Remembering George Regas

The Beerman Foundation joins together with our sisters and brothers at All Saints Church in Pasadena in expressing our deep sorrow at the passing of our great friend and teacher, Rev. George Regas. A self-styled “country preacher,” George was one of the towering religious figures of his generation in Los Angeles. He was also a true soulmate of Leonard Beerman’s with whom he shared a profound spiritual and activist bond. The two friends, Jew and Christian, met in 1967 at an anti-war rally and were among the co-founders of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race. They remained active partners and best friends until Leonard’s death in 2014.

George and Leonard, together with Dr. Maher Hathout and the Rev. James Lawson, reshaped the religious landscape of Southern California, yoking their religious faiths to the urgent call for justice and equality for all in society, especially the downtrodden and marginalized. Leonard and George also entwined their congregations—Leo Baeck Temple and All Saints Church—into a single ecumenical family.

George was at once gracious and daring, as he marshaled the wisdom and indignation of a biblical prophet to demand that we never cease to struggle for the betterment of all. He also had the bold inspiration of appointing Leonard as All Saint Church’s first-ever “rabbi-in-residence.”

George’s impact on his congregation, on Pasadena, and on the greater Los Angeles region was vast. Few possessed his passion, eloquence, forthrightness, and theological depth.

In an interview with David Myers from 2015, George offered these prophetic words about death: “I’ve never felt that at death my life is extinguished. I’ve never felt that death destroys who I am. What happens at the end of life has changed a thousand times in my mind, but I’ve never doubted that when I die there’s going to be something of George that goes on.“ Indeed, we are sure that something of George will go on. May his memory be a blessing to all!