Ellen Braunstein
When Barbara Freed lived in the south of France as a college student in 1960, she fell in love with French language, art and culture in a way that shaped the rest of her life.
The year abroad eventually led to a nationally recognized academic career in French and applied linguistics, decades of summers spent teaching in France and a documentary film about Henri Matisse and the Dominican nun who inspired the artist’s famous chapel in Vence. It also deepened the intellectual curiosity and cultural Judaism that remained important to her throughout her life.
“There was no idea that she did not find a way to bring to reality,” her sister, Alice Freed, said.
Freed, a Philadelphia scholar, educator and arts supporter who later became active at Adath Jeshurun Congregation and built the modern languages program at Carnegie Mellon University, died March 24 at her home in Philadelphia after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 84.
Born and raised in Cheltenham, Freed grew up in an artistic Jewish family. Her father, Maurice Freed, worked as an artist, illustrator and former art director for Esquire magazine.
Her mother, Lillian Freed, helped create what relatives described as a warm and highly creative home.
Alice Freed said Judaism was present culturally and socially in the family, though not in a strictly religious sense. The family celebrated Jewish holidays along with many other American traditions, and Barbara Freed later became the sibling most drawn to Jewish ritual and observance.
“We had kind of a magical sense of celebration,” Alice Freed said.
As a teenager, Freed’s life changed when her family moved to the south of France for a year so her father could focus full time on painting. The family settled near Nice while Freed, then a college student, studied in Aix-en-Provence.
Alice Freed said the experience transformed her sister’s life.
“She fell in love with France and French as we all did,” she said. “She went on to do much more with it than I did.”
After returning to the United States, Freed transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied French. She later earned a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language and eventually completed a doctorate in applied linguistics focused on second-language learning and teaching.
Freed began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania before being recruited to Carnegie Mellon University, where she created and expanded the university’s modern languages department into a nationally recognized program, said Alan Mittelman, her husband.
Freed also became known for pioneering work in study-abroad education. Colleagues credited her with helping establish “home study abroad” programs in which students lived with local families instead of remaining primarily with American classmates overseas.
Her research and textbooks on second-language acquisition and study abroad continued influencing the field long after publication.
Students remembered her as demanding but deeply committed to teaching. Mittelman said she regularly organized museum trips for students and introduced new ways of incorporating international culture into language education long before modern video technology became common.
“She was the one who created that field,” Alice Freed said of her study-abroad work.
Freed maintained strong ties to Philadelphia even while teaching in Pittsburgh. For years, she commuted weekly between Philadelphia and Carnegie Mellon because her late first husband, Sheldon Tabb, preferred to remain in the city.
Later in life, Stanford University recruited her to build a similar language program there, but Carnegie Mellon convinced her to stay by allowing her to teach part-time.
Her husband said the university later referred to her simply as “the legend.”
Freed also became known for her philanthropy, particularly in education and the arts.
Family members said she believed strongly in supporting institutions and cultural programs that had shaped her life. In addition to establishing an endowed chair in her name at Carnegie Mellon, she supported educational and arts initiatives connected to language study, French education and the humanities.
Freed’s academic and cultural work earned international recognition. The French government awarded her the title Commander of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques for her contributions to French language and culture.
“She was recognized as one of the great professors,” Mittelman said.
Outside academia, Freed developed a deep interest in art history, especially the work of Henri Matisse. Her fascination with the Matisse Chapel in Vence eventually led her to translate a French memoir by a Dominican nun connected to the chapel.
She later produced “A Model for Matisse,” a documentary film exploring the relationship between Matisse and the nun who inspired the chapel’s creation. The film received notable awards at international film festivals.
Family members described Freed as energetic, driven and intensely creative.
“She was a force of nature,” Alice Freed said.
Mittelman said Freed also loved entertaining and creating beautiful environments. Their Philadelphia home and apartment in Villefranche-sur-Mer were filled with art, flowers and carefully arranged table settings.
“She just loved beautiful things,” Mittelman said.
Although not traditionally observant for much of her life, Judaism remained important to Freed culturally and intellectually. During her first marriage, she kept a kosher home for many years. Later, she developed a strong connection to Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom of Adath Jeshurun and regularly attended services in Elkins Park to hear his sermons.
Freed battled ovarian cancer for approximately 15 years while continuing to travel, lecture and remain active in academic and cultural organizations. Mittelman said many people outside her closest circle never realized how ill she was.
Even during retirement, she remained active with the Free Library of Philadelphia and served on the board of the French International School of Philadelphia.
Alice Freed said her sister approached life with optimism even during difficult moments.
“When bad things would happen,” she said, “Barbara would say there’s a silver lining.”
Mittelman said his wife never approached life halfway, whether she was teaching, entertaining, traveling or supporting the arts.
“If she was in, she was in 100%,” he said. “Everybody misses her who knew her.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance obituary writer. She welcomes suggestions for individuals who had meaningful ties to the Philadelphia Jewish community. Email [email protected].