Friends, family, members of the Jewish community, and colleagues from the prominent New Jersey law firm he cofounded in 1961 celebrated the life and times of Alan V. Lowenstein May 31 at Prudential Hall at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Lowenstein, who died May 8 at the age of 93 after a long illness, was a past president of what became United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ as well as a civic leader who helped rewrite Newark's charter.

For more than two hours, relatives and close associates of the lawyer-philanthropist took turns at the podium, recalling a man whose life was permeated by a sense of justice.

It was an afternoon punctuated by fond memories and frequent laughter, with close friends sharing the stage with Lowenstein's sons, daughter, and grandchildren.

Welcoming the audience to the service, Marcia Lowenstein hailed her father-in-law as an attorney, Jewish leader, and civic activist who used his skills "to help him face the challenges that aging brought."

Michael Rodburg, managing director of Lowenstein Sandler, the 250-attorney firm in Roseland founded by Lowenstein, spoke of his joining the firm as a young associate fresh out of law school.

Recalling his own youthful appearance with "lots of long hair" before he graduated law school, Rodburg told of the way Lowenstein recruited him. "I asked questions about the firm and Alan answered in the way he would speak of a young offspring — excited and with great pride."

Earlier, Rodburg told NJJN about a case Lowenstein handled against a large Boston firm that represented B. Altman department stores against a smaller store using the Altman name.

The larger firm "was about to run this little guy out of his name. They didn't want any competition from the name ‘Altman' in New Jersey. You can see in the letters from Alan that the opposing counsel's tone went from arrogance to being persuaded. In the end, he thanked Alan and told him that the Altman in Newark could continue to use his name for as long as he wanted.

"That was Alan Lowenstein — amicable, with no litigation — just the force of words and persuasion representing the right side and moving people," said Rodburg. "I never would have wanted to be his adversary in a courtroom."

Kenneth Zimmerman, the current counsel to NJ Gov. Jon Corzine, recalled how Lowenstein, a founder of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, recruited him to become its executive director.

Zimmerman joked about one of the older man's few weaknesses, his lack of skill at driving a car. During Zimmerman's first week on the job, Lowenstein chauffeured him around Newark.

"It was a somewhat inauspicious start, since that first week he almost killed me, literally," said Zimmerman. "I still haven't figured out if it was designed to test my ability to withstand stress or maintain focus in the face of danger."

Jonathan Spitz, principal cellist with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra,
performs a selection of Bach cello pieces that were favorites of Lowenstein.

Dr. Victor Parsonnet, chair of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, called Lowenstein — a key supporter of the orchestra — "a dear man who gave me great support, to which I remain most grateful."

Parsonnet is also a physician who is the grandson and namesake of a key founder of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

Roger Lowenstein, one of Alan's sons, described his South Orange upbringing in the 1950s as "kind of like ‘Father Knows Best' on steroids." The audience roared with laughter.

He spoke of his father as a young man meeting a variety of impressive figures, from Supreme Court Justices Felix Frankfurter and Louis Brandeis to anarchist leader Emma Goldman.

Roger recalled his father struggling to keep the family afloat during the Depression. "He was an amazing optimist" who converted his firing from one law firm into the opportunity to form another one. Lowenstein spent much of his time at pro bono work, "giving back to others who don't have that opportunity and are less fortunate," said his son.

His daughter, Jane Forsyth, offered a reminiscence tinged with both humor and sadness. "I know Dad believed one's death is a natural part of life, but it is clear to me that he saw dying as not doing anybody any good, a waste of time when one could be doing something more productive," she said.

Forsyth shared a childhood memory of her father running down the street after her with a raincoat over his bathrobe. "He was trying to get me to go to Hebrew school," she said. "He was not a religious person but I never questioned his determination."

Grandson Adam Lowenstein read from some of the preambles his grandfather wrote and read aloud each year before the Passover seder he hosted. "He valued his freedom as an American Jew," said the young man before reading Alan Lowenstein's words from the 1987 ceremony. They spoke about the United States "having provided the opportunity to fulfill the ideas and the dreams of the Jewish people as never before in history, and the dedication to the freedom of all mankind, the development of intellect as man's highest capabilities, and finally, the fulfillment of a rich family life to be shared by all generations."

Following a voluminous slide show of Lowenstein and his family that dated back more than a century, Linda Kohl of Short Hills, president of the Metro New Jersey chapter of the American Jewish Committee, told NJJN, "Alan was an extraordinary man who was gifted with so many virtues and an ability to mix his intellectual values with his great family life."

Kohl had been a friend of Lowenstein for 45 years, from the time her husband, Bennett, joined the firm.

Allen Levithan met Lowenstein in 1972 when he joined the firm. Like Bennett Kohl, he rose to become a partner in the firm. But even as a young associate, Levithan recalled, he was regarded "as a colleague and a fellow professional. He always was gracious and cordial and treated everyone with dignity and informality."

Lowenstein, who was predeceased by his wife, Amy, is also survived by his son John.

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Alan V. Lowenstein
Career Highlights

1914: Born in Newark

1945: Chaired committee creating the Jewish Community Council of Essex County

1950: President, Jewish Community Council of Essex County

1953: Head, Newark's Charter Revision Commission

1961: Founded Lowenstein Sandler

1963-71: Chairman, New Jersey Corporation Law Revision Commission

1970-73: President, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

1999: Founder, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice