Bentley Kassal
Encyclopedia
Bentley Kassal an attorney
, is a litigation counsel with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
in New York City
. He is a retired New York State Assembly
man, a retired judge of the New York State Courts, at every level, and a World War II
veteran. As an early rugby football
player, he was a member of the 1940 Harvard Rugby Football team which was the undefeated champion of the Eastern Rugby League. Kassal is married to Barbara Joan Wax Kassal, a retired business executive from Bonwit Teller
in New York City.
area of Manhattan
, New York City on February 28, 1917 to Pauline Nirenberg Kassal and Hyman Kassal, born in Poland
and Austria
, respectively. Kassal graduated from Public School 86 in the Bronx (1930), Townsend Harris High School
in Manhattan (1933), University of Pennsylvania
, B.A. (1937) and Harvard Law School
, J.D. (1940) where he received a merit scholarship for his third year. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in September 1940 and was an associate in two mid-sized law firms until Pearl Harbor
, December 7, 1941
teams. At the University of Pennsylvania, he was on the 150 lb. football team as a quarterback/line backer until he fractured his left elbow. In 1940, his third year at Harvard Law School, he played rugby football as the left wing on Harvard’s undefeated Eastern League championship team and scored three tries. The following year, 1941, he played the same position on the New York Rugby Club
. After World War II, he resumed playing tennis
, golf
and skiing
until 1998 when he had a double knee replacement. His original 1940 Harvard Rugby Jersey is on permanent exhibit at the Harvard Club of New York City together with his French Legion of Honor Medal Certificate and his photograph with his wife Barbara at Normandy
with President
and Michelle Obama
.
, he was assigned to the Officer Candidates School in Miami Beach, Florida
, where he met the actor Clark Gable
, who was in the squadron directly next to his. One of his memorable experiences there was on anti-submarine patrol on the beach at night to guard against German submarines landing spies. He graduated with honors and was assigned to Air Combat Intelligence School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, again graduating with honors.
In the March 15, 1943 edition of Life Magazine, Kassal wrote a letter to the editor that appeared on page 6 wondering "what formula" enlisted war hero Herman J. F. Bottcher used to "secure his rapid promotion" from the rank of Sgt to Captain in the span of 1 week. The editors of Life simply said: "Heroism". Sadly, Bottcher would later be killed in action in Leyte
.
Given his choice of world-wide air intelligence assignments, Kassal, as a second lieutenant, opted for North Africa
. After three months in an officer replacement center in Algeria
, he was chosen by General George Patton’s intelligence officer at the Seventh Army to plan and participate in the D-Day landings at Gela
, Sicily
, which he did on the U.S.S. Orizaba, as part of the Second Armored Division
’s initial landing force. Two months later, he was chosen to plan and land on D-Day with the Fifth Army at Salerno
, Italy
on an LST and he personally briefed General Mark Clark
on the Salerno beach. After the capture of Naples
, he again planned air intelligence missions and, especially with President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's approval, the air bombardment of the Montecassino Abbey, occupied by critical German artillery units which for some period had blocked the infantry’s passage to Rome
. At Cassino
, he was assigned to brief General "Hap" Arnold on the military situation at Montecassino.
After the almost completed conquest of Italy, Kassal returned from north of Rome to Naples for the D-Day invasion by the Seventh Army at St. Tropez, France
on August 15, 1944. He personally briefed General Patch. Shortly thereafter, he took 17 German soldiers prisoner at Salon-en-Provence. Although a prisoner, the German Commander of the prisoners arrogantly declared that Adolf Hitler
and Germany
would nevertheless win the war to which Kassal responded "Did you ever think you would be taken prisoner by a Jew?" The troops in Southern France
moved swiftly to the north and through Alsace-Lorraine
where they were caught in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge
and General Patton’s counter-attack. Thereafter, Kassal’s unit quickly moved through Bavaria
and was at Augsburg
when D-Day was declared. However, because of his extraordinary intelligence knowledge of the Luftwaffe
, he was assigned to London
to prepare for the invasion of Japan
since it was anticipated that German pilots would be part of the Japanese air defense.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, three Bronze Arrowheads for three D-Day invasion landings and Seven Campaign ribbons in the European Theatre. He was in the Army Air Forces for 4 years and served overseas for 30 months in North Africa
, Sicily
, Italy
, France
and Germany
.
Recipient of "Top Secret", highest intelligence classification throughout the war as well as intelligence data from the "Ultra Secret" (the result of breaking the German code, through "Enigma").
Discharged December 31, 1945, as Captain and, presently, a Major, U.S. Air Force, Reserves (Retired).
Other contributions of World War II mementos made to U.S. Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
, Ohio
, including photos of invasions, prisoner of war camps, targets and German equipment.
On June 5, 2009, he received the French Legion of Honor Medal from the French Defense Minister Herve Morin
at Les Invalides
in Paris
with a ceremony at Colleville-sur-Mer
(Omaha Beach
) Normandy where he and his wife were photographed with President and Michele Obama on June 6, 2009.
He has given talks about his World War II overseas experience with photos at the Harvard Club of N.Y. City, the N.Y. City Bar Association (2009), the Harding Club at Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (2009) and at Skadden Arps' New York offices (2008 and 2009) and Skadden, Arps' London office in May 2010.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage
in New York City has several war mementos which he donated for its permanent exhibit "Ours to Fight For." In addition, its exhibit contains his video oral testimony including the surrender of 17 German soldiers in Salon, France. The donated items include several Nazi daggers and swords and his two volume hand-written personal diaries. This exhibit has been shown in several U.S. cities.
On July 16, 2009, he was awarded membership in the American Society of French Legion of Honor.
of Manhattan, like the Americans for Democratic Action
, the American Veterans Committee
, the Draft Eisenhower Movement (for the Democratic nomination) and the Volunteers for Stevenson. He also joined the local anti-Tammany
Democratic Club and ran and lost in a contested primary for the State Assembly (1950). Later, in 1956, he was elected as the first Reform Democrat Assemblyman in the N.Y. State legislature. In 1962, he was in a contested primary against the incumbent Congressman and was unsuccessful. He resumed his law practice as a single practitioner and, in 1969, he was successful in another contested Democratic primary for the Civil Court.
As an Assemblyman, Kassal was regarded as one of the most liberal legislators. He is most proud of two achievements: (1) As his assembly district included the Lincoln Center of the Arts, he introduced and had enacted into law the first Arts Council in the United States (which he modeled after the Council for the Encouragement of the Arts that he first became aware of in England
during World War II); (2) He was the only legislator to vote against the annual re-enactment of the Security Risk Law, mandating that all state employees execute loyalty oaths during the Cold War
. As a result, the bill was never re-introduced.
Also see N.Y. Post column by Murray Kempton
, April 29, 1962, "Power House" as to Assemblyman Kassal's bill and his debate regarding Con Ed – (to require advance notice before cut off of electricity).
Listed in "Who's Who in American Law" and an AV rating in Martindale Hubbell.
, as a single practitioner, his specialties were civil litigation, real estate
, estates and matrimonials. His sole criminal matter was representing Lenny Bruce
, the famous comedian, on his arraignment on obscenity
charges at Cafe Au Gogo in Greenwich Village
. During almost this entire period, he was a regular guest commentator on radio night talk shows, first with Barry Gray
on WMCA and then with Long John Nebel
on WOR.
to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department in 1987 where he served for 12 years. During this period, he was appointed by Chief Judge Sol Wachtler
to serve for the April/May 1985 term at the New York Court of Appeals
, the State’s highest court. Additionally, he acted as a Special Judge to try judges for ethical violations and recommended significant sanctions, including removal, for several judges.
He has a total of 259 reported decisions. In the appeal on the America's Cup Race trial decision, he wrote a dissent in favor of the New Zealand
team based primarily on sportsmanship, fair play and equity in that, although not violative of any specific rules, holding that the use by the United States of a catamaran
was contrary to the spirit of the race since no catamaran had ever been raced previously and, critically, no catamaran had ever lost to a single-hulled sailboat.
In Morgan v. Morgan, on the basis of equity, fairness and justice, he ruled in favor of providing maintenance to the wife who had supported her husband while he completed his legal education
and became an attorney. She had sought similar support while a pre-medical and medical student. Although reversed on appeal, shortly thereafter the Equitable Distribution Law was enacted providing for this form of relief. (Subsequently, she became a doctor and a photo article with Kassal was published in the New York Times).
In People v. Shelton, his decision, the first to interpret the statutory language "Extreme Emotional Disturbance" in a jury charge as mitigation on a murder
charge, was affirmed by the Court of Appeals.
In Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, his opinion at the Appellate Division, requiring actual or constructive notice of a physical condition as a condition for negligence
liability, was affirmed by the Court of Appeals.
In 1976, as a Civil Court Judge, he decided, in Parkwood v. Marcano, that a landlord
has a duty to mitigate damages upon a tenant's default, similar to all contract damages. This was reversed on appeal.
On April 22, 2003, he acted as amicus
for Brennan Center for Justice
(NYU) in filing a brief at the New York Court of Appeals supporting stringent ethical rules for Judges.
arguments, delivers an annual C.L.E. talk on “Effective Appellate and Trial Advocacy” and is the annual reporter since 2004 for the New York State Bar Association Journal on the subject of appellate statistics, most recently entitled “Did the Appellate Odds Change in 2008” with the article for 2009 scheduled for publication in the fall of 2009.
A Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker at Harvard Law School on three occasions.
In his third five year term on the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics (Office of Court Administration)Committee on Character and Fitness (Appellate Division, First Department)
Mayor's Committee on City Marshals, Special Master, Pre-Argument Conferences (Appellate Division, First Department), Lecturer on Active Post-Judicial Legal Retirement (Supreme Court Justices and NY State Bar Association) Annual Article, N.Y.S.B.A. Journal on Appellate Statistics, published every year since 2002.
He delivered a talk about his career and 70 years changes in the practice of law at Oxford University Faculty of Law on May 13, 2010. He and his wife were special guests at the Dinner for Legal Academics on May 11, 2010 at the Inner Temple
of the Inns of Court
in London.
On May 29, 2010, at Cambridge
, the 1940 Harvard undefeated Eastern Rugby League championship team was honored by the Harvard Rugby Football Club. (His original 1940 football jersey is on permanent exhibition at the Harvard Club of the City of New York).
On May 20, 2010, he took photos of the Jewish cemetery
in Oxford
and obtained historical data for the Jewish Heritage Research Center as to the destruction by floods of three synagogues in Bath, England in 1938.
On January 9, 2009, the New York City Bar Association presented as its bi-annual program, "Twentieth Century Traveler: The Life and Perilous Times of the Hon. Bentley Kassal."
Testified as an expert witness on New York law, pertaining to pre-nuptial agreements in London at the High Court of Justice
in 2003.
Acted as a neutral arbitrator, appointed by Movie Fone in the A.A.A. arbitration Ticketmaster v. Movie Fone, in 1996.
Member of the London Court of International Arbitrators (2005).
Lecturer at NITA programs (2005).
On April 12, 2010, he took photographs at the Statesville, North Carolina
Synagogue
for the Jewish Heritage Research Center (Syracuse University
).
Among the charitable groups he has taken photographs for 17 charities, including Save the Children
, World Monuments Fund
, Human Rights Watch
, the Asia Society
, UNICEF, the International Survey of Jewish Monuments, the Coalition for Soviet Jewry, United Jewish Appeal
and others.
His photos have appeared on numerous occasions in the media and his photo for Save the Children remained on its poster for more than ten years. He has also exhibited at the City Bar Association and several court houses. As recently as June 2009 in Southern France, at the age of 92, he took photos of three synagogues at Nice
, Carpentras
and Cavallion in France and three synagogues in North
and South Carolina
. He has had a special photo exhibit at the Save the Children headquarters, "Beyond the Bench."
In January 2000, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York presented an exhibition of Kassal's photography.
His photograph of the original Buddha
Statue is featured in the "Vanishing Histories" published by the World Monuments Fund.
On September 11, 2001, from the 48th floor of Skadden's Times Square
office, he photographed the second plane crash within minutes after the incident and, two days later, he took photos directly at the scene.
, a monastery
built on the side of a sheer cliff.
World Monument Fund—Spring-Summer 2001 issue: Buddha Statue in Afghanistan". The Buddha Statue was subsequently destroyed by the Taliban but it is being rebuilt by a Basel
, Switzerland
museum, based upon the previous photo by Kassal.
New York Observer—June 3, 2002
Save the Children – Poster Child. This photo was taken outside of Beirut
, Lebanon
during the Christmas
holidays when Kassal had one and a half hours during Christmas provided to him by the local representative for photos. This became the official Save the Children poster child and remained so for more than twenty years and appeared in N.Y. Times Magazine, Saturday Review World, Newsweek
, Natural History
, The New Yorker
, Times of Israel, National Jewish Weekly and Unitarian Universalist.
(July, 1975)
Coalition to Free Soviet Jews (1983 and 1985)
International Rescue Committee
(1983 and 1986)
Human Rights Watch
(1986, 1988 and 1989)
Lawyers Committee on Human Rights (1990)
In 2002, participated in construction of model house at Grand Central Station for Habitat for Humanity. On January 18, 2010, at Hunts Point Middle School and Hyde Leadership Charter School, he assisted in the construction of book shelves.
Presided over moot court for Clinton Public School (Manhattan) 2009, 2010 and 2011 (Skadden project)
Construction of book shelves at Hurits Point Middle School (January 18, 2002) (Skadden project)
Painted walls (and photography) at I.S. 292, Brooklyn, on Martin Luther King Day (January 17, 2011) (Skadden project)
At Mass Moca Museum, North Adams, MA on September 8, 2007 – research and photographs for pro bono litigation (Skadden project)
Post-Judicial Retirement Seminars at New York State Bar Association of Supreme Court Justices (2007, 2008 and 2009)
"Out the Door but Not Over the Hill" – N.Y. State Bar Association program (Albany and N.Y. City), May 6 and 14, 2008
Mentor at Harvard Law School Connect – for students and graduates (2011)
New York County Lawyers Association – Task Force on Transitioning and Unemployed Lawyers (2011)
Donated 69 pints of blood to New York Blood Center
On April 21, 2003, on behalf of the N.Y.U. Brennan Center for Justice, presented amicus brief to Court of Appeals upholding the N.Y. Canons of Judicial Ethics
Joint Distribution Committee of the United Jewish Appeal (July, 1975)
Coalition to Free Soviet Jews (1983 and 1985)
International Rescue Committee (1983 and 1986)
Human Rights Watch (1986, 1988 and 1989)
Lawyers Committee on Human Rights (1990)
Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics (1993 – present)
Mayor's Committee on City Marshals (1993 – present)
Special Master, Pre-argument Conferences – Appellate Division, Supreme Court, First Dep't. (1993 – present)
Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1953 – present)
New York State Bar Association (2000 – present)
Entertainment Committee – City Bar Association (1975 – present)
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, is a litigation counsel with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates , founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine calls Skadden "Wall Street's most powerful law firm"...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is a retired New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
man, a retired judge of the New York State Courts, at every level, and a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran. As an early rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player, he was a member of the 1940 Harvard Rugby Football team which was the undefeated champion of the Eastern Rugby League. Kassal is married to Barbara Joan Wax Kassal, a retired business executive from Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller was a department store in New York City founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street. In 1897 Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership and the store moved to 23rd Street, East of Sixth Avenue...
in New York City.
Early years
Born in the HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
area of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City on February 28, 1917 to Pauline Nirenberg Kassal and Hyman Kassal, born in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, respectively. Kassal graduated from Public School 86 in the Bronx (1930), Townsend Harris High School
Townsend Harris High School
Townsend Harris High School is a public magnet high school for the humanities in the borough of Queens in New York City. Students and alumni often refer to themselves as "Harrisites." Townsend Harris consistently ranks as among the top 100 High Schools in the United States. It currently operates as...
in Manhattan (1933), University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, B.A. (1937) and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, J.D. (1940) where he received a merit scholarship for his third year. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in September 1940 and was an associate in two mid-sized law firms until Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, December 7, 1941
Athletics
Kassal was a member of the Townsend Harris High School soccer, track and baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams. At the University of Pennsylvania, he was on the 150 lb. football team as a quarterback/line backer until he fractured his left elbow. In 1940, his third year at Harvard Law School, he played rugby football as the left wing on Harvard’s undefeated Eastern League championship team and scored three tries. The following year, 1941, he played the same position on the New York Rugby Club
New York Rugby Club
The New York Rugby Club is a Rugby union Club in New York. It is the oldest rugby club in the United States, and fields Division I Men's and Women's teams, U-19 Boy's and U-19 Girls teams, two old boy teams, one of which belongs to the non-competitive "Golden Oldies"...
. After World War II, he resumed playing tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
until 1998 when he had a double knee replacement. His original 1940 Harvard Rugby Jersey is on permanent exhibit at the Harvard Club of New York City together with his French Legion of Honor Medal Certificate and his photograph with his wife Barbara at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
with President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
.
World War II and military awards
Kassal enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in January 1942 by volunteering one month after Pearl Harbor and after six months at Mitchel Field, Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, he was assigned to the Officer Candidates School in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, where he met the actor Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, who was in the squadron directly next to his. One of his memorable experiences there was on anti-submarine patrol on the beach at night to guard against German submarines landing spies. He graduated with honors and was assigned to Air Combat Intelligence School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, again graduating with honors.
In the March 15, 1943 edition of Life Magazine, Kassal wrote a letter to the editor that appeared on page 6 wondering "what formula" enlisted war hero Herman J. F. Bottcher used to "secure his rapid promotion" from the rank of Sgt to Captain in the span of 1 week. The editors of Life simply said: "Heroism". Sadly, Bottcher would later be killed in action in Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
.
Given his choice of world-wide air intelligence assignments, Kassal, as a second lieutenant, opted for North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. After three months in an officer replacement center in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, he was chosen by General George Patton’s intelligence officer at the Seventh Army to plan and participate in the D-Day landings at Gela
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.Gela is an...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, which he did on the U.S.S. Orizaba, as part of the Second Armored Division
U.S. 2nd Armored Division
The 2nd Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army. The division played an important role during World War II in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and the liberation of France, Belgium, and Holland and the invasion of Germany...
’s initial landing force. Two months later, he was chosen to plan and land on D-Day with the Fifth Army at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on an LST and he personally briefed General Mark Clark
Mark Wayne Clark
Mark Wayne Clark was an American general during World War II and the Korean War and was the youngest lieutenant general in the U.S. Army...
on the Salerno beach. After the capture of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, he again planned air intelligence missions and, especially with President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's approval, the air bombardment of the Montecassino Abbey, occupied by critical German artillery units which for some period had blocked the infantry’s passage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. At Cassino
Cassino
Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...
, he was assigned to brief General "Hap" Arnold on the military situation at Montecassino.
After the almost completed conquest of Italy, Kassal returned from north of Rome to Naples for the D-Day invasion by the Seventh Army at St. Tropez, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on August 15, 1944. He personally briefed General Patch. Shortly thereafter, he took 17 German soldiers prisoner at Salon-en-Provence. Although a prisoner, the German Commander of the prisoners arrogantly declared that Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
would nevertheless win the war to which Kassal responded "Did you ever think you would be taken prisoner by a Jew?" The troops in Southern France
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
moved swiftly to the north and through Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
where they were caught in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
and General Patton’s counter-attack. Thereafter, Kassal’s unit quickly moved through Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and was at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
when D-Day was declared. However, because of his extraordinary intelligence knowledge of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, he was assigned to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to prepare for the invasion of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
since it was anticipated that German pilots would be part of the Japanese air defense.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, three Bronze Arrowheads for three D-Day invasion landings and Seven Campaign ribbons in the European Theatre. He was in the Army Air Forces for 4 years and served overseas for 30 months in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Recipient of "Top Secret", highest intelligence classification throughout the war as well as intelligence data from the "Ultra Secret" (the result of breaking the German code, through "Enigma").
Discharged December 31, 1945, as Captain and, presently, a Major, U.S. Air Force, Reserves (Retired).
Other contributions of World War II mementos made to U.S. Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, including photos of invasions, prisoner of war camps, targets and German equipment.
On June 5, 2009, he received the French Legion of Honor Medal from the French Defense Minister Herve Morin
Hervé Morin
Hervé Morin is a French politician, leader of the New Center party and a former French Minister of Defence.-Member of National Assembly:...
at Les Invalides
Les Invalides
Les Invalides , officially known as L'Hôtel national des Invalides , is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with a ceremony at Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The beach next to the coastal village was one of the principal beachheads during the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, designated Omaha beach....
(Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
) Normandy where he and his wife were photographed with President and Michele Obama on June 6, 2009.
He has given talks about his World War II overseas experience with photos at the Harvard Club of N.Y. City, the N.Y. City Bar Association (2009), the Harding Club at Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (2009) and at Skadden Arps' New York offices (2008 and 2009) and Skadden, Arps' London office in May 2010.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage
Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Museum of Jewish Heritage, located in lower Manhattan, is a living memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust. The Museum honors those who died by celebrating their lives – cherishing the traditions that they embraced, examining their achievements and faith, and affirming the vibrant...
in New York City has several war mementos which he donated for its permanent exhibit "Ours to Fight For." In addition, its exhibit contains his video oral testimony including the surrender of 17 German soldiers in Salon, France. The donated items include several Nazi daggers and swords and his two volume hand-written personal diaries. This exhibit has been shown in several U.S. cities.
On July 16, 2009, he was awarded membership in the American Society of French Legion of Honor.
Political and legislative career (1946-1962)
Kassal immediately after the war, became very active in liberal causes on the upper West SideUpper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan, like the Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action is an American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.-History:...
, the American Veterans Committee
American Veterans Committee
The American Veterans Committee was founded in 1943 as a liberal veterans organization and an alternative to groups such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which supported a conservative political and social agenda. The organization's roots were planted in 1942 when Sgt...
, the Draft Eisenhower Movement (for the Democratic nomination) and the Volunteers for Stevenson. He also joined the local anti-Tammany
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
Democratic Club and ran and lost in a contested primary for the State Assembly (1950). Later, in 1956, he was elected as the first Reform Democrat Assemblyman in the N.Y. State legislature. In 1962, he was in a contested primary against the incumbent Congressman and was unsuccessful. He resumed his law practice as a single practitioner and, in 1969, he was successful in another contested Democratic primary for the Civil Court.
As an Assemblyman, Kassal was regarded as one of the most liberal legislators. He is most proud of two achievements: (1) As his assembly district included the Lincoln Center of the Arts, he introduced and had enacted into law the first Arts Council in the United States (which he modeled after the Council for the Encouragement of the Arts that he first became aware of in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during World War II); (2) He was the only legislator to vote against the annual re-enactment of the Security Risk Law, mandating that all state employees execute loyalty oaths during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. As a result, the bill was never re-introduced.
Also see N.Y. Post column by Murray Kempton
Murray Kempton
James Murray Kempton was an influential, Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist.-Biography:Kempton was born in Baltimore on December 16, 1917. His mother was Sally Ambler and his father was James Branson Kempton, a stock broker...
, April 29, 1962, "Power House" as to Assemblyman Kassal's bill and his debate regarding Con Ed – (to require advance notice before cut off of electricity).
Listed in "Who's Who in American Law" and an AV rating in Martindale Hubbell.
Legal career (1940-1969)
Except for his four year period of military serviceMilitary service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
, as a single practitioner, his specialties were civil litigation, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, estates and matrimonials. His sole criminal matter was representing Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, the famous comedian, on his arraignment on obscenity
Obscenity
An obscenity is any statement or act which strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting, or is especially inauspicious...
charges at Cafe Au Gogo in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. During almost this entire period, he was a regular guest commentator on radio night talk shows, first with Barry Gray
Barry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
on WMCA and then with Long John Nebel
Long John Nebel
Long John Nebel was an influential New York City talk radio show host.From the mid 1950s until his death in 1978, Nebel was a hugely popular all-night radio host, with millions of regular listeners and what Donald Bain described as "a fanatically loyal following" to his syndicated program, which...
on WOR.
Judicial career (1970-1993)
Serving in the Civil Court of the City of New York for six years (1970–1976), he was the judge assigned to establish the Housing Court and he also introduced the Small Claims Court into the State of Israel. Thereafter, he served in the N.Y. Supreme Court for six years and was appointed by Governor Hugh CareyHugh Carey
Hugh Leo Carey was an American attorney, the 51st Governor of New York from 1975 to 1982, and a seven-term United States Representative .- Early life :...
to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department in 1987 where he served for 12 years. During this period, he was appointed by Chief Judge Sol Wachtler
Sol Wachtler
Solomon Wachtler, born , is a lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1985 to 1993. Known for the remark, "A marriage license should not be viewed as a license for a husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity" , Wachtler was a key figure in...
to serve for the April/May 1985 term at the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
, the State’s highest court. Additionally, he acted as a Special Judge to try judges for ethical violations and recommended significant sanctions, including removal, for several judges.
He has a total of 259 reported decisions. In the appeal on the America's Cup Race trial decision, he wrote a dissent in favor of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
team based primarily on sportsmanship, fair play and equity in that, although not violative of any specific rules, holding that the use by the United States of a catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
was contrary to the spirit of the race since no catamaran had ever been raced previously and, critically, no catamaran had ever lost to a single-hulled sailboat.
In Morgan v. Morgan, on the basis of equity, fairness and justice, he ruled in favor of providing maintenance to the wife who had supported her husband while he completed his legal education
Legal education
Legal education is the education of individuals who intend to become legal professionals or those who simply intend to use their law degree to some end, either related to law or business...
and became an attorney. She had sought similar support while a pre-medical and medical student. Although reversed on appeal, shortly thereafter the Equitable Distribution Law was enacted providing for this form of relief. (Subsequently, she became a doctor and a photo article with Kassal was published in the New York Times).
In People v. Shelton, his decision, the first to interpret the statutory language "Extreme Emotional Disturbance" in a jury charge as mitigation on a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
charge, was affirmed by the Court of Appeals.
In Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, his opinion at the Appellate Division, requiring actual or constructive notice of a physical condition as a condition for negligence
Negligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
liability, was affirmed by the Court of Appeals.
In 1976, as a Civil Court Judge, he decided, in Parkwood v. Marcano, that a landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
has a duty to mitigate damages upon a tenant's default, similar to all contract damages. This was reversed on appeal.
On April 22, 2003, he acted as amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
for Brennan Center for Justice
Brennan Center for Justice
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on issues involving democracy and justice...
(NYU) in filing a brief at the New York Court of Appeals supporting stringent ethical rules for Judges.
Current legal activities and committees
Since 1998, he has been a counsel in the litigation department at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He is an arbitrator and mediator, advises attorneys on arguments and appeals, reviews and revises briefs and memoranda, prepares and circulates memoranda on current litigation topics, engages in moot courtMoot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
arguments, delivers an annual C.L.E. talk on “Effective Appellate and Trial Advocacy” and is the annual reporter since 2004 for the New York State Bar Association Journal on the subject of appellate statistics, most recently entitled “Did the Appellate Odds Change in 2008” with the article for 2009 scheduled for publication in the fall of 2009.
A Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker at Harvard Law School on three occasions.
In his third five year term on the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics (Office of Court Administration)Committee on Character and Fitness (Appellate Division, First Department)
Mayor's Committee on City Marshals, Special Master, Pre-Argument Conferences (Appellate Division, First Department), Lecturer on Active Post-Judicial Legal Retirement (Supreme Court Justices and NY State Bar Association) Annual Article, N.Y.S.B.A. Journal on Appellate Statistics, published every year since 2002.
He delivered a talk about his career and 70 years changes in the practice of law at Oxford University Faculty of Law on May 13, 2010. He and his wife were special guests at the Dinner for Legal Academics on May 11, 2010 at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
of the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
in London.
On May 29, 2010, at Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, the 1940 Harvard undefeated Eastern Rugby League championship team was honored by the Harvard Rugby Football Club. (His original 1940 football jersey is on permanent exhibition at the Harvard Club of the City of New York).
On May 20, 2010, he took photos of the Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and obtained historical data for the Jewish Heritage Research Center as to the destruction by floods of three synagogues in Bath, England in 1938.
On January 9, 2009, the New York City Bar Association presented as its bi-annual program, "Twentieth Century Traveler: The Life and Perilous Times of the Hon. Bentley Kassal."
Testified as an expert witness on New York law, pertaining to pre-nuptial agreements in London at the High Court of Justice
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
in 2003.
Acted as a neutral arbitrator, appointed by Movie Fone in the A.A.A. arbitration Ticketmaster v. Movie Fone, in 1996.
Member of the London Court of International Arbitrators (2005).
Lecturer at NITA programs (2005).
Pro bono photographer
Continuing to the present, he has undertaken 81 photographic missions throughout the world and covering 158 countries. The New York State Bar Association Journal featured an article about an exhibition of Kassal's photographs.On April 12, 2010, he took photographs at the Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville is a city located in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States and was named an All-America City in 1997 and 2009. The population was 24,633 at the 2010 census...
Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
for the Jewish Heritage Research Center (Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
).
Among the charitable groups he has taken photographs for 17 charities, including Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, the Asia Society
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
, UNICEF, the International Survey of Jewish Monuments, the Coalition for Soviet Jewry, United Jewish Appeal
United Jewish Appeal
The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc.In...
and others.
His photos have appeared on numerous occasions in the media and his photo for Save the Children remained on its poster for more than ten years. He has also exhibited at the City Bar Association and several court houses. As recently as June 2009 in Southern France, at the age of 92, he took photos of three synagogues at Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, Carpentras
Carpentras
Carpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
and Cavallion in France and three synagogues in North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He has had a special photo exhibit at the Save the Children headquarters, "Beyond the Bench."
In January 2000, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York presented an exhibition of Kassal's photography.
His photograph of the original Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
Statue is featured in the "Vanishing Histories" published by the World Monuments Fund.
On September 11, 2001, from the 48th floor of Skadden's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
office, he photographed the second plane crash within minutes after the incident and, two days later, he took photos directly at the scene.
Pro bono photos published
Asia Society—February, 1982 "Tiger's Nest". Tiger's Nest in the Himalayan Kingdom of BhutanBhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
built on the side of a sheer cliff.
World Monument Fund—Spring-Summer 2001 issue: Buddha Statue in Afghanistan". The Buddha Statue was subsequently destroyed by the Taliban but it is being rebuilt by a Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
museum, based upon the previous photo by Kassal.
New York Observer—June 3, 2002
Save the Children – Poster Child. This photo was taken outside of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
during the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holidays when Kassal had one and a half hours during Christmas provided to him by the local representative for photos. This became the official Save the Children poster child and remained so for more than twenty years and appeared in N.Y. Times Magazine, Saturday Review World, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Natural History
Natural History
Natural history is the scientific study of plants or animals.Natural History may also refer to:In science and medicine:* Natural History , Naturalis Historia, a 1st-century work by Pliny the Elder...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Times of Israel, National Jewish Weekly and Unitarian Universalist.
Human rights assignments and pro bono activities
Joint Distribution Committee of the United Jewish AppealUnited Jewish Appeal
The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc.In...
(July, 1975)
Coalition to Free Soviet Jews (1983 and 1985)
International Rescue Committee
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
(1983 and 1986)
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
(1986, 1988 and 1989)
Lawyers Committee on Human Rights (1990)
In 2002, participated in construction of model house at Grand Central Station for Habitat for Humanity. On January 18, 2010, at Hunts Point Middle School and Hyde Leadership Charter School, he assisted in the construction of book shelves.
Personal life
On June 13, 1986, Kassal married Barbara Joan Wax, a retired Bonwit Teller executive, who had started the S'Fari Room. They have no children and live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.Pro Bono Activities
Construction of model house at Grand Central Station for Habitat for Humanity (2002)Presided over moot court for Clinton Public School (Manhattan) 2009, 2010 and 2011 (Skadden project)
Construction of book shelves at Hurits Point Middle School (January 18, 2002) (Skadden project)
Painted walls (and photography) at I.S. 292, Brooklyn, on Martin Luther King Day (January 17, 2011) (Skadden project)
At Mass Moca Museum, North Adams, MA on September 8, 2007 – research and photographs for pro bono litigation (Skadden project)
Post-Judicial Retirement Seminars at New York State Bar Association of Supreme Court Justices (2007, 2008 and 2009)
"Out the Door but Not Over the Hill" – N.Y. State Bar Association program (Albany and N.Y. City), May 6 and 14, 2008
Mentor at Harvard Law School Connect – for students and graduates (2011)
New York County Lawyers Association – Task Force on Transitioning and Unemployed Lawyers (2011)
Donated 69 pints of blood to New York Blood Center
On April 21, 2003, on behalf of the N.Y.U. Brennan Center for Justice, presented amicus brief to Court of Appeals upholding the N.Y. Canons of Judicial Ethics
Human Rights Assignments
World Monuments Fund – Afghanistan (1971)Joint Distribution Committee of the United Jewish Appeal (July, 1975)
Coalition to Free Soviet Jews (1983 and 1985)
International Rescue Committee (1983 and 1986)
Human Rights Watch (1986, 1988 and 1989)
Lawyers Committee on Human Rights (1990)
Professional Committees and Bar Associations
Committee on Character and Fitness (1993 – present)Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics (1993 – present)
Mayor's Committee on City Marshals (1993 – present)
Special Master, Pre-argument Conferences – Appellate Division, Supreme Court, First Dep't. (1993 – present)
Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1953 – present)
New York State Bar Association (2000 – present)
Entertainment Committee – City Bar Association (1975 – present)