Myer S. Kripke

Kripke was born on January 21, 1914[1] in Toledo, Ohio, to parents Jacob "J. Michael" Kripke and Nettie Kripke (née Goldman).[2][3] Kripke was one of seven children: Harold, Sidney, Albert, Homer, Shirley, and Joseph.[2] His father bought and sold containers (bottles, barrels). Kripke's parents were from Poland. In the 1860s, his family settled in Cleveland, Ohio.[4]

Kripke and his wife, Dorothy, had three children: American philosopher and logician Saul A. Kripke, Madeline Kripke, a bookseller, editor and authority on dictionaries and slang,[5][6][7] and Netta Stern, who was a social worker and psychotherapist.[8]

Kripke died at the age of 100 in Omaha, Nebraska.[1][9][10] He was buried at Beth El Cemetery.[1]

In 1930 Kripke moved to New York to study at New York University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He graduated from New York University Phi Beta Kappa and earned a master's degree in philosophy from Columbia University. He received his master's, doctoral, and rabbinical degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. He was senior class president at the seminary in 1937.[1]

Kripke was a rabbi at synagogues in Racine, Wisconsin, Patchogue, New York on Long Island, and New London, Connecticut.[1]

In 1946, Kripke became the Rabbi at the Conservative Jewish Beth El synagogue in Omaha, Nebraska.[11] He held this position from 1946 to 1975. In 1975, he was named rabbi emeritus at Beth El.[1] From 1976–90, Kripke was an adjunct Associate Professor of Theology at Creighton University, regularly teaching courses in Judaism and Hebrew Bible. He toured various cities as a lecturer and speaker. Starting in 1980, Kripke wrote a commentary on the weekly Torah portion for the Omaha Jewish Press.[1][11]

The Kripkes were active in philanthropy, which originated with their decision to invest with Warren Buffett. They got to know him and his wife Susan at the Beth El Synagogue. The couples had a lifelong friendship. Buffett' and Kripke's wives, the latter a published author, had common interests in education and community service.[14][15] Kripke's wife encouraged him to approach Buffett in hopes of helping them with their investments. As early investors with Buffett, the Kripkes benefitted greatly: their original investment of $70,000 increased to almost $25 million.[16][17] They donated much of their profits to philanthropic causes.[1][11][16]

Kripke met his wife, Dorothy Karp, at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, while both were students there.[24] They married in 1937.[11] His children were Madeline Kripke, a book collector, and Saul Kripke, a philosopher.[25]

• Kripke, Myer S. Cultural and Scientific Approaches to Jewish Ideas of God, Being Especially a Critique of the Theology of Mordecai M. Kaplan. Masters essay. Columbia University. Philosophy. 1937.
• Kripke, Dorothy K, Myer S. Kripke, and Laszlo Matulay. Let's Talk About Loving: About Love, Sex, Marriage, and Family. New York: Ktav Pub. House, 1980. ISBN 978-0-870-68913-0
• Kripke, Myer S. Insight and Interpretation: Reflections on the Weekly Sidrah. Chestnut Ridge, N.Y: Town House Press, 1988. ISBN 978-0-940-65315-3

• Jews in Omaha, Nebraska