Umass head waits for kidney donor
By Kristin Erekson
The Jewish Advocate
Vice chancellor known for his 'generous spirit'
For 68 years, Albert "Albie" Sherman has lived his life following the motto "No person ever stands so tall as when they stoop to help another."
Known to always lend a hand to a stranger in need and to constantly answer the telephone during dinner time, Sherman – current vice chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School – has improved the well being of many throughout the Bay State with his generous acts of benevolence.
But now, the Brookline resident is looking for a kind gesture from a fellow Good Samaritan, as he searches for a compatible kidney donor. Diagnosed in 2005 with polycystic kidney disease, a progressive genetic disorder that often leads to chronic renal failure and to the total loss of kidney function, Sherman said it is necessary to find a match by the summer before he "runs into problems."
His wife Linda and three children, Peter, Risa and Matthew, were not compatible donors. Risa, 40, of Needham, said her father needs an individual with Type A positive or Type O positive blood in order to be considered as a potential donor.
"I'm sanguine about [the situation] because I've been able to put it in the right place psychologically," added Sherman, who is a pharmacist. "Obviously, nobody wants to die. But I've done virtually everything that people fantasize about – from state dinners run by the Israeli government to traveling everywhere around the world. I've done it all."
Nancy K. Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, remembered when she first met Sherman 16 years ago during a lunch meeting for Jewish leaders. She learned that he had gone to the same school – the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – as her father and was the first to receive the scholarship created in her father's name.
Since their initial encounter, Kaufman and Sherman have not only developed a strong business relationship but also a friendship. The two work closely on collaborating trips where they bring opinion-makers, such as Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and former University of Massachusetts President William M. Bulger, to Israel.
"Albie kind of took me under his wing," Kaufman added. "It's obvious that he cares deeply about the Jewish community."
In 2005, Bulger, 73, said he wanted to bring his wife to the Jewish state, and it was Sherman who made the trip possible. Sherman accompanied the couple to Israel and arranged a week of activities, from swimming in the Dead Sea to visiting Jerusalem.
"You can't help but be caught up in the enthusiasm that Albie has about everything," Bulger added. "He's been a real pal to me."
Dr. Aaron Lazare, chancellor and dean at the UMass medical school, said he's known Sherman for 17 years and has never met an individual with such a "generous spirit." Lazare added that he found it hard to believe that his co-worker seemed to know everybody so well – even officials in the state Legislature – but soon learned that it was his charismatic nature that drew people in.
Lazare often joked that Sherman played a role in the school winning a Nobel Prize last year for a professor's discoveries related to developmental gene regulation
"I said 'Albie, you must know the king of Sweden,'" he said.
Even as his energy levels continue to wane, Sherman continues to work every day of the week, whether it is recruiting bright young scholars to UMass or attending several functions a night.
"Living with Albert is an adventure and I support him wholeheartedly," said his wife, Linda.
And Sherman's work doesn't go unnoticed; he was most recently presented with the JCRC's lifetime achievement award and a proclamation from the state's governor and lieutenant governor. He also received a joint resolution from the state's House speaker and Senate president, only the second to be distributed in Massachusetts.
"[My father is] a patriot to Israel and the United States, and he's just hitting his stride," said Peter, 34, of Watertown. "He's got a lot more work to do."
Sherman echoed his son's beliefs, adding: "I just want to keep doing what I'm doing."
