Born in Suffern, New York, and raised in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pere was a three-sport athlete in high school — football, wrestling, and baseball. He then attended the University of Massachusetts, where at the urging of his older brother Mike and wrestling coach Mike Carey, Pere first picked up a rugby ball.
In his first season, He was named UMass Rugby’s Rookie of the Year. Pere rose to captain the side, earning selections to the New England Collegiate and Men’s Select Sides, and twice representing the Northeast Collegiate All-Stars, with invitations to the Collegiate All-American camps.
His club career spanned a number of clubs — Bergen Bruisers, New York Rugby Club, Mystic River, and the Chicago Lions — and even a chapter abroad with DHS Old Boys in Durban, South Africa.
- UMASS Rookie of Year – 1994;
- UMASS MVP (Backs) – 1995 -1996;
- UMASS Captain – 1995-1996
- Nerfu and NorthEast select Sides – 1996 & 1997
- Midwest Men’s Select Side – 1998
Connection to Maccabi USA Rugby
It was with the Bergen Bruisers that, Pere Berkowitz met Steve Bonder — a veteran of the 1985 U.S. Maccabiah Rugby Team — who told him about the Maccabiah Games and urged him to try out. One of only two college players chosen for the historic 1997 gold medal–winning U.S. Maccabiah squad, Pere started in all but one match and was named Man of the Match in the gold medal final. The medal itself, however, didn’t stay with him. Pere dedicated that performance — and the medal — to his mother, who was living with multiple sclerosis. It remains one of the most meaningful moments of his life.
After time abroad playing with DHS Old Boys in South Africa and then with the Chicago Lions, a string of hamstring injuries forced Pere to step away from the game he loved. He hadn’t planned to return for the 2001 Maccabiah tryouts — until a nudge from close friend and former teammate Aaron Gassman convinced him to bring his boots “just in case.” That last-minute decision changed everything. Pere made the 2001 U.S. Maccabiah Team, once again playing in every match — and once again earning Man of the Match honors in the finals.
For Pere Berkowitz, the Maccabiah experience wasn’t just about medals or matches. It was about brotherhood, resilience, and moments that define a life. The friendships forged and lessons learned on that field — those are the treasures that endure long after the final whistle.
