In Lieu of Flowers
Dear Dr. Perlmutter,
Although we never met in person, I feel your presence deeply.
In the days since your tragic passing, something remarkable happened. Our inbox lit up—not with news of the world or demands for attention, but with quiet notifications: A gift has been made to Hillel at UVM in honor of Dr. Carl Perlmutter. Again. And again. And again.
From friends. From former colleagues. From Jewish and non-Jewish donors alike. Some who had never before considered supporting a Jewish cause wrote notes alongside their gifts including one that read, “Dr. Perlmutter was my teacher when I was an orthodontic resident. He was most kind and inspiring.”
In this chorus of generosity, your legacy revealed itself not only in your own steadfast support over the years, but in the impact you had on others. You showed up for Hillel quietly but consistently. You opened our emails. You read our stories. You made sure our students knew they were not alone. Even in your final wishes, you lifted up the Jewish community at UVM. And in doing so, you lifted all of us.
UVM in the 1950s was a very different place. Jewish students like you helped shape its fabric at a time when doing so took courage and commitment. The Jewish community here was small, but it was strong and you helped make it so with your support after graduation as an alumni. Now, decades later, your generosity will help hundreds of students discover a community where they can be fully themselves. They will find warmth, belonging, meaning. Because of you.
I wish I could thank you in person. I wish we could have shared a Shabbat dinner in the Burack Hillel building, so you could see the joy on students’ faces and hear the sounds of laughter and song that fill our space on Friday nights. You would have loved it. They would have loved you.
To your beloved wife Linda, your family, and all those blessed by your kindness: our community grieves with you. We feel the ache of your absence and the weight of your legacy.
Carl, you touched more lives than you ever knew. Your memory is already a blessing. Here, on the campus that shaped you, your spirit will live on in every student who walks through our doors and finds their place in Jewish life.
In grief and in the strength you and your friends have provided for the years to come…
Matt Vogel
Executive Director, UVM Hillel
