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Alumni Profile: Richard Bardenstein

Graduation Year: 1980

Major/degree: AB in English Language & Literature from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; also LSA Honors Program Grad

Home state/country: metro Detroit area, Michigan, USA

Current state/country: Jerusalem, Israel

Current Employer and position: Owner, Bardenstein & Co. Law Offices and Consultants

 

Why did you originally decide to study at Michigan?

Things were a little different back then. I applied to one other school—MIT—and I got in. I had a conversation with my father about it and he said that Michigan was a great state school, and, unless there was something specific I wanted to study at MIT, that I might as well go to a state school. Michigan, and the Honors College in particular, was a great place to get a liberal education. Now applying to colleges has become this massive undertaking, and people of my age wonder if we’d be able to get into a place like Michigan today.

 

What do you miss most about campus and/or Ann Arbor?

I liked the friendly atmosphere and beautiful outdoors. It’s a very pleasant city to ride your bike around, especially to watch the leaves change in the fall. I had my own favorite places on campus, like Pizza Bob’s—is that still there?

I miss the educational experience. Ralph Williams, before he retired, was a mentor for me. I must have taken seven or eight classes with him. One of the very special educational experiences was his seminar on Dante’s Divine Comedy. For no additional credit, we would read and learn the whole Divine Comedy three times a week, which worked out to about a book every year for three years. It was very special, listening to Ralph with his rich knowledge and wisdom that would just pour out during these sessions. I felt very fortunate to experience that, it was like learning with a great rabbi.

 

What ways have you found to keep in touch with the Michigan community while living outside of the US?

For the most part I come back to see family and friends three or four times a year, and I also come to Michigan for business. In doing so I get to see people and keep in touch. Very frequently I meet U-M people by chance. It’s a common ground as I am getting to know people in my line of business. It’s something that you share without having to describe it.

 

Are there any interesting projects that you’re currently working on in your personal or professional life?

There is a very dynamic economy in Israel, with a lot of innovation. One of the main things that I do as a lawyer is helping investors from abroad get involved in what Israel has to offer, a lot of times in the high-tech industries and life sciences. Israel has a very advanced startup culture in many areas of technology and I help people on both sides: the investors that are looking to get involved in those companies and the companies themselves that need help to successfully grow and prosper.

There is so much fascinating stuff being developed right around me, I’ve gotten used to a high-level of interest in what I’m dealing with day-to-day. Right now there has been a swell of activity by American real estate companies who have realized that it’s cheaper to raise money on the local Tel Aviv stock exchange than domestically in the U.S. To me this is interesting because it’s contrary to what you’d expect, a large country like the U.S. coming to a much smaller country to make money. Additionally, Israel is the world capital of medical cannabis research. In both the educational and private sectors, a great deal of research is being done to develop and prove applications for different strains of cannabis and their effectiveness in treating specific medical conditions.

There are lots of high-tech companies as well. Israel has become a leader in cyber security technologies. A partnership has developed between former military intelligence personnel, multinationals, and the universities, which has created a sort of cyber security triangle, all working together. I’ve been involved with several startups that are producing different technologies to read and interpret electronic information and detect potential hostile actions.

 

Any other details about yourself that you’d like to share?

My family is a Michigan family: my mother got her BA from Michigan; at one point all three of my siblings and I were at Michigan at one time; and one of my sisters is currently a faculty member in Middle Eastern Studies at U-M (Carol Bardenstein).