Leonard Bernstein was one of the world’s most popular and talented conductor and composer. He established himself as one of the most important conductors of the 20th century. He was also a skilled pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. He was a recipient of many honors and awards. He was a 16-time Grammy Award-winner, 7-time Emmy Award-winner, and 2-time Tony Award-winner.
Leonard Bernstein had received dozens of honorary degrees and awards from colleges and universities. He received the MacDowell Colony’s Gold Medal, and medals from the Beethoven Society and the Mahler Gesellschaft. He is a member of both the American Theater Hall of Fame and the Television Hall of Fame. He received the Kennedy Center Honor in the 1980s.
Who Are Leonard Bernstein’s Parents?
Leonard Bernstein was born Louis Bernstein on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. His fame and success have dragged his parents into the limelight. Several people around the world are interested in getting to know all about Leonard including his humble beginnings. His parents’ names are among the most searched names on the internet.
Well, Leonard’s parents are Russian immigrants Jennie Bernstein (née Resnick) and Samuel Joseph Bernstein. Although he was named Louis as his grandmother had insisted, his parents Jennie and Samuel always called him Leonard. His friends and several other people called him “Lenny”. However, at age 18, he legally changed his first name to Leonard shortly after his grandmother’s death.
Leonard’s parents Jennie and Samuel independently immigrated from Rivne (now located in Ukraine) to the United States. Leonard was not the only child Jennie and Samuel had. They had two other children Shirley Bernstein and Burton Bernstein. The family lived in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, in a community of mostly Eastern European Jewish immigrants.
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Jennie and Samuel had a difficult time while Leonard was growing up as he was asthmatic and was a sickly infant.
Who Was Leonard Bernstein’s Mother, Jennie Resnick?
Jennie Resnick was born on 21 March 1898, in Ukraine. She was the daughter of Samuel Resnick and Pearl Zorfas Resnick. She was Jewish. She had reportedly given up her dreams of teaching to work in a textile mill. She met and married Samuel Joseph Bernstein. The two reportedly got married on 28 October 1917, in Lawrence, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.
Their marriage was blessed with three children, Leonard Bernstein, Shirley Bernstein, and Burton Bernstein. The Bernstein siblings remained close their entire lives. Jennie was a very supportive wife and mother. She loved and cared for all her children.
Leonard Bernstein’s Mother Died After Suffering A Stroke
Leonard Bernstein’s mother Jennie Resnick passed away on 29 December 1992, in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. She was 94 years of age at the time she died. She died after suffering a stroke. According to Findagrave, she is buried at Temple Mishkan Tefila Memorial Park, West Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.
Who Was Leonard Bernstein’s Father, Samuel Joseph Bernstein?
Samuel ‘Sam’ Joseph Bernstein was born Shmuel Yosef Bernstein on January 05, 1892, in Ukraine. Idel Bernstein and Dinah Bernstein were his parents. He was Jewish. He worked at a fish market and a barber shop. He ventured into the beauty parlor supply business and worked for Frankel and Smith Co.
Samuel landed a promotion becoming the branch manager in Boston. He later decided to establish his own company. He owned The Samuel Bernstein Hair and Beauty Supply Company. He was a life member of the board of trustees of the Lubavitz Yeshiva. He was a member of Temple Mishkan Tefila and a former vice president, treasurer, board member, and chairman of its school committee.
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Samuel was a member of the Zionist Organization of America and was active in Israel Bond drives and affairs of Brandeis University. Initially, Samuel opposed and made efforts to discourage his son Leonard Bernstein’s interest in music. He refused to pay for Leonard’s piano lessons. Eventually, Samuel’s attitude softened.
Samuel Joseph Bernstein became supportive of his son’s musical interest. During Leonard’s teenage years, his father Samuel took him to orchestral concerts and supported his music education.
Leonard Bernstein’s Father Died In 1969
Samuel Joseph Bernstein died at age 77, on 30 April 1969, in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. His son Leonard Bernstein said that his father “made it impossible for his children not to love learning”, as he paid tribute to his father. Leonard sat down at the piano and played a tune he had written called, “Meditation on a Prayerful Theme My Father Sang in the Shower Thirty Years Ago.”
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