Jules Andrew Berenberg

Jules Andrew Berenberg passed away on July 31st, 2018, after a very brief and surprising illness following surgery a couple of days before. The nursing staff of the Lancaster General Hospital's ICU unit fought heroically to save him. All honor to the caring and professional service the hospital gave Jules, especially nurses Adam and Kate.

Jules was born in New York City on October 30th, 1948, to father Nathan Berenberg and mother Victoria née Yourorski. His adoptive mother was Dorothy Berenberg née Pearl. Jules had two brothers, Mandy and Michael. Jules went to school in Brooklyn, NY and Northeastern Bible College, NJ. Jules was still a teenager when he started working on Wall Street, beginning at the historic Custom House of New York. His early work life took him to various shipping lines, brokerage houses and shipping consolidation and logistics companies. At the same time he was finishing up his education. Jules was born into the Jewish faith and was Bar Mitzvahed at age 13 following several years of Hebrew School. But, at about 20 years of age, Jules found faith in Jesus Christ and decided to go to Bible College to learn all he could about his new-found faith and his Lord and Savior Jesus, whom Jules believed is the Messiah of the Jewish people.

While in Bible College, Jules worked on staff at the old McAuley Mission, downtown Manhattan. He also organized the young people of his church in street ministry in Manhattan and in Brooklyn. While working with the young people of the First Evangelical Free Church (popularly known as 66street church) in Brooklyn, he met his wife Karin, who was born in Norway. They married in 1975. After Bible College, Jules briefly pastored a Baptist church in Perth Amboy, NJ. However, his ‘calling’ was in the business world and his work would eventually take him all over the world. Far East and South East Asia became almost a second home to Jules who with his dedication and integrity made friends all over the world. Jules worked for years for big corporations, but ended up creating his own company which grew from a two desk operation to a very successful logistics company. Because Jules and his wife Karin had no children they were flexible to travel and move wherever they were needed; from New York to Chicago to San Francisco to Carmel, California to Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, as well as around the world. There was time for recreation, too, and Jules bought a second home in Honolulu, Hawaii. The couple was famous for their hospitality and entertaining and filled their homes with friends and family from around the world. Jules was an attentive husband who sent his wife flowers every week no matter where in the world he was at the time. No matter where they lived, Jules and Karin were active in church and Jules always taught adult Sunday school classes and men's Bible study groups. Jules was also a popular conference speaker; his favorite themes were often based on Old Testament characters. But, the theme Jules would repeat again and again was the importance of daily personal Bible study and prayer, as well as witnessing and sharing our faith. Jules loved the Bible and spent literally hours early in the mornings praying for friends and family and for America and for the State of Israel. He always committed each business transaction to prayer before he would make any decisions. Jules and Karin were both people of prayer. Karin, a Christian writer, has written much on the subject of the importance of prayer and in their relationship they prayed together daily, often over the phone when Jules was traveling. They often shared with friends the secret to their lasting relationship, which was this: never go to bed angry, settle things before you go to sleep and pray together before sleep, out loud. After Jules' retirement, they sold their homes in California and Hawaii and packed up to try retirement in Karin's home country of Norway. This journey lasted a year and they came back to eventually settle in the quiet village of Newmanstown, PA. They bought a home there only three years ago and now Karin will tend her garden alone. As Jules was fighting his last battle at the ICU of Lancaster General, two chaplains came to lend support and to pray at Jules' bedside. Karin requested they play Jules’ favorite song and as he traveled on to his eternal home where his Lord and Savior would welcome him home, this 'faithful servant' heard the lyrics he adored: "Oh how He loved you and me! He gave his life so that I might be free, oh how He loved me, oh how He loved you, oh how He loved you and me." Thank God for a life well lived and a life that continues forever with Jesus; all Jules believed and taught is now reality! Praise God!

In honoring Jules' request there will be no services.