The Rev. Berjouhie (Berjie) Andreassian Bergler

The Rev. Berjouhie (Berjie) Andreassian Bergler, 86 died July 10, 2008. Born in Turkey, she fled with family to Lebanon and later moved to New York State. She graduated as class valedictorian from Keuka College, later earning a BD in Ministry from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, again graduating as valedictorian, and as the only woman in her class. She was Assistant Professor of Religion at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. She also preached regularly at the UU Society of Amherst, MA. She served as Director of Religious Education at All Souls Unitarian Church in New York, NY and was the first woman to preach there in its 142 year history. She was ordained in 1962 at Community Church of New York City jointly by five New York churches as Minister to College Students. In 1965, she married Robert Bergler. She joined the faculty of Douglass College of Rutgers University as Assistant Professor of Religion and continued teaching there until her retirement in 1984. Even though her work was primarily academic, she often conducted weddings, dedications, and memorial services. She and her husband were also active members in the Unitarian Society of New Brunswick, NJ. In a letter of reference for Rev. Bergler’s application for Fellowship, Rev. Sophia Lyon Fahs said “Her personal integrity is of the finest. Her philosophy of life is wholehearted and all-encompassing; and she is forthwright [sic] in expressions of her thoughts, as well as unusually capable intellectually in expressing them.” Rev. Bergler is survived by her sister, and thre Alice Rabah of Chapel Hill, NC.