Remembering Roberta Hershberg
A remembrance by Xiao Yin Zhao, President
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the passing of WAC's long-time board member, Roberta Hershberg.
Roberta was the first director of the Louisville International Cultural Center (LICC) in the early 1980s, the organization that would later become the World Affairs Council. She remained, to the very end, a lifetime board member, and without question one of the most steadfast and committed champions of this organization in every way that mattered.
Roberta believed deeply in the power of global exchange of people, ideas, and experiences to bridge differences and remind us of the humanity we all share. Whether in conversations about big global challenges or the everyday things that connect us - family, community, and our aspirations - Roberta saw the common thread.
Her generosity was unmatched. Over the years, she welcomed hundreds of international visitors into her home, from just about every corner of the world. She never said no if she was available. And she never did anything halfway. If we needed something for an event, she was there, sometimes quite literally, offering up her beautiful china to elevate a gathering when we were working on a tight budget.
Roberta spent summers at her beloved cottage in Maine, but even then, she was never really absent. Many of us will remember Zoom calls with Roberta sitting outside, the sound of waves crashing behind her. We were all a little envious, but also genuinely happy she was exactly where she loved to be.
Roberta was compassionate, irreverent, and so funny. She had a memory and an energy that people half her age would envy. I used to tell her that I hoped to “grow up” to be like her one day. She was our unofficial historian, the person I, and many others at WAC, turned to first with questions about Sister Cities or the early days of WAC. And she always had the answer… usually along with a story or a suggestion for how we could do things better. She had a lot of good ideas.
This past year has been a difficult one, as we have said goodbye to many longtime members and friends. Roberta’s passing feels especially profound for me personally, and for all of us at the World Affairs Council.
We will miss seeing her walk into our events, hearing about the latest group she hosted, and receiving her thoughtful (and often candid) advice. She made us better.
This weekend, we will gather to celebrate this year’s Hershberg Scholarship recipients, a scholarship established in honor of her husband, and one that Roberta cared deeply about. It will be the first time, in my tenure at WAC, that she won’t be with us. We will save a seat for her.
The World Affairs Council has lost a dear friend and an essential part of our community. Roberta will be deeply missed. And we are profoundly grateful for the many years she devoted to this organization and to our shared mission of bringing the world to our corner of the United States.
Our thoughts are with Roberta’s children - Eric, Susan, and Paul. Read Roberta’s Obituary for more information about her full life.
