Sam Bercovich is a great man whom I have had the good fortune to get to know through my work at MAGNES.Sam's in his nineties. He's also a member of my synagogue Temple Beth Abraham. In fact, the shul ain't named for the Jewish Patriarch, it's named after Sam's grandfather Abe.
We got together again, because Fred Isaac is working on a book for Arcadia Publishing about the Jews of the East Bay. Fred went to talk to Sam and take some pictures.
Below are a pix from my phone. I'll add more captions over time. Sam helped to found the original Oakland Raiders, so you'll see him below with Jim Plunkett and Sam's Super Bowl ring -- three diamonds for three wins.
Sam's family was in the furniture business and Sam Bercovich, perhaps most famously and of which he is most proud, also created the Oakland youth leagues that helped Frank Robinson and Curt Flood and others get their start. One of the drawn portraits of Sam below is by Curt Flood and done when Flood was in high school.
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