In Memory of Benice Diamond

Met Council recently received a very generous donation of $10,000 in memory of Benice Diamond. Benice was a longtime member of Met Council who died a couple of years ago after a lifetime of political and tenant activism.

Benice was born in Poland in 1906 and came to New York as a young child. She led an activist’s life on the Lower East Side, in the civil-rights movement, the antiwar movement, and on campaigns organized by her union, the Communication Workers of America. Like many women of her generation and background, she lived frugally, and so was able to leave a substantial amount of money for the support of her favorite organizations.

At the end of her life, Benice was very active in her building on Ludlow Street--fighting against the landlord who repeatedly tried to take advantage of the tenants, who were all, except Benice, recent immigrants. Met Council activists remember Benice as a tiny woman with a will of steel and who kept together a tenants’ association, despite language barriers, with wit, kindness, and enormous perseverance.

Met Council and the tenant movement lost a great person when Benice died. We are very grateful for her bequest, which will allow us to carry on the work that was so important to her.