Remembering Ira in Memorium
Oct 6, 2004 12:03 PM
IRA KURLAND TESTIMONIALS
I was devastated to hear of the sudden and untimely death of Ira Kurland. If he thought a person's request had merit he would take it on and not stop until the situation was resolved. When he saw injustice or the misuse of power he tried to right it. He worked long hours and went the extra mile for the people he represented. He helped me more than once. I last spoke to him on Wednesday 9/11 which turned out to be his last day of work. His pleasant personality and wish to help people in need were in the highest tradition of the social work profession.
Helen Steinman
*****
UFT Chapter Leader of School Social Workers and Psychologists,
Ira was a beacon of hope in these times of darkness cast by an often and increasingly unfeeling and unthinking administrative bureaucracy.
Much more than a union representative, Ira was a gentle and kind man who was an ever present source of knowledge, support, and understanding for those of us who work in the front lines.
Having struggled for the past 15 years working in the South Bronx under the most deplorable conditions, I have had the good fortune and great pleasure of knowing Ira Kurland on a first-hand basis.
Ira has been a true source of inspiration and compassion who has helped ease the burden that many of us have had to bear. When caught between the overwhelming needs of impoverished and traumatized children and the mindless micro-management of an administration more concerned with dollars and cents rather than children's lives, Ira has been there. He has fought side by side with all of us in our continuous struggle to do the right thing. He has done this in a self-less way often at an expense to himself.
I can not express how deeply he will be missed.
Joseph R. DiLorenzo, PhD
NYS Licensed Psychologist NYS Certified School Psychologist
*****
I am so saddened to hear of Ira's passing. I've known him since he became leader of the social work/ psychologist chapter. He was always supportive, always trying to be helpful, despite the increasingly difficult pressures our chapter has experienced.
His passing will be a great loss to us all.
Carol North
*****
I first met Ira Kurland when I worked for the Division of High Schools at 110 Livingston St . Later, I worked very closely with him for the purpose of bringing back the psychologist-in-training program to the NYC public school system. I will always be grateful for the support that Ira gave me in that endeavor. He was a tremendous asset to me in the early days of the program, and remained its biggest champion to the end. Ira Kurland, may you rest in peace.
Dr. Linda Clark
Supervisor of Psychologists CSE D. 20/Region 7
*****
I just spoke with Ira last Wed, Sept. 15. I had a room problem and I called his number and all of a sudden the woman connected me. I was surprised to get him so quickly and I said, “Can I speak with Ira Kurland,” and he said, “You are!” I explained the situation and he clearly said if the situation isn't resolved we need to go to a grievance.
I felt better knowing he was there to support me. He was always clear and so knowledgeable. I had other situations where I needed his support and he always accessible and knowledgeable. It is such a shock that he is gone. He will be missed.
Susan Martin
*****
Ira was probably the most principled man I have ever had the privilege of working with.
Ira was a strong leader and a gentle man. He would help you whenever he could and would also call you to task if he felt you were off base. Ira was a loyal friend and a wonderful union representative. I saw him a couple of weeks ago at the First Year Professional Development for Social Workers and Psychologists and remember thinking how much more relaxed and happy he looked than I had seen in awhile.
I hope he was happy to the end. I will miss him terribly.
Gerry Gelber
*****
We lost a real champion for school social workers and a very special person. Ira, we remember you in our hearts.
Angela O'Brien
Retired School Social Worker
*****
Ira was an extraordinary person - keenly intelligent and dedicated to all of the people that he represented. We were extremely fortunate to have him on our side for 18 years. He was a dear friend.
Ann Englesbe
*****
Ira was simply wonderful! He even gave me his phone number at home, which I declined to call, but that's just to show how dedicated he was to his members, that if he thought you needed him, or he thought you were worried, he would offer his home number so you could reach out to him.
You could tell Ira anything and not be concerned that he would share the information, you could trust him and put your faith in him. If something was not right, and Ira knew it, he'd be there in a cool New York minute to stand up for you and speak to the right people. You could depend on him. He'd say, "Just tell them we can meet and I'll be there," and often reasons to meet would soon evaporate. Ira knew what he was doing. He knew how to politic and he knew his way around.
I know Ira close to 15 years and he was delightful to talk to, even when he was besieged with a million me's clamoring for his help. He was a very together person, who knew how to prioritize, but also knew how to not leave anyone floundering alone. He was a great support to me personally.
I am so very sorry for the loss his family members suffer, for my fellow workers and for Riva, his secretary, who was devoted to Ira and very protective of him. After all he was pulled by all of us in so many directions. And he never said no. May God bless his soul as Ira was a blessing to all of us. I miss him. it's not too often we meet a man who is introspective, kind, forthcoming, and giving.
Joy Leftow,
school social worker
*****
When I was working as a school psychologist in a Bronx middle school, I encountered a problem related to the scheduling of triennial evaluations and the request by a clinical supervisor that forced me to cover a placement meeting for another -sometimes malingering school psychologist who never produced timely evaluations. It just so happen that I attended a UFT meeting at Teachers College that night in which Ira Kurland participated. After the meeting , I cornered him and told him about my predicament. He listened, wrote down my name and school and my schedule and said "okay." I walked away. Was I floored two days later when Mr. Kurland walked into my makeshift office at I.S.155! He had remembered me! Needless to say that he met with my clinical supervisor and "cured " a very frustrating condition for me. I remember Ira well as a very humanistic staunch professional advocate for his people -school psychologists. We will miss him. May God bless his soul.
Dr. Yvonne Griffin, Ed.D, NCSP
*****
Ira loved to eat dessert first. In fact he was such a dessert connoisseur that I developed the Ira Dessert Four-Star Rating Scale. We had a lot of fun rating desserts over the years. Ira was a loving human being with a delicious sense of humor. I will miss him dearly.
Lillian Kohler
