Eric and Svetlana Silverman are the benefactors of the new Alef Preschool of Palm Beach which has been named in tribute to Eric Silverman’s late parents: The Lila & Gil Silverman Early Learning Center. The Silvermans moved to Palm Beach from Boston in 2015 and are members of The Chabad House on Palm Beach.“I think that education is, fundamentally, about helping people do their best, and my parents were living embodiments of that idea. They were generous with their time and wisdom, and were steadfast and committed mentors to so many people they encountered through their numerous community commitments and extensive travels,” Eric said. Lila and Gil Silverman firmly believed in the transformative power of art and art education. They were passionate and visionary collectors of modern art, who left an indelible mark on many art institutions—the Cranbrook Academy of Art and its Art Museum; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Detroit Institute of Art; and the Israel Museum. Lila and Gil delighted in celebrating their grandchildren’s educational successes, proudly sharing school assignments and displaying framed kindergarten drawings right alongside important works by renowned artists in their home. Their children’s and grandchildren’s pursuit of knowledge and intellectual challenges were for them a necessity as well as a source of profound joy.
Impeccably elegant and always gracious, Lila was known for throwing fabulous parties and organizing trips to far-flung places. A generous supporter of many social justice and charitable causes, she served her community with tireless zeal in ways almost too numerous to mention. She was a Founding Member of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit; she served on the Committee for Midtown Economic Development of Detroit and on various committees of the Detroit Institute of Art; she was also an Honorary Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and served on its Trustee Committee on Archives, Library, and Research. After her husband of 54 years, Gil, died, Lila donated to MoMA her and Gil’s pioneering collection of Instruction Drawings, which includes iconic works by Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, and Yoko Ono. Gil was a real estate developer in Detroit as well as a noted art patron and collector, with an eye for the avant garde and the thought-provoking. The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection, donated in 2009 to MoMA, is often described as the world’s most significant collection of its kind. Gil served on Boards of numerous real estate industry associations, as well as on the Boards of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. A life-long learner, Gil almost always read non-fiction, because, as he put it, he “enjoyed learning things” and loved to spend his Sunday mornings studying the Torah with his rabbi. “I made a decision that I would donate the money my parents left me to causes that would honor their memory and having their names on a preschool would be special to them," said Eric Silverman. “We couldn’t be more delighted to support a school that will solidly and substantially serve one of our most precious resources, our children and grandchildren, the future of Judaism and the Jewish people.” Svetlana Silverman said, “We find the Reggio Emilia approach to education both inspiring and unique: teachers facilitate the children’s skill development by following their interests, cultivating their creative expression, and aiming to create lifelong learners. It’s so thrilling to be part of a school that will be infused with a Reggio mindset. A school that combines the two passions of Gil and Lila, Judaism and art, is truly meaningful to us.”
