When Carl S. Klorman found out he was being honored with Westville Synagogue’s Dedication Award, he was both proud and puzzled. After all, just about the only thing he did at shul is come to minyan most mornings and many evenings and most holidays. On Shabbat and holidays, he sat near the front of the main sanctuary where he was often called upon to dress the Torah. “That’s my service to the shul,” he said. “I structure my day around coming to minyan.”

After morning minyan, Carl filled his days with swimming at the JCC and keeping up with current events. He donated to Jewish charities and has been to Israel 14 times to support the Jewish state and because he loved it there.

A graduate of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts with a BA in history, Carl earned a master’s in history from Southern Connecticut State University. A certified teacher, he taught adult education classes in Hamden, Naugatuck and Bridgeport schools. Carl supported his alma mater and made a generous donation to Clark’s Holocaust Center.

Although he was certified to teach, Carl spent the lion’s share of his working life at his family’s scrap metal dealership, H. Bixon & Sons, where he was a buyer and dispatcher for 30 years, retiring when his uncles sold the business.

He never lost his love for history, though, keeping up with studies about the Middle East and World War II. He also served as a board member and secretary of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven. Carl exemplified the Jewish credo of giving without needing or seeking credit. He will sorely be missed among the members of Westville Synagogue.