Born Brighton, April 3, 1942. Died near Nahariya, June 15, 2008, aged 66.
September 19, 2008 08:16A dedicated schoolteacher and pioneer of teaching methods, Gerry Rosen inspired children in England and Israel in subjects far beyond his formal discipline of mathematics.
Growing up in North West London with three brothers and a sister, Gerry was head boy at Hendon County Grammar School.
At 13 he became an active member of Golders Green Jewish Youth Club, participating in the cup-winning football team as well as cricket, tennis, swimming and athletics.
Becoming club leader and manager, he was a successful and persuasive coach. In a single year in the AJY athletics championships, Golders Green won in every age group and the ladies' and men's cups.
He was also enjoyed Israeli dancing, appearing in 1966 as a principal dancer with the Ronit Israeli dance troupe at the annual Eisteddfod in Cardiff.
After gaining degrees at Chelsea College of Science and Technology and Aston University, Birmingham, he taught at JFS School for seven years until moving to Birmingham, where he married Sandra Lerman in 1967. Before settling in Israel with his family in 1975, he was chairman of BAM (British Aliyah Movement) in Birmingham.
After teaching for two years at Safad High School, he moved to the Western Galilee Regional Comprehensive School for Science and Arts, near Nahariya, where he remained for 31 years.
His pupils enjoyed not just his maths and computer lessons but his skilful clarinet playing and dance classes.
Although working in a non-religious high school, he was concerned at his pupils' ignorance of Judaism.
He eventually managed to persuade the headmistress to give him a classroom once a month to ensure that the pupils knew how to recite the prayers and put on tefillin.
This became a popular Rosh Chodesh class, which his pupils have been eager to maintain in honour of his memory.
In 2005 he led his school team to victory in a national schools science quiz, known in Hebrew as Yanshuf (Owl), held in Tel Aviv for junior high school pupils. It was the second year of the quiz, with a focus on Marie Curie and women in science.
Gerry and his five-pupil team were rewarded with a full day's visit to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot at the invitation of the head of the physics department, Professor Yigal Talmi.
Gerry Rosen was an influential figure in mathematics teaching both in Israel and internationally.
In Israel he worked with the Weizmann Institute, universities and teacher training colleges on innovative teaching methods for those who were already qualified.
Globally he co-ordinated discussion groups under the heading Research by Teachers, Research with Teachers at conferences of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME). He presented papers at PME conferences around the world.
When he moved to Nahariya in the 1970s, he found many native English speakers in difficulties at synagogue services because of differences in accent, tune and style.
He persuaded the mayor to let him use a large public shelter as a synagogue. Unable to afford a rabbi, he led familiar Shabbat and High Holy-Day services, together with his father-in-law and a friend.
When he left Nahariya in 1997, there was no one to replace him. Books and scrolls were sent to a congregation in Modi'in, close to his son's home. He continued to assist with leading services there on visits to his son's family.
Enthused by his experience of the Limmud educational programme in Britain in 2000, he helped plan a similar event in Western Galilee to develop awareness of Jewish culture and tradition, which is now well established.
His death from cardiac arrest, after collapsing while playing in the annual football game between staff and pupils at the Western Galilee Regional Comprehensive School, came as a huge shock. It occurred in the very week he was due to retire.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra; son, Adam; daughter, Louise; and three grandchildren.