Howard Donald Hoffman ’68

Howard Donald Hoffman ’68 passed away on December 27, 2024, in Denver. Howard came to Dartmouth from George Washington High School in Denver. At Dartmouth he was active in intramural athletics, majored in religion, and was a member of Pi Lambda Phi. During college Howard experienced an awakened connection with Jewish thought and action both at home and through Denver Rabbi Samuel Adelman. He spent many months in Israel, including during the Six-Day War in June of 1967. After graduation he earned an advanced degree in psychology from Antioch, focusing on psychodrama. In a tribute a lifelong friend spoke of Howard’s sensitivity to the plight of people in distress and as someone who took skills from his graduate work into prisons to reform and rehabilitate incarcerated youth. Returning to Denver, Howard studied with innovative Rabbi Shloime ben Tzion Twerski, who inspired an interest in Jewish and Chassidic tradition. Howard also had many encounters with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, by whom he was ordained. Howard became a disciple of Polish Hassidic Rabbi Kalonymous Shapira, “the Warsaw Ghetto rebbe,” and preached the rabbi’s views and took congregants to the Pale and Poland exploring their roots. A Muslim colleague described Howard as a profound spiritual leader, educator, and advocate for peace whose life was a testament to the power of compassion and dialogue in bridging divides and fostering understanding. He is survived by his wife, Sarilyn; sons Ari, Joshua, and Chanan; and eight grandchildren.