Hugo and Isabel de Castro Scholarship to Support Rabbinical Students at HUC-JIR

Hugo de Castro "believed deeply in the mission of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and worked tirelessly to support its goals," his grandson Sam de Castro Abeger notes. The late Los Angeles attorney made his first gift in support of HUC-JIR in 1987 and remained a consistent supporter after that, going on to serve on its Board of Advisors. Now, his family has extended that commitment; establishing the Hugo and Isabel de Castro Rabbinic Scholarship Endowment Fund to support clergy students at HUC-JIR.

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion was particularly special to his grandfather, de Castro Abeger said, because it was the place where "he found a sense of purpose and a community that shared his values, where he spent hours and hours learning and expanding his knowledge of Torah, exploring his identity as a Jew, and stretching his brain."

Much of that intellectual activity came in the presence of Josh Holo, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Resources and Associate Professor of Jewish History at HUC-JIR. Holo says the two first met when he was dean of the Los Angeles campus, and Hugo de Castro was a member of the College-Institute's Board of Advisors. "We bonded over our shared Sephardi heritage and the remarkable story of his family's legacy in the Caribbean," since Hugo was born in Panama City, Panama in 1935, immigrating to the United States as a 12-year-old.

But it was "in the crucible of Torah" where Holo says their relationship was truly forged, during the years when de Castro was a member of the dean's study group. "Hugo was one of the most intellectually curious members of our lay leadership. He always wanted the group to meet more frequently and for longer periods of time, because he simply loved to learn," Holo recalls.

Hugo married Isabel in 1958, and together, through what Holo describes as their "remarkable marriage," the de Castros embodied the divine injunction to "be fruitful and multiply," not just in terms of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but also through what Holo says was the couple's commitment to bringing "good, useful and sweet things to the world" - including their philanthropy in support of Jewish learning.

After graduating from UCLA and UCLA Law School, Hugo de Castro went on to become co-founder of the Westwood, California Estate, Tax and Real Estate law firm de Castro, West, Chodorow, Mendler & Glickfeld, which has served the Los Angeles community for more than 50 years. Hugo de Castro served on the boards of several institutions in his adopted hometown, including at UCLA Law School, UCLA Hillel, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and Stephen Wise Temple.

Isabel de Castro passed away in September 2022, followed by Hugo de Castro in April 2023. Now, their children and grandchildren have chosen to honor the couple's commitment to Jewish educational leadership at HUC-JIR with the Hugo and Isabel de Castro Rabbinic Scholarship Endowment Fund, as part of their establishment of a family foundation through the Jewish Community Foundation. The funds will be used to support applicants based on financial need, with preference given to first-year students, and a priority to those who will be based on the Los Angeles campus. HUC-JIR and the Stephen Wise Temple celebrated the endowment and the life, love and legacy of Hugo and Isabel during a Shabbat event with the de Castro family and many community members in September 2024.

"This gift is the perfect way to honor the memory of Hugo and Isabel de Castro, grounding their legacy in the spirit of generosity and tzedakah, and in support of lifelong learning," says HUC-JIR President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D. "It also reflects the family's dedication to a vibrant Jewish life and future - and their work for tikkun olam with this initiative to keep clergy education within reach financially for more students."

Speaking of his grandfather, Sam de Castro Abeger says, "I know he would be incredibly proud to see how the gift will be used to support the education of rabbinical students. Grandpa and Grandma made it their mission to leave the world a better place than they found it. This gift is hopefully just the first step of our family's continued commitment to their legacy."