Zalman C. Bernstein (1941–2023) was an American financier and philanthropist, and a prominent figure in Jewish intellectual and communal life. Born in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family, he pursued a career in investment management. He was a key figure in the founding and growth of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., joining the firm in 1967 as one of its early employees and rising to become a managing director and key member of the executive committee, contributing to its reputation for rigorous equity research and institutional brokerage. Later in his career, Bernstein served as president of the Capital Management Group at Oppenheimer & Co., overseeing significant asset management operations until his retirement. His professional success allowed him to amass considerable wealth, which he directed toward philanthropic endeavors. Bernstein's most enduring legacy lies in his philanthropy, particularly through the Tikvah Fund, which he founded in 1992 (established in 1997) to advance Jewish education, thought, and leadership infused with classical liberal principles. The fund supported institutions like the Shalem Center in Jerusalem (now Shalem College), the Jewish Review of Books, and various programs fostering intellectual discourse on Judaism, Israel, and Western civilization, alongside other Jewish foundations he established. A devout Orthodox Jew influenced by thinkers like Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Bernstein was committed to strengthening Jewish identity and Zionism. He also endowed the Zalman C. Bernstein Memorial Lecture series at the Shalem Center. Bernstein passed away on August 15, 2023, in New York City, at the age of 82. Throughout his life, he maintained a low public profile but was recognized within elite financial and Jewish circles for his integrity and vision, leaving a profound impact on Jewish philanthropy and finance.