It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Lou Dunst, husband of Estelle Dunst, September 8, 2015. The funeral service was held September 9 at Mount Sinai in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Two memorial services will take place at Ohr Shalom (2512 3rd Ave, San Diego, CA 92103) on Thursday, September 10, at 6:45 p.m. and on Sunday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m.
Lou Dunst, an unassuming man with the quiet smile and soft voice, rode on trains whose destinations are a litany of man’s inhumanity to man: Aschwitz-Birkenau, Mauthausen, Ebensee. Yet he tells us: “God was always with us in the boxcars, in the camps, even in the gas chambers.”
He refused to be a victim and be consumed by the camps and the war that defined his early life. Instead of finding hate and vengeance in the heart of this man there was LOVE. In a world overflowing with the worst things people could do to each other, Lou Dunst emerged from this with open arms and sincere love glowing from his very being. “We must get rid of the hate…have only love in your heart.”
Lou chose to teach love. That love has built a loving family, lasting friendships, and cherished memories. That love has opened hearts, calmed unrest, assuaged pain and taught us all the redemptive strength of standing tall with one’s faith and principles.
Lou kept that tree healthy with every new branch it sprouted: his connection with San Diego’s Jewish community, his beloved wife Estelle, his 30 years as a successful businessman and as an inspirational teacher and speaker. Lou Dunst’s life is an example of how one man can emerge from darkness into light and carry that true flame to others. To really honor him is to carry that light within us all and share it with each other.
Our congregational family shares in the sorrow of Lou Dunst’s passing and we extend our hearts and hands to his family and friends. We join in the traditional prayer that God comfort the Dunst family along with all who mourn.
Zichrono Livracha. May his memory be for a blessing.