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Photo from Troutman Pepper Locke<\/p>\nBy Ellen Braunstein<\/p>\n
Photo from Troutman Pepper Locke<\/p>\n
Bennett L. Aaron, a Philadelphia attorney who spent more than six decades helping families plan for the future while also becoming a leading figure in the region\u2019s Jewish community, died on June 1 at his Bryn Mawr home surrounded by family. He was 92.<\/p>\n
Aaron served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, led Main Line congregations, helped guide Jewish educational institutions and remained an active advocate for Israel well into his later years.<\/p>\n
Colleagues, family members and community leaders remembered him as a trusted adviser, patient consensus-builder and devoted family man whose influence extended far beyond his legal practice.<\/p>\n
Born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, Aaron grew up in the Fort Greene neighborhood as the younger son of Rabbi Isadore Aaron and Betty Aaron. He and his older brother, Joseph, shared a tiny bedroom in the family\u2019s brownstone and spent their days playing stickball at a firehouse next door.<\/p>\n
As the son of a Conservative rabbi, Aaron\u2019s childhood was closely tied to Jewish life. He often accompanied his father to synagogue services, weddings, funerals and other life-cycle events.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad described a happy childhood,\u201d said his son, Steve Aaron.<\/p>\n
Family members said those experiences exposed him early to the importance of service, community and helping people through life\u2019s most significant moments.<\/p>\n
Aaron graduated from high school at 16 before attending Columbia University and later Columbia Law School. He also received a master\u2019s degree from New York University.<\/p>\n
His future wife entered his life through a family connection.<\/p>\n
Aaron\u2019s parents co-owned Camp Dellwood in the Pocono Mountains near Honesdale, Pennsylvania. In 1953, his mother recruited a Penn State student named Carol Perlmann to work as a counselor at the camp. Bennett and Carol met that summer, became engaged the following year and married in June 1955. Their marriage lasted more than 70 years and together they raised Margie, Steven, Morrie and Roberta, who died in 2003.<\/p>\n
Steve Aaron said the couple shared a love of travel, family and community involvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just worked very well together as partners,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was a real mutual respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating from law school, Aaron moved to Philadelphia in 1958 for his first legal position. He quickly embraced both the city and its Jewish community.<\/p>\n
Aaron began his career in trusts and estates law and eventually joined the firm that became Pepper Hamilton, now Troutman Pepper Locke. Over the years, he developed a reputation for helping families navigate major decisions involving estates, succession planning and family businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he really viewed himself as a family counselor, not just their lawyer,\u201d said son Morrie Aaron.<\/p>\n
Clients often stayed with him for decades. Family members said his success came from listening carefully, understanding family dynamics and maintaining personal relationships long after legal documents had been completed.<\/p>\n
Steve Aaron recalled that his father preferred phone calls and face-to-face meetings over technology. He never adopted computers and was known at the office for relying largely on a desk phone and dictation machine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thrived on those personal connections,\u201d Steve Aaron said.<\/p>\n
Aaron also devoted substantial time to mentoring younger attorneys. Lawyers who worked with him remembered his generosity, professionalism and emphasis on treating everyone with respect.<\/p>\n
Morrie Aaron said his father approached colleagues, administrative staff and firm leadership with equal courtesy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe spent the time and put in the care to make sure that people got the mentoring and support that they needed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Outside the office, Aaron became deeply involved in Jewish communal life.<\/p>\n
His early volunteering began at Adath Israel on the Main Line, where he served in congregational leadership and later as synagogue president. He also played leadership roles at Har Zion Temple, Jewish educational institutions including Solomon Schechter Day School and numerous philanthropic organizations.<\/p>\n
His work eventually expanded to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, where he served as president in the mid-1980s and remained active for decades afterward. Family members said he was known for encouraging collaboration, listening carefully to differing viewpoints and helping organizations identify long-term priorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the kind of person that would help create vision and allow everybody to be heard,\u201d Morrie Aaron said.<\/p>\n
Support for Israel remained central throughout his life. Aaron and his wife traveled there frequently on Federation and communal missions. Beyond Philadelphia, he served for 12 years on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, chaired its Controllers Committee for nine years and later served as chairman of the United Israel Appeal from 1999 to 2003.<\/p>\n
Steve Aaron said his father viewed Israel as both a homeland for the Jewish people and a symbol of resilience and hope.<\/p>\n
Even as mobility became more difficult in his 90s, Aaron continued participating in Federation meetings, often joining remotely on Zoom with his wife\u2019s assistance. Family members said he remained active in communal affairs almost until the end of his life.
At home, Aaron was known for family traditions, sports fandom and a signature greeting.<\/p>\n
A lifelong tennis player, he spent Saturday mornings on the courts and later became a devoted supporter of Philadelphia sports teams despite his Brooklyn Dodgers roots.<\/p>\n
Family members said his enthusiasm for life was often evident in the way he always greeted people.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello there!\u201d Aaron would say, a phrase family members said became one of his trademarks.
Relatives said Aaron\u2019s greatest pride came not from professional accomplishments or communal recognition but from his family. They described him as a loving husband, father and grandfather who celebrated the achievements of others and remained deeply invested in their lives.<\/p>\n
Steve Aaron said his father measured success by service \u2014 to clients, community and family.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a public servant,\u201d Steve Aaron said. \u201cThat was in his DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking back on his father\u2019s life, Steve Aaron said what stood out most was not a single accomplishment but the way he approached each day.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe really didn\u2019t waste a day,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery day was precious.\u201d<\/p>\n