He grew up in Forest Park. 

Like many native Baltimoreans, Searle grew up in the predominately Jewish neighborhood of Forest Park. Jewish life was at the center of his identity.  As kids, all his neighborhood friends went to Hebrew School – he attended Beth Tfiloh a few blocks away on Garrison Boulevard, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, as well as Sunday mornings. “When I wanted to play Little League, I wasn’t allowed to because it interfered,” he recalls. 

His friends were the neighborhood boys, and the local community center at Beth Tfiloh was the place to gather because it had strong youth programming. 

Who says Jewish mothers don’t make the best matchmakers?  

“I was in my first year of law school at Penn and was coming home for Thanksgiving. There was a get-together with friends from college, and I didn’t have a date. My mom had been bugging me for five years about this cute girl, Debbie, (Deborah to her friends) whose parents were in the same investment club as his. I thought, ‘if my mother is saying this, I am just not buying it.’  

But with no one to bring to the event, I figured I’d make her happy. Our first date was that get-together the night after Thanksgiving in 1966. The second was the following night. Now 56 years later, two sons, five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter later, I have to admit my mom was right.” 

His Mom wanted him to be a doctor 

“I’m an only child, and my mom always wanted me to be a doctor. She used to joke that she wanted to sit in the lobby of Sinai Hospital and hear her doctor son being paged.  

Although I started out pre-med, the first time I saw blood, I couldn’t handle it. Fast forward, and now I’m a lawyer. I remember inviting my parents downtown for lunch and asking them to come to my office to meet up. Then I arranged for the receptionist to page me as soon as they arrived in the lobby. It may not have been Sinai Hospital, but I hope it was close enough. My mother loved it” 

His first experience with The Associated was a Young Lawyer’s Dinner. 

During the spring of 1970, Searle was in the chambers at the City Courthouse for the judge he was clerking for at the time. One of the previous clerks stopped by to visit and asked him if he was going to the The Associated lawyers’ dinner next month. 

To which he replied, ‘What’s The Associated?’    

He was told that The Associated was a charitable organization, and the dinner would give him a chance to meet other lawyers. “I went to the dinner, found the people enthusiastic and was impressed with the work The Associated was doing for the good of the community.” 

Over the years, Searle’s Associated involvement has focused on two areas he is passionate about – Jewish education and Israel. 

Searle served on The Associated’s Day School Committee looking at ways to provide more access to day school education for all children, including those who were not Orthodox. While on the the Planning and Budget Committee, he helped put together a Day School Council, which started funding day schools on a per capita basis. “That led to the Orthodox community becoming more involved with The Associated,” he recalls. 

He was also president of the Macks Center for Jewish Education, chaired Hillel at the time the Hillels were consolidated under one roof — Hillels of Greater Baltimore — and has served on the Israel and Global Committee. 

On winning the Carole Sibel Outstanding Fundraising Achievement Award. 

He loves sports. 

Searle is a big Ravens and Orioles fan. “My older son tells me that he vividly remembers the day the Colts left. It was an icy morning and school was delayed. We were watching the news of the Mayflower trucks leaving. I was extremely unhappy. He now says it’s the first time he heard me use bad language. Since he was 12 at the time, I think that’s pretty good” 

He’s excited about Partners Baltimore

“I love that it brings people together whose paths might not normally cross. We talk and learn together and it’s all about respect and sharing one’s perspective. I think it’s an amazing program that is building community cohesiveness.” 

The most important thing in life. 

“Relationships”