves into generosity of material things. He gives generously of his wealth."
Myers has been a particularly strong advocate for older adults since long before he became one. He was the co-founder of the federally subsidized Menorah Park senior housing facility in 1979, serving as its first president. He also spearheaded the fund-raising drive for the Rhoda Goldman Plaza assisted living facility. Both are in San Francisco.
"I still feel frustration, because we could use more Menorah Parks," said Myers. "We have 150 units of housing, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
"I was talking to a lady the other day who had exhausted all of her funds and was in a position where she slept in the morning until it got warmer because she didn't want to turn the heat on. The energy crisis is striking at people who are on limited incomes. So I see the elderly as being under continuous pressure."
In a 1988 Bulletin article, Myers said he hoped his legacy would be: "someone who extended himself to the nth degree for our community." In the past 13 years, his outlook has remained the same.
"I'm winding down, but I'm still very active. I'd like to feel I left no stone unturned to help my fellow man," he said. "I'm no angel -- I'm just a guy that feels a great passion for helping people."