Harry Lerner, the founder of Lerner Publishing and publisher of Kar-Ben Books, the largest publisher of Jewish-themed children’s books, passed away on April 8. He was 93.
Lerner was born in Minneapolis in 1932 and grew up on the city’s North Side. He worked at the family grocery store on Nicollet Island, and spent his professional career within one square mile of downtown Minneapolis.
He started his publishing career while stationed in Germany as a young soldier; he wrote a guidebook that Stars & Stripes distributed, which helped soldiers who wanted to purchase cars while living overseas. When he returned to civilian life, Harry finished college and began publishing a magazine, Sporting Goods Journal.
In 1959, he made the transition to publishing children’s books. He launched a series called “Medical Books for Children” aimed at helping children through their childhood illnesses. These books were produced with help from his brother, Aaron, and were written by his sister-in-law, Dr. Marguerite (Margie) Rush Lerner. Using her sons as characters, Margie Lerner explained such topics as chickenpox, mumps, and measles. She also featured a female doctor in the books, at a time when fewer than 6% of doctors were women. Schools and libraries responded to the series more positively than doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Under Lerner’s stewardship, the company has received numerous accolades, including a Caldecott Honor, and multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medals, and Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards, all of which recognize excellence in children’s literature and impactful storytelling.
There have also been several acquisitions of publishers over the years. The most consequential to the Jewish world was in 2001, when Lerner Publishing made Kar-Ben books an imprint of the company. Kar-Ben was founded in 1974 and is the oldest publisher of exclusively Jewish children’s books in the world.
In 1998, Lerner turned over the day-to-day operational responsibilities to his oldest son, Adam, but continued in the role of chairman-of-the-board until his death. The family business continues into a third generation, with Harry’s oldest grandsons, Ariel Lerner and Leo Lerner, currently working at Lerner Publishing Group, along with other grandchildren who have held internships and been involved with the company.
In the Minnesota publishing and literary community, Harry and the Lerner family were instrumental in its growth by supporting organizations such as The Loft, Books for Africa, The Minnesota Library Association Foundation, the Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable, the Minneapolis Public Library (now Hennepin County Library), Minneapolis Central Library, the Kerlan Collection, and the University of Minnesota where the Lerner Publishing Media Lab is named in Harry’s honor.
Harry was preceded in death by his first wife, Sharon Lerner, and is survived by his beloved wife of 29 years, Sandy; his children, Adam (Maryann) Lerner; Mia (Raul) Posada; Daniel (Sharon) Lerner; and Leah (Itay) Ophir; and his grandchildren, Ariel and Leo Lerner, Ruthie, Nathan, and Jesse Posada, and Gideon, Noam, Mika and Matan Ophir; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The funeral is 2 p.m. Thursday, April 10 at Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 10500 Hillside Lane W., Minnetonka. The funeral will also be livestreamed.
my sincere condolences to the lerner family and sandy