18 | MARCH 4 • 2021 

O

akland University 
President Dr. Ora 
Hirsch Pescovitz 
still remembers going to 
the March on Washington 
with her parents in 1963 
and sitting on the steps of 
the Lincoln Memorial as 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
gave his “I Have A Dream” 
speech. 
Pescovitz also remembers 
when her father responded 
to Dr. King’s call for clergy 
of all faiths to join him in 
Selma, Ala., for a pivotal 
voting rights demonstration; 
and being frightened by the 

idea he would possibly get 
hurt and not come home.
Her father, national 
Reform Judaism leader Rabbi 
Richard G. Hirsch, worked 
alongside Dr. King and 
President Lyndon B. Johnson 
advising on the civil rights 
legislation of the mid-1960s.
Decades later, Pescovitz 
is taking action herself to 
work toward racial and social 
justice while honoring her 
parents at the same time. 
In their honor, Pescovitz 
has made a $250,000 
endowment gift — the Rabbi 
Richard G. and Bella Hirsch 

Faculty Endowment for 
Racial and Social Justice. 
Based on the racial and 
social injustice of the past 
year and to further commit 
to OU’s goal of celebrating 
diversity, equity and 
inclusion, Pescovitz felt now 
was the time to take action. 
She wants the gift to focus 
on diversity, equity and 
inclusion as it relates to OU’s 
faculty. 
“I think it’s very important 
we stimulate efforts related 
to our faculty because 
when students see faculty 
that look like them, I think 
they perform better and 
eventually they become 
better people,” Pescovitz 
said. “I really believe when 
you see diversity in our 
community, it benefits all of 
us.” 
The gift aims to aid the 
recruitment and retention of 
diverse faculty members as 
well as provide the structure 
for underrepresented 
minority faculty members to 
be successful educators and 
research investigators. 
“Studies show when 
students are taught by 
diverse faculty, they have a 
higher graduation rate and 
institutions perform better,” 
Pescovitz said. “That’s really 
what stimulated me.” 
The idea for the gift began 

as a $25,000 donation during 
the annual All University 
Fund Drive. Following that, 
Pescovitz was inspired to 
increase her commitment 
to $250,000 with hopes of 
it reaching a million dollars 
or more down the line 
with support from other 
businesses and friends of the 
university.

HONORING PARENTS
Pescovitz has also created 
an endowment specifically 
honoring her late mother, 
Bella Rozencweig Hirsch, 
with a focus on biomedical 
ethics within the Oakland 
University William 
Beaumont School of 
Medicine. 
Speaking candidly, 
Pescovitz said she was 
hesitant to put her faculty 
endowment gift to a name 
due to the commonly held 
Jewish belief that anonymous 
giving is the highest form 
of charity, but she believes 
this scenario called for two 
reasons to do otherwise.
One reason was to honor 
her parents, two people she 
believes exemplify the values 
OU wants to emulate in 
the community. The other 
reason in going public is a 
hope of inspiring others to 
give philanthropically. 
“Even though Maimonides 

Oakland U. president honors 
parents with $250,000 gift for 
racial and social justice. 

 A
Tribute to 
 Family

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY

OU President 
Ora Hirsch 
Pescovitz

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OU

Rabbi Richard 
and Bella Hirsch

