William Breman

(1908 - 2000)

William "Bill" Breman was born on March 13, 1908, and moved to Atlanta with his family when he was five. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1929. Breman then returned to Atlanta, married Sylvia Goldstein in 1934, and had two children, Carol and James. In 1979, Bill retired from the Breman Steel Company and, after his first wife’s long illness and passing, married Elinor Angel Rosenberg.

From 1953 to 1955, Breman served as the president of The Temple. In 1990, Bill Breman gave generously to the Atlanta Jewish Federation (now the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta) to create a Jewish heritage museum. His vision became a reality when The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum opened its doors at the Selig Center in June 1996.  Bill received numerous humanitarian and human relations awards for the extensive community service work that he did, including the Distinguished Service Award of the Gate City Lodge of B'nai B'rith (1965), the American Jewish Committee Human Relations Award (1981), and the Abe Goldstein Humanitarian Award of the Anti-Defamation League (1984).

He served as president of The Temple and The Jewish Home, now called The William Breman Jewish Home. Bill was a life member of the following boards: American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, The Temple, The William Breman Jewish Home, and The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. In 2000, the Federation honored Rich with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.