Helen H. Baron
Helen Herson Baron, of Silver Spring, passed away on Oct. 24. She was the beloved wife of the late Irv Baron. The daughter of Robert and Yetta Herson, she was born in Washington, where she resided with her sister and two brothers.
As a young girl, she worked at her father’s store, Herson’s Auto Glass. She also studied opera in school where she sang all the leads in the musical productions. She also entertained the troops at the USO in Washington by singing the songs of Gilbert & Sullivan. Helen worked alongside her husband at their store, D.G.S. Market, in Washington, and when asked what gives her the most joy in life, she responded, “the love of family.” She was the devoted mother of Joanne (Dave) Hall, Mark Baron and Michael Baron. Also survived by her granddaughters, Rachel (Joe) Bucceri and Debbie (Clint) Brown; and eight great-grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

David Mitchell Beckwitt
David Mitchell Beckwitt, 84, died on Oct. 21, at home. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 19, 1934. He attended Rutgers University and later received his Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Catholic University.

As an opera singer, performer and teacher, he touched people across the globe. He performed solos for four presidential administrations while proudly serving his country in the United States Army Chorus, sang in operas across Germany, served as a cantor for Temple Sinai in Washington and left a legacy by teaching voice to his private and community college students

He is survived by three children, two grandchildren and two brothers. Contributions may be made to American Parkinson Disease Association. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Joyce Rebecca Dubin Hinkes
Joyce Rebecca Dubin Hinkes, 34, of Washington, died Oct. 11, after a 3½ year battle with melanoma. She was a 2006 honors graduate from the University of Maryland . She worked as a consultant at IBM and Booz Allen. She thrived as a wife, aunt, sister, daughter and friend. Joyce was most proud of her deep relationships with family and friends.

In May 2010, Joyce met Eric Hinkes under a tree at a Lag B’Omer barbecue in Rose Park in Georgetown. They were married in August 2012 and they continued to reside in Washington.

She was the daughter of the late Daniel S. and Ellen Dubin.

Joyce is survived by husband Eric Matthew Hinkes; sister Adina (Max) Barkinskiy;
brothers Adam (Shoshana) Dubin and David C. Dubin; niece Miriam and nephews Shlomo, Moshe and Zev; along with other devoted friends and family.

The post Obituaries | Nov. 8, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Stan Lee. Photo by Gage Skidmore

Stan Lee, who as one of the masterminds behind Marvel Comics created such mega-popular comic book franchises as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

He was 95.

Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922, the son of a Romanian-Jewish immigrant father and what he once called a “nice, rather old-fashioned Jewish lady,” Lee drew on themes of his childhood to create a series of memorable pulp heroes whose outsider status in some ways became their superpower.

Lee was a pioneer of a comic book industry dominated at its outset by hungry, second-generation Jewish artists and writers, and became one of its most iconic figures. He also lived long enough to see it transformed into a multibillion-dollar multimedia industry that has spawned countless blockbusters based on his characters, including Black Panther, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and Ant-Man.

Lee grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan and attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. In 1939 he was brought in to what would become Marvel — and named its interim editor at age 19 — although it wasn’t until the early 1960s that he and artist Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) teamed up to put their distinctive stamp on the industry then dominated by DC, which published Superman and Batman comics.

According to Arie Kaplan, author of “From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books,” Lee and Kirby created “a group of superheroes who weren’t sunny or optimistic like rival company DC’s heroes. One member of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm (aka The Thing) felt like a freak because cosmic rays had transformed him into an orange, granite-skinned monster. With Ben Grimm, Lee and Kirby were using a superhero as a metaphor for Jews, African-Americans, and other minorities.”

In the introduction to the book “Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics and the Creation of the Superhero,” by Danny Fingeroth, Lee wondered if the anti-Semitism he and other young comic book writers and artists experienced played a role in their art.

“[C]ould it be that there was something in our background, in our culture, that brought us together in the comic book field?” he wrote. “When we created stories about idealized superheroes, were we subconsciously trying to identify with characters who were the opposite of the Jewish stereotypes that hate propaganda had tried to instill in people’s minds?”

Yet readers also appreciated the vulnerability and human scale of his otherwise outsized characters.

“His stories taught me that even superheroes like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk have ego deficiencies and girl problems and do not live in their macho fantasies 24 hours a day,” Gene Simmons of the band Kiss, who immigrated to the United States from Israel as a child, said in a 1979 interview. “Through the honesty of guys like Spider-Man, I learned about the shades of gray in human nature.”

In 1972, Lee was named publisher of Marvel, leaving the editing to others as he went about promoting the Marvel brand. He set up an animation studio in Los Angeles, and saw the company eventually grow from TV production into a multimedia giant that has dominated the movie box office. In 2009, the Walt Disney Co. bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.

The most recent Marvel film, “Avengers: Infinity War,” is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to gross more than $1 billion.

In 2002, Lee published an autobiography, “Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee.”

After Joan, his wife of 69 years, died in July 2017, Lee’s final years were marked by a series of lawsuits over his fortune and allegations that Lee was a victim of elder abuse by a man handling his affairs. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lee’s estate is estimated to be worth as much as $70 million.

Upon hearing of his death, Lee’s Jewish fans offered tributes on Twitter.

“In honor of the late great Stan Lee, born Stanley Lieber, you should all read ‘The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay’ by Michael Chabon, a novel about how American Jews invented superheroes, and why,” wrote Peter Sagal, the host of the NPR game show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”

NBC News correspondent Benjy Sarlin described Lee as “a big source of cultural pride as a kid, both as a New Yorker and as a Jew. It meant a lot to me that so many great comic creators had similar biographies to my grandparents and that their world was reflected in the work itself.”

Survivors include his daughter and a younger brother, Larry Lieber, a writer and artist for Marvel. Another daughter, Jan, died in infancy.

–JTA News and Features

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Wendy Stone Coonin

Wendy Stone Coonin, of Washington, died on Nov. 5. She was predeceased by her former husband, Myron. Beloved mother of Brian (Carrie), David (Lauren) and Adam (Vina); loving sister of Robin (Shawn) Bader and James (Vivian) Stone; cherished grandmother of Sam, Jake, Max, Ariel, Allie, Alex and Tyler. She is also survived by her companion, Jim Chamberlin, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Contributions may be made to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington (smithlifecommunities.org) or American Cancer Society (cancer.org). Services handled by Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Barbara Dayton Fabian

Barbara Dayton Fabian, of Olney, died on Nov. 9. Beloved wife of the late Milton Fabian; devoted mother of Ken (Robin) Fabian and Karen Federline. Loving grandmother of Jordan (Melissa) Fabian, Michael (Willa Pelini) Fabian, Daniel (Jeanine) Federline, Eric (Eileen McKeown) Federline and Alex Federline. Contributions may be made to the Anti-Defamation League, (adl.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

William Fisher

William Fisher, of North Bethesda, died on Nov. 2. He was a prominent builder in Montgomery County. Beloved husband of 64 years of Thelma Fisher; devoted father of Sherry (David) Meltzer, Michael (Lisa) Fisher and Donald (Elysa) Fisher. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Rebecca (Mathew) Maarec, Jennifer Meltzer, Robbie (Lauren) Meltzer, Aaron (Ashley) Fisher, Marc (Phylicia) Fisher, Andrea (Matthew) Fink, Brandon Fisher and Danielle Fisher and five great-grandchildren. Contributions may be made to Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Stuart Foreman

Stuart Foreman, of Bethesda, died on Nov. 5. Beloved son of Phyllis Foreman and the late Earl Foreman; devoted brother of Scott Foreman and Ronald Foreman; loving uncle of Sarah (James) Scullin, Meredith (Jeffrey) Emershaw and William Foreman; and great-uncle of Thomas Scullin, Susannah Scullin and George Scullin. Contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice — Casey House, montgomeryhospice.org. Services handled by Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Rhoda Kushner Kandel

Rhoda Kandel, of Chevy Chase, died on Nov. 2. Fiercely loving and devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister (and sister-in-law), aunt and friend. Survived by her daughters, Karan (Richard Dreisen) Kandel and Susan (Joe DeBassio) Kandel; her brother, Dr. Herbert (Arlene) Kushner; and four great-grandsons. She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Arnold. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Jennie “Jean” Koff

Jennie “Jean” Rosendorf Koff, 92, of Silver Spring, died on Nov. 3. Jean was born and raised in Washington and worked as a federal employee for many years. She married Morton Koff, a podiatrist from Philadelphia, in 1950. They lived happily in Bethesda and had three children. They retired and lived between Leisure World in Silver Spring and Boynton Beach, Fla. She was active in Hadassah.

She was the beloved wife of the late Morton Koff, devoted mother of Diane Koff Fine, Warren Koff and the late Rhonda Koff Zillig. Loving grandmother of Lisa Fine Goldstein, Steve Fine, Bryan Zillig and Jessica Zillig Frank. Cherished great-grandmother of Eli, Alexandra,
Emaline, Norah and Ilana.

Contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (tjude.org) or a charity of choice. Services handled by Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Daryl A. Libow

Daryl Andrew Libow, 59, died on Nov. 7, of cancer. Daryl joined Sullivan & Cromwell in 1986, and worked in their New York and London offices before moving to Washington in 1994. Daryl served as managing partner of the D.C. office as well as co-head of the firm’s
anti-trust practice.

Daryl graduated from Harvard University, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Cornell Law School. He remained an avid student all his life, pursuing his interests in jazz, wine, nautical archeology and sports with the same intensity he brought to his
professional endeavors.

Daryl served on the boards of both the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and The Ellington Fund of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He served on the board of Human Rights First. He was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of Cornell Law School as well as the Maret School board.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Beth; their daughters, Jess and Claudia; his parents, Sanford and Adelyn; sister Lindsey, brother Marc (Elise); mother-in-law, Beverly; and loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Contributions may be made to Human Rights First or the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Services handled by Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Nov. 14, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

William Goldman, who wrote ‘Princess Bride’ and ‘Butch Cassidy,’ dies at 87

William Goldman, a novelist and screenwriter who twice won the Oscars for his work on “All the President’s Men” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” died at the age of 87.

Goldman, who was Jewish, passed away Nov. 15 in his Manhattan home, surrounded by family and friends at the age of 87, friends of his family told Deadline.

Goldman began his writing career as a novelist and later transitioned to writing scripts. As a novelist, Goldman wrote the critically-acclaimed “Marathon Man” and “The Princess Bride,” among others. He later adapted those two novels for film, turning them into box-office hits that are considered classics.

His first film script was “Masquerade” in 1965. Some of his other notable film credits include “Misery” (adapted from the Stephen King novel) and “The Stepford Wives (adapted from the Ira Levin novel).

Goldman was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Highland Park, Ill.

He was married to Ilene Jones from 1961 until their divorce in 1991. They had two daughters.

—JTA News and Features

Meryl L. Goodman

Meryl Liss Goodman, of Potomac, died on Nov. 18 of cancer. Beloved wife for 29 years of Donald E. Goodman; cherished daughter of the late Benjamin and Suetelle Liss; devoted and loving mother of Brian Sussman and Scott Sussman and sister of Fulton P. Liss; treasured sister-in-law of Abby, Linda Goodman and Ken Boroson. She is survived by many loving nieces, nephews, close cousins, aunts, uncles and many devoted and loyal friends. Contributions may be made to JSSA Hospice or Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Meryl Goodman Photo Provided

Howard Jay Miller

Howard Jay Miller, of Gaithersburg, died on Nov. 11. He was the beloved husband of Rachel Miller; devoted father of Emily and Justin Miller; loving son of Norman and Gloria Miller; cherished brother of Naomi Miller. Contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice — Casey House (montgomeryhospice.org), or Shady Grove Medical Center Foundation (ahc.thankyou4caring.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Morris Rosenberg

Morris Rosenberg, of Potomac, died on Nov. 6. He was the beloved husband and best friend of Beatrice Rosenberg; devoted father of Alan Rosenberg; loving grandfather of Jackie Rosenberg, Robert Rosenberg and Joey Heffernan. He was preceded in death by his
daughter, Jan Heffernan. and grandson, Tony McChesney. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org) or JSSA (jssa.org).

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Gloria Ruby

Gloria Ruby, of Rockville, died on Nov. 3. She was the beloved wife of the late Stanley Ruby; devoted mother of Jonathan (Anne), Joseph (Debra Brody) and Allen (Lingxin Hao); and loving grandmother of five grandsons. Contributions may be made to the Hunter College Scholarship and Welfare Fund. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Deanne Hammond Sharlin

Deanne Hammond Sharlin (Dee), 91, of Washington, McLean and Fisher Island, Fla., died on Oct. 28 after a brief illness. She was the widow of Meyer H. (Mickey) Sharlin. Her parents were Homer Hammond and Gladys Wheeler Hammond. She is survived by her sister Phyllis Hammond; her brother John Hammond; her sister Jerry Miller; and her niece, Tracy Miller (Sven Voelk). She is predeceased by her sister Janis Hammond, and her brother William Hammond.

Before her marriage, she was an executive secretary with the National Education Association, and a real estate agent in Virginia. After marrying, she and Mickey traveled the world, collecting original art. She enjoyed tennis, swimming, running, meditating and playing golf. She was assisted for many years to her Elizabeth Eshun, whom she valued greatly. Services entrusted to
Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Arnold Sperling

Arnold Sperling, of Rockville, on Nov. 1 at home. He was the beloved husband of Janet Sperling; devoted father of Steven Sperling and Leslie Sperling Cruz (Mike); favorite uncle and friend to many. Contributions may be made to the World Wildlife Fund, worldwildlife.org. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Dr. Ronald M. Starr

Dr. Ronald Starr Photo Provided

Dr. Ronald M. Starr, of Bethesda, died on Nov. 14. Beloved husband of Shirlee Wolf Starr; devoted father of Bonnie (David) Kramer and Andrew Starr; loving grandfather of Zachary Kramer and Zoe Kramer; cherished brother of Allan Starr and Barbara Starr. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Nov. 20, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Randolph Louis Braham, died of heart failure on Sunday. He was 95.

He was a two-time Jewish National Book Award winner for works on the Holocaust in Hungary and a founding member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Braham was a Romania native whose parents and siblings perished at Auschwitz. In 1944, after escaping labor service in the Hungarian army in the Ukraine, he was hidden by a Christian farmer named István Novák, who later was honored by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem as a Righteous Among the Nations. In 1947, Braham came to the United States, where he earned a master’s
degree and doctorate.

His two-volume “The Politics of Genocide: The Holocaust in Hungary” won the 1981 Jewish National Book Award. He won again in 2014 for his three-volume “The Geographical Encyclopedia of the Holocaust in Hungary.”

Braham edited more than 60 books, most of them dealing with the Holocaust in Hungary, and co-authored or wrote chapters to 50 others. He also published a large number of
scholarly articles.

He died hours before he was scheduled to deliver a lecture at the Rosenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies at the City University of New York.

He was born Adolf Ábrahám in Romania, and attended the Jewish elementary school in his parents’ hometown of Des, in Northern Transylvania, and re-annexed by the Hungarian Kingdom in 1940.

In the United States., Braham received a master’s degree from the City College of New York in 1949, and a doctorate in political science from The New School for Social Research in 1952. He was an emeritus professor at CUNY, where he taught Comparative Political Science from 1956 until 1992, when he retired.

Braham was honored with several medals from Hungary, but returned them in 2014 after Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised Miklos Horthy, who led the country following the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Horthy was a Hitler ally who oversaw the murder of more than 500,000 Holocaust victims together with Nazi Germany.

—JTA News and Features

The post Randolph Louis Braham, Holocaust scholar, dies at 95 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Loraine Bernstein
Loraine Bernstein, of Silver Spring, died Nov. 21. She was the beloved wife of the late Samuel Bernstein; beloved sister of Marvin and David Goldstein; devoted mother of Dennis Bernstein, Leslie Seff, Louis Bernstein and Carole Bernstein; loving grandmother to Larry and Ira Bernstein, Beth Krakower, Jaclyn Lynn, and Timothy and Andrew Bernstein; loving matriarch to 10 great-grandchildren. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Ethel Hutkof
Ethel Hutkof, of Silver Spring, died Nov. 29. She was the beloved wife of the late Mortimer Hutkof; devoted mother of Linda Friedman (Steve) and Barbara Samuel; loving grandmother of Elizabeth Robinson (Jeffery), Jeremy Friedman (Emily), Abby Rosenberg (Jason); and great-grandmother of Maddyn Robinson and Shea Rosenberg. She is also survived by her friend Morine Washington-Eady. Contributions may be made to Friends of Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Howard I. Ratain
Howard I. Ratain, of Potomac, died Dec. 1. Beloved husband of Anita Ratain; devoted father of Mark Ratain (Giselle) and Jill Ratain (Jeffrey Brown); loving grandfather of Bruce Ratain (Hannah), Jonathan Ratain, Bryan Brown (Sari) and Rachel Brown. Contributions may be made to JSSA, Casey House. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg
Funeral Care.

Lionel M. Shapiro
Lionel M. Shapiro, of Silver Spring, died Nov. 8. He was the beloved husband of Charlotte Gumnit Shapiro; devoted father of Stephen, Robert (Joni Lucas) and Bruce (Tammi) Shapiro; and loving grandfather of Frankie, Celia, Jonathan and Rebecca. Contributions may be made to Shaare Tefila Congregation or to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Arrangements entrusted to Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

Donald G. Zauderer
Donald G. Zauderer, 77, died Nov. 26 of leukemia. Dr. Zauderer was a devoted father, husband, son and grandfather. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Ohio State University, a master’s degree in political science from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in political science and economics from Indiana University.

A faculty member at American University for 32 years, Dr. Zauderer co-developed and directed the Key Executive Leadership Program and the Master’s Degree in Organization Development, receiving the university’s Award for Academic Program Development. He also served as program director of the Master of Public Administration Program.

He was a beloved professor due to his commitment to his students, his passion for quality education and push for meaningful dialogue. His students honored his leadership by both establishing a scholarship in his name and planting a legacy tree and monument on the American University campus. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Zauderer published a number of well-respected articles that explored issues of character, integrity and civility in the workplace. His article “Leadership Lessons from World Class Coaches” is widely used in coaching clinics at all levels. Upon retiring from American University, he became a senior adviser at the Brookings Institution, where he developed and directed the Mastering the Art of Public Leadership Program.

Dr. Zauderer always said that he was put on this earth to teach. His commitment to public service will also live on through his influence on various boards and committees in the region, including Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, DC Bar Ethics Committee, the Ethics Panel of the Montgomery County Public Schools, and the Board of Editors of the Public Manager Journal.

Anyone that came into Don’s life was touched by his values, humor, caring, curiosity, and unsolicited guidance. He was energized by stimulating conversations, music, books, history, politics and movies — and recently a passion for playing the ukulele.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Judy Polster Zauderer; daughters Karin Zauderer and Laura Zauderer Baldwin (Grant); and his grandson, Aaron Baldwin.

Contributions may be made to the Donald G. Zauderer Key Executive Leadership Scholarship at American University, or the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts.

The post Obituaries | Dec. 5, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Maurice Dunie

Maurice Robert Dunie, of Rockville, died on Dec. 4. He was the beloved husband of the late Sonya Elaine Dunie, to whom he was married 60 years; devoted father of Vida Dunie, Justin (Deborah) Dunie and Matthew (Elaine) Dunie; and loving grandfather of Brett Dunie Neustadt, Nicholas Dunie, Rachel Dunie, Hannah Dunie, Samantha Dunie and Alexandra Dunie. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

Thomas G. Echikson

Thomas G. Echikson, of Potomac, died on Dec. 4. He was the beloved husband of Deborah Maisel; devoted father of Daniel and Alexander Echikson; loving brother of William Echikson; and brother-in-law of Anu Ristola.
Echikson was an attorney. During the Obama administration, he served as chief counsel of the Federal Highway Administration and his last position was of Counsel at Perkins Coie LLP. Contributions may be made to the Sibley Foundation in memory of Tom Echikson for GBM research. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg
Funeral Care.

Alan Fishman

Alan Donald Fishman, of Washington, died on Nov. 24. He was the beloved husband of JoEllen; cherished father of Donald (Sonya Schwartz) and Tena Fishman Frank (Blair Frank); loving grandfather of Jacob Frank, Sandy Frank, Sam Fishman and Harry Fishman.

Fishman worked at Sibley Hospital and Peoples Drug Stores, including Maxwell & Tennyson Pharmacy. An Army veteran, he graduated from Roosevelt High School and George Washington University. He was a member of Woodmont Country Club, where he was an avid tennis player, and Washington Hebrew Congregation.
He was a longtime Washington Capitals hockey fan and was recently profiled in a Washington Post piece regarding his son, a Capitals executive, bringing the Capitals’ Stanley Cup to Fishman in his final days. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

 Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Phyllis Kasnett

Phyllis Eibender Kasnett, of Chevy Chase, died on Nov. 21. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert Kasnett, to whom she was married for 47 years; cherished daughter of the late Ellis and Rose Eibender; devoted and loving mother of Gary (late Ellen) and Kenny (Susan) Kasnett; sister of the late Evelyn Barsky; loving grandmother of Michele Schifrin, Lauren (Jon) Nearpass, Ruthie (Jared) Kasnett and Ethan Kasnett; loving great-grandmother of Hunter and Brody Schifrin, and Stevie and Crosby Nearpass.

She is survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Contributions may be made to JSSA Hospice.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Phyllis Kreizman

Phyllis Herson Kreizman, of Rockville, died on Dec. 2. She was the beloved wife of the late Bill Herson and the late Louis Kreizman; devoted mother of Ron (Debbie) Herson and the late Ed Herson; loving grandmother of Scott (Silvie), Emily (Salil), Mike (Heather), Brad and Dana; and great-grandmother of Julie, Sebastian and Lucas. Contributions may be made to JSSA Hospice.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Eugene Miller

Eugene Miller, of Chevy Chase, died on Dec. 3. He was 95. Eugene was the beloved husband of Julia Miller; devoted father of Judith (Matthew) Sills and Stephen (Laura) Miller; loving grandfather of Evan and Adams Sills, and David and Alyssa Miller.

Eugene was a Holocaust survivor from Lodz, Poland. He came to America, where he graduated from Butler University in 1955. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Chicago in 1967 and became the chief of the FDA’s Bureau of Foods, Division of Toxicology’s Metabolism Branch
in Beltsville.

He was the president of B’nai B’rith Metropolitan Lodge in Kensington in 1979. He was awarded the FDA Equal Opportunity Achievement Award in 1981 and was a member of the
Jewish Residents of Leisure World and the Rossmoor Photography Club.

Eileen Zemil Rothenberg

Eileen Zemil Rothenberg, of Silver Spring, died on Dec. 5. She was the beloved wife of Bertram Rothenberg for 53 years; devoted mother of Steven Rothenberg (Shelley), of Rockville, and Gary Rothenberg (Wendy), of Ann Arbor, Mich.; adored grandmother of Danny, Jack, Jacob, Rachel, Evan and Allie; dear sister to Ruth Tuchman and Lee Zemil. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Dec. 13, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Rabbi Daniel Allen, philanthropy executive and Zionist activist, dies at 69
Rabbi Daniel Allen, a noted expert on Jewish philanthropy who led the United Israel Appeal and the Reform movement’s Zionist association, has died at the age of 69.

Allen, who lived in West Orange, N.J., died on Sunday night surrounded by his family. He had suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the neurodegenerative condition known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

From 2012-2015 he was senior vice president of Jewish Federations of North America and executive vice chairman emeritus of its United Israel Appeal, a subsidiary which acts as a conduit for Jewish humanitarian philanthropy in Israel. He held top leadership roles at UIA beginning in 1988, before it merged with other philanthropies to become part of the JFNA.
Allen also served as the executive director of ARZA, the Reform movement’s Zionist arm, and as the rabbi of the Emory University Hillel.

Born in Reno, Nev., he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1971 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master’s of Hebrew letters from Hebrew Union College in 1973. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1976.
Allen served as the CEO of the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation for two years until 2003, and as CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom for nearly six years until 2009.

Allen, known by nearly all as “Danny,” was a noted pro-Israel activist and one of the leading experts on American Jewish philanthropy and its impact on Israeli society. He was still working on several projects to help Israel and friends at the time of his death. A close friend, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, said he helped her when she launched The Israel Project and later RespectAbility, a disability rights organization. She described Allen, her former Hillel rabbi at Emory, as “a leaders’ leader – a rabbi’s rabbi. When Jewish organizations denied access to my child due to disability issues, Danny was a calming voice. … He was also a constant feminist inside Judaism, Jewish groups and Israel.”

He told Haaretz in 2016 that he had visited Israel six to seven times a year for more than 25 years.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Mary Lou (Frishberg) Allen; his children Sarah, Rabbi Uri (Sari) and Noah (Rena); four grandchildren; and his mother Annie Allen of Jerusalem. He is also survived by his siblings Dr. Joel Allen (Debbie), Dr. Miriam Kluska (Avram) and Rabbi Morris Allen (Dr. Phyllis Gorin).
—JTA News and features

Saul M. Bergman

Saul M. Bergman, of Potomac, died Dec. 9. He was 91. He was the beloved husband of Esther Bergman; beloved father of Naomi Kielar (Alan) and David Bergman (Galit) and the late Reuben Bergman; loving grandfather of Sam and Rebecca Kielar and Jacob Bergman; and beloved brother of Mimi Mirel.

Bergman was born in Antwerp, Belgium to an Orthodox Jewish family. He was caught up in Europe during WWII, and found himself as a 15-year-old boy crossing France on his own. He eventually found refuge in Switzerland.

He is a graduate of the Technion and Oxford University and eventually earned a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and became a physicist. He was a master of six languages; loved science, history, poetry and music as well as a good piece of chocolate.
Contributions may be made to B’nai Israel Congregation or to a charity of choice.

Noah Klieger, Holocaust survivor and storied journalist, is dead at 92

Noah Klieger, who survived Auschwitz by pretending to be a boxer and went on to a storied career in journalism, died Thursday in Israel. He was 92.

As a prisoner in Auschwitz, Klieger was selected for the gas chamber but managed to talk himself out of the sentence in a personal encounter with the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. Later, he faked his way on to a boxing squad at Auschwitz that enjoyed better meal rations.

After liberation, he arrived in pre-state Israel aboard the ship Exodus and fought in the 1948 War of Independence. Klieger went on to author several books and wrote a longtime column in the Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot. He continued to work as a journalist until the end of his life.

Klieger was born on July 13, 1926, in Strasbourg, France, the son of the writer Bernard Klieger. He was liberated in April 1945 by the Soviet Army and worked as a journalist in France and Belgium. He immigrated to Israel in t 1948.
In a video documentary earlier this year, he talked about the pledges he made upon his liberation from the death camps.

“Should I survive I decided that I would first speak about the camps for future generations,” he said. “And the second decision was, I became a Zionist.”

—JTA News and features

George Orlove, DDS.

Dr. George Orlove, of Bethesda, died on Dec. 7. He was the beloved husband of 58 years to Arlene Orlove; devoted father of Dina (Michael) Fink, Brett (Deborah) Orlove and Billy (Katherine) Orlove; proud grandfather of Robert, Amy, Elliotte, Alex, Raquel and Charlie; son in law of Sylvia Pinson. Loving uncle to Ben (Deena) Klopman, Myron Klopman, the late Deborah (Jacob) Roth, Eileen (Lew) Wedeen, Ellen Hayes, and Janis (Ed) Berebitski. He was preceded in death by his parents Israel and Ray, his brother Henry and his sister Sylvia.

George was born in Washington in 1936, and graduated from Roosevelt High School, The George Washington University and the Medical College of Virginia. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force stationed in the Azores Islands and conducted his dental practice for 40 years in Falls Church.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Social Service Agency (www.jssa.org) or CurePSP (www.curepsp.org).

Rona Ramon, widow of astronaut killed in Space Shuttle Columbia, dies at 54

Rona Ramon, the widow of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died on board the space shuttle Columbia, has died.

Rona Ramon, who became a public figure and established the Ramon Foundation to promote academic excellence and social leadership among Israeli youth, died on Monday at the age of 54 of pancreatic cancer.

Ramon’s oldest son Asaf, an Israel Air Force pilot who flew an F-16 fighter jet, died in 2009, six years after his father, in a training accident. She had been required to sign a letter allowing him to follow his father’s footsteps into the Air Force.

Ramon was born in the Tel Aviv suburb of Kiryat Ono and served as a paramedic in the army. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the Wingate Institute and returned to school after her son’s death to earn a master’s degree in holistic health from Lesley University in Massachusetts. She also began to lecture about dealing with grief and finding coping mechanisms.

She lit a torch in 2016 for Israel’s 68th Independence Day at the annual ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

She is survived by three children: Tal, Yiftah and Noa.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement posted on Twitter: “I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Rona Ramon. @NASA sends our heartfelt condolences to her family and the people of Israel. Throughout her life, Rona sought to inspire a new generation of explorers to build on the legacy of her husband, space shuttle astronaut Ilan Ramon.”

—JTA News and Features

The post Obituaries | Dec. 20, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Donald David Demske

Donald David Demske, of Silver Spring and Delray Beach, Fla., died on Dec. 17. He was the loving husband of Phyllis R. Demske, devoted father of Debbie, Sue, and Rob; embracing father-in-law of Amy and Harry, and adoring grandfather of Ben, Michael, and Megan. Contributions may be made to The Literacy Council of Montgomery County

(www.literacycouncilmcmd.org)

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Donald Eisen

Donald Eisen, of Leisure World in Silver Spring, on died on Dec. 15. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Barbara (Handler), his son Sam, his daughter-in-law Suzanne Koopmans, and grandchildren, Lennard and Tessa.

Born in Cleveland on May 11, 1937, Donald attended Western Reserve University for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English. He taught honors English at Euclid High School. In 1966, he started teaching in the English Department of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He was the founding chairman of the IUP Theater Department in 1977. He earned his Ph.D. in theater at the University of Pittsburgh in 1982. His dissertation on the stories and plays of Anton Chekhov won the University and College Teaching Association honor for best dissertation of that year. He directed and acted in many plays, bringing classics and modern theater alive to his students, who include successful actors, directors, playwrights and theater technicians.

He retired in 1994, and in 2002 moved to Leisure World, where he was one of the founders of the Leisure World Center for Lifelong Learning. He taught many classes to a large and loyal group of residents. In his condo building he ran the monthly Matinee Theater, which showed and analyzed older films.

Contributions may be made to the Foundation for IUP, specifying that the contribution is for the Donald G. Eisen Scholarship for Theater.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Leonard Hollander

Leonard Hollander, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, died on Dec. 9. He was the beloved husband of Anita Hollander; devoted father of Jerome (Debra), Sheryl, and Martin (Michele); loving grandfather of Jordan (Christine), Erica (Sam), Ryan, Joshua, Emily and Rachel, and adored great-grandfather of Hadley and Tessa. Contributions may be made to ASPCA or the National Kidney Foundation.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Carolyn June Kaplan

Carolyn June Kaplan, a former mediator and investigator, died last Saturday.  A 26-year trustee of the National Symphony Orchestra, president of the George Wasserman Family Foundation, a Chairman’s Circle member of the Wilson Center, and council chair of Theater J of the Edlavitch JCC in the District of Columbia, she quietly gave her heart to countless foundations where she often played a leadership role.

“She led Theater J with keen insight, sterling values, endless grace and deep understanding of the role of theater to inspire, inform and enlighten,” said Marion Ein Lewin, who serves on the theater’s honorary council. “Carolyn’s great generosity and support of Theater J went beyond dollars. It was also a gift of heart and soul. Theater J will never be quite the same without our lovely Carolyn sitting at the table, but her contributions and dedication will be honored always and never forgotten.”
Kaplan was the daughter of the late Janice Wasserman Goldsten and George Wasserman. Wasserman started out as the owner of George’s on Georgia Avenue, where he sold televisions and electronics and later went into the real
estate business.

Kaplan went to Wilson High School and Boston University, where she got a B.S. in biology. She married Bernard Stopak, M.D., and moved to France for a few years while he studied medicine. The two raised their children, Kim and Aaron, in Bethesda, where she was president of the Radnor PTA.

In the ’80s she found her place as an investigator and mediator for the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Affairs, helping resolve disputes between consumers and corporations.

In 2003, after a divorce, Kaplan married Warren Kaplan, a lawyer and champion of civil rights who predeceased her. Kaplan was known for her quiet elegance and ability to empathize with others. On hearing of her death, filmmaker Aviva Kempner said, “The kindest person in Washington is gone.”

Contributions may be made to Theater J, National Symphony Orchestra or Martha’s Table.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Alice Norma Levin

Alice N. Levin, of Potomac, died on Dec. 11. She was the beloved wife of Danny Levin; treasured mother of Lee (Debbie) Becker and Patti Berman; caring stepmother of Elliot (Lisa) Levin and Elissa Levin; cherished grandmother of Emily, Jack, Sami, Sophie and Seth; dear sister of the late Victor, Gladys, George, Bobby and Maxine; loving aunt and friend. She is also survived by her adored caregivers, Felicia Juma, Mary Gachagwi and all the helpers. Contributions can be made to JSSA Hospice.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Richard Lodish

Richard Lodish, of Bethesda, died on Dec. 19. He was the beloved husband of Erica Lodish and devoted father of Maya Lodish. He is survived by Talia and Isabelle Zimmerman. Contributions may be made to Martha’s Table
(www.marthastable.org).

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Paul Kramer Miller

Paul Kramer, of Silver Spring, died on Dec. 17. He was the beloved husband of Elaine Newman Miller; devoted father of Barbara and Joel Miller; loving brother of Larry Miller and cherished grandfather of Benjamin and Joshua Miller, and Jared, Ethan and Brooks Rathmell. Contributions may be made to Hope Connections (www.hopeconnectionsforcancer.org) or Luke’s Wings (www.lukeswings.org)

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Dec. 27, 2018 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

“To have some many rabbis at a funeral is a good sign,” Senior Rabbi Jonathan S. Roos, of Temple Sinai, said of Gerard Daniel. “[His] impact on the Jewish world is quite significant.”

A leader of the Reform Judaism movement in Israel, Gerard Daniel, known as Gerry by his friends and family, of Chevy Chase, died on Dec. 14. He was 102 years old.

“He left a legacy that will last a long time,” Roos said at Daniel’s funeral last week. “Words cannot do it justice.”

Among the many rabbis at his funeral was Rabbi Meir Azari, of Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv, the very synagogue Daniel had helped to build. Hanan Melcer, deputy chief justice of the Israeli Supreme Court, was also there, joining friends and family to celebrate Daniels long and eventful life.

“I will never forget his eyes. … I felt his soul. I love Gerry,” Azari said. “He always asked questions, raised doubts, told stories, tell a story and solve a problem.”

Daniel’s legacy began in Hamburg, Germany, where he was born to a modern Orthodox Jewish family in 1916.

He was a rebel. Daniel’s father was an adamant anti-Zionist and Daniel was not. He met a kindred spirit in his future wife, Ruth Feilchenfeld, on a beach in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1936. Ruth was still a teenager at the time; she had run away from her home in the United States. They married around four years later. Neither attended college.

When they moved to America in 1949 with their children, they first went to into business importing and manufacturing hi-tech wire mesh; they sold their business in the 1980s, and the couple continued their heavy involvement in Jewish causes to the point where Daniel was elected president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism in 1980, with Ruth serving as treasurer.

The two were a pair, and as their children said, it is impossible to talk about one without talking about the other. Together the two build the Beit Daniel Synagogue and Community Center in Tel Aviv in 1991. Beit Daniel is now the largest, non-Orthodox synagogue in Israel.

In 2007, Daniel built a second community center, Mishkenot Ruth Daniel, in Jaffa, Ruth did not get to see completed. She passed away in 2006.

The family joked about him being one of the healthiest (and longest lived) hypochondriacs they knew. Daniel had many doctors, but none of them could ever find anything wrong with him. About a week before he died, Gerry reportedly said, “I had a beautiful life.”

Roos said that when Gerry came to him to discuss plans for his funeral — around the same time, simply because he knew it was inevitable — “He was not morose or resigned. He was actually rather cheerful.”

Daniel’s daughter and son-in-law are members of Temple Sinai, where the funeral was held. Daniel, though, was a member of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., where he was a prominent and beloved member of the community.

“Gerry was a truly remarkable figure who has had an enormous impact. We’ve been privileged to have him and his family as part of our D.C. community,” Adas Israel Rabbi Avis Miller said. “Gerry was innovative and committed to the dynamic future of our Jewish people, especially in establishing and supporting (along with his family) thriving and influential institutions in Israel. He was also delightfully congenial.”

Daniel continued to be active and alert until his passing, traveling to Israel around six times a year and continuing his charitable work. Besides his involvement in Reform Judaism, Daniel was a very charitable man who helped to fund the education for about 1,000 young people.

“Our intention is to do what he did … to make his legacy stay alive,” his daughter, Miriam Daniel, said in her eulogy. “There is a world-wide community of people who were so deeply touched by my mother and father. … He has made the world a smaller more touchable place.”

Gerald “Gerry” Daniel was the beloved husband of the late Ruth Daniel; father of Miriam (Laurence Wolff) and Ralph Daniel; grandfather of Chris, Jeff, Debbie, and Josh Daniel and David and Rebecca Wolff, and great-grandfather of Clem, Lili, Ethan, Kieran and Mira.

scooper@midatlanticmedia.com

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Amos Oz, shown here in 2015, often blurred the personal and the political in his writing.
Photo by Jason Kempin/ Getty Images

Amos Oz would often speak in the kind of tossed-off epigrams that come only with a lot of practice. But just when you wanted to smack him for his breezy erudition, he would redeem himself with a flash of spot-on — and hilarious — self-awareness.

In 2011, speaking at the 92nd Street Y about the novel he’d just published in English, “Scenes From Village Life,” Oz said that 99 percent of the typical media coverage of Israel involves extremist settlers, ultra-Orthodox fanatics and brutal soldiers, “and 1 percent saintly intellectuals like myself.”

Oz died Friday at age 79, having won nearly every literary prize short of the Nobel and having become perhaps Israel’s most widely translated author. If Jews were in the canonization business, Oz would have earned his wings (halo? robe? my theology is shaky) on the basis of “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” his 2002 novel cum memoir. Like so much of what he wrote, the book is not just autobiographical, but a biography of Israel itself. Although his story ends before he is out of his teens, the young Amos bears witness to the destruction of European Jewry, the height of the British mandate, a Hebrew renaissance in Jerusalem, the great Zionist debates (and debaters) of the day, the rise of the kibbutz movement and the birth of the state.

The book’s brilliance is its blurring of personal memoir and national drama, as in an unforgettable description of the night in 1947 when the United Nations voted to partition Mandatory Palestine, giving international legitimacy to a Jewish state. His father, Yehuda Klausner, still “drenched in sweat from the crush of the crowds” celebrating the U.N. vote, crawls into bed with the young narrator. He tells the boy of the “hooligans” who tormented him and his brother back in Odessa and Vilna, and how the bullies forced the boy’s grandfather “down on the paving stones and removed his trousers too in the middle of the playground.”

Oz continues:

And still in a voice of darkness with his hand still losing its way in my hair (because he was not used to stroking me) my father told me under my blanket in the early hours of November 30, 1947, “Bullies may well bother you in the street or at school some day. They may do it precisely because you are a bit like me. But from now on, from the moment we have our own state, you will never be bullied just because you are a Jew and because Jews are so-and-sos. Not that. Never again. From tonight that’s finished here. Forever.”

In his 92Y talk, Oz explained that the book was neither a memoir nor a novel, but in fact a “tale,” a designation that unfortunately has no category in the Library of Congress. Instead, “A Tale of Love and Darkness” combines Oz’s strengths as both a novelist and a writer of impassioned political nonfiction — as he often would put it, he had two pens on his desk, “one pen to tell stories and another pen to tell the government to go to hell.”

If quips like that sound rehearsed — well, considering his body of work, Oz earned a pass. Besides, you can’t plagiarize yourself. And what quips they were! Asked why so many of his stories seemed so downbeat, he would reply, “If I were to sum up my books in one word, I would say they are about ‘families.’ If you gave me two words, I would say ‘unhappy families.’” Explaining what makes for a good story, Oz would say that a bridge that carries thousands of cars each day is no story at all.

“It is only when the bridge collapses that the story begins,” he said.

Oz also would distinguish Israel from other countries in the way it came into being: Other countries were born out of geography, history, politics or demography, he’d say. Unfortunately for Israel, it was born out of a dream.

“The only way to keep a dream intact is never to live it out,” he said. “Israel is a dream come true, and therefore it is disappointing.”

Inevitably with Oz, Israel’s left-wing conscience as well as perhaps its greatest writer of fiction, there was the temptation to read politics into his prose.

“There are political overtones,” he would acknowledge when asked whether this character or that setting was meant to be a stand-in for one Israeli crisis or another. When he tried to deny such meanings, he said, “I am wasting my time. People will see it as an allegory.”

Oz died at a time when so many of the things he stood for — a vital Israeli left, a robust peace process, a vision for sharing the land — are in retreat, if not dead and buried. But even until the end, he never gave up trying. His latest book, “Dear Zealots: Letters from a Divided Land,” published last month in English, contained essays on the rise of zealotry in Israel and around the world.

Discussing it with The Washington Post, Oz insisted that neither he nor the book was pessimistic. And in doing so, he seemed to be passing a baton.

“Politically speaking, I have been engaged and involved in writing articles, making speeches for 60 years,” he said. “Now it is my time, not to retire but to provide my ammunition, my experience to the younger generation and let them take it from here.”

–JTA News and Features

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Robert Arnow, philanthropist

Real estate developer and philanthropist Robert H. Arnow — who played a key role in securing the long-term survival of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency — died Dec. 15 at his home in Scarsdale, N.Y. He was 94.

Arnow became president of the board of directors of JTA in 1967, at a time when the international news agency faced significant financial challenges. He served as president until 1973, but remained a board member for 45 years, until his death.

According to Mark Seal, a former chief executive of JTA, Arnow was essential in negotiating the separation of JTA from the Jewish Agency for Israel and into an independent operation with support from local Jewish federations.

Decades later, Arnow would reminisce about his hands-on role during that transition, which included
personally carrying over some of the typewriters to the agency’s new office.

Mark Joffe, former longtime executive editor and publisher of JTA, remembered Arnow as “a real mensch – a gentle spirit who was as generous with his philanthropy as he was successful in his business. He took to heart the phrase ‘give till it hurts,’ which he appropriated from his beloved father-in-law, Jack Weiler.”

Arnow is survived by his four children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His wife, Joan, who among other things worked with her husband to bring the television show “Sesame Street” to Israel, died in 2010 at age 80.

—JTA News and Features

Mark S. Carlin

Mark S. Carlin died on Dec. 22. He was an adored husband, father, brother, son, passionate public defender and family law practitioner.

He is survived by his wife, Meryl Silverman; son, Saul (Danielle Novy); daughters, Mollie (Charlie Murphy) and Emma; and brother, Jeff (Diane Kroll). He will be greatly missed by his beloved nieces, nephews and
many friends.

A reluctant cat lover, master teller of dad jokes, trier of hobbies, Mark was also a fan of all things chocolate.
He cared deeply about the legal profession. During his 33-year-career, Mark held many board positions and mentored younger attorneys. His family extends gratitude to the wonderful caregivers at Bells Mill House.

Donations may be made to Southern Center for Human Rights, Friends Club, or Us Against Alzheimer’s.

Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Dr. Mildred Eidelman

Dr. Mildred Eidelman, of Silver Spring, died on Dec. 13. She was 85.

She was the beloved wife of the late Martin Eidelman; beloved mother of Mark Eidelman (Stephanie), Gary Eidelman (Jill), Elissa Goldfarb (Saul), and Faith Harrison (Adam); and devoted Bubbe to Michael, (Noemi), Scott, Adam, Sara, (BJ), Joshua, Eric, Maia, Bradley, Samantha and Remy.

Contributions may be made to Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (cesjds.org).

Services entrusted to Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

The post Obituaries | Jan. 3, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Moshe Arens in 1999. Wikimedia Commons

JERUSALEM — Moshe Arens, a veteran Israeli politician and defense minister under three prime ministers, has died.

Arens, who first hired Benjamin Netanyahu and is credited with helping him get his start in politics, died on Monday in his sleep at his home near Tel Aviv. He was 93.

Arens was a member of the Knesset for the Likud Party between 1973 and 1992 and again from 1999 until 2003. As ambassador to the United States beginning in 1982, Arens hired Netanyahu as part of the diplomatic corps and later appointed him as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Arens served as Israel’s defense minister under three prime ministers: Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Netanyahu. He also served as foreign minister.

Prior to entering politics, Arens was deputy director general at Israel Aircraft Industries, where he oversaw major development projects, including the Kfir fighter jet project. Before that, from 1957 to 1962, he was a professor of aeronautics at The Technion.

Arens was born in Lithuania, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1939. He served during World War II in the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a technical sergeant. Arens immigrated to Israel shortly after it declared independence and joined the Zionist paramilitary organization, the Irgun.

He returned to the United States in 1951 to study engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and aeronautical engineering at the California Institute of Technology.

In his later years, Arens was a columnist for the left-wing Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. He also served as chairman of the International Board of Governors of Ariel University Center of Samaria.

“I loved you as a son loved his father,” Netanyahu said in a tribute to Arens on Monday. “There was no greater patriot. Moshe Arens’ great contribution to our people and our state will be
remembered forever.”

“Misha was one of the most important ministers of defense the State of Israel ever had. He was not a commander or a general, but a devoted man of learning who toiled day and night for the security of Israel and its citizens,” Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin said in a statement on Monday.

Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog in a statement called Arens “a true leader with integrity, reason and eloquence who made great contributions to Israel’s security and global standing. Despite our differences, there was always mutual respect between us.”

He is survived by his wife, Muriel, four children and nine grandchildren.

—JTA News and Features

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WARSAW — The mayor of Gdansk, Poland, who the American Jewish Committee called “a longtime friend of the Jewish community,” died a day after he was stabbed at a charity concert.

Paweł Adamowicz, a lawyer and social activist who has served as mayor since 1998, died Monday. He was 53.

On Sunday, Adamowicz took part in a charity concert organized as part of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation run by Polish journalist and social activist Jerzy Owsiak, who for years has been collecting funds for medical equipment for Polish hospitals.

The perpetrator ran on the stage and stabbed Adamowicz several times with a knife.

The assailant had been arrested for several bank robberies and spent five years in prison. The prosecutor’s office said it suspects that he may be mentally ill.

Adamowicz opposed the extreme-right marches organized by the National Radical Camp, or ONR, in Gdansk. After one such march, in April, he personally organized an anti-fascist march.

“He was a true friend & ally in countering xenophobia. We must confront hatred in the public sphere,” AJC Central Europe tweeted.

Adamowicz also criticized last year’s Polish law on Holocaust speech, calling it “idiotic and evil.”
The law outlawed rhetoric in which Poland is blamed for Nazi crimes. n

—JTA News and Features

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Stanley Bergstein

Stanley Bergstein, of Silver Spring, died on Jan. 1. He was the beloved husband of the late Dolores Bergstein; devoted father of Audrey (Robert) Hatfield, Joe (Cindy) Bergstein and the late Michael Bergstein; adored grandfather of Jeremy, Samantha, Erica, Sherri, Daniel and Loren; and loving brother of Roslyn (Leonard) Stoler and Doris Cantor. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Natalie R. Cohen

Natalie R. Cohen, of Silver Spring, died on Jan. 6. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert Cohen; devoted mother of the late Ronald Cohen, Pamela (Sherman) Helberg and Andie (Mark) Kennedy; loving grandmother of Maura, Eli, Alex, Deana, Raleigh and Taylor; and adored “GiGi” of Hunter, Emma, Maggie, Jack and Laine. Contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Robert Kramer

Dr. Robert Kramer, of Potomac, died on Dec. 30. He was 91. Originally from the Bronx, Dr. Kramer moved to Washington after completing four years of medical school in Lausanne, Switzerland. He interned, completed his residency and then became the first chief resident of internal medicine at the Washington Hospital Center.

He met and married the love of his life, Loretta, and together they created a family of four loving daughters and eight grandchildren. Dr. Kramer, with Loretta by his side, built a thriving internal medicine practice and cherished practicing medicine for 49 years.

He was the beloved husband of Loretta Kramer; devoted father of Ann Jacobs, Deborah Weinman (Brad), Julie Fox (Jerry) and Cheryl Kramer; beloved grandfather of Jaclyn Weinman Beck (Jason), Jamie Weinman, Eric, Alexandra and Michael Fox, Allison, Lauren and Erica Jacobs.
Donations can be made to the University of Maryland Hospital, Division of Nephrology/Transplant Section. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Jeffrey Thomas Nazarian

Jeffrey Thomas Nazarian, of Potomac, died on Jan. 6. He was 42. He was born to Sarkis Kevork Nazarian and Barbara Marian Gregory (Greaves) on March 14, 1976, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington. His father named him in homage to founding father Thomas Jefferson.

Jeff attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac and played for the JV football team. Later, Jeff became the football team manager and graduated in 1994 with his class at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington. Jeff attended Montgomery College and worked in various fields including the auto body shop business and construction renovations.

Jeff is predeceased by his fatherand his brothers Kirk and Sako.

Jeff is survived by his daughter Lyla Brooks; his brothers Victor, Chris and Matt; his sisters Tamar and Jessica; his nephews Brayden and Connor and his grandmother Ann C. Gregory
of Potomac.

Max Zweig

Max Zweig died on Jan. 4. He was the best friend of Sheri and cherished father, uncle, poppy and brother to Valerie, William (Heather), Rebecca (Matt), Brandy, Bailey, Emma, Ronald (Phyllis) and Robert.

Surrounded always and forever by the ones he laughed with, lived for and loved. Master of patience, an appetite for life, an eye to capture memories, and a calm demeanor that provided guidance and stability to everyone who knew him. Donations may be made to Montgomery Hospice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Jan. 17, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Stanley Bobb

Stanley Bobb, of Chevy Chase, died on Jan. 4. He was 83. He was grew up in Washington and attended Coolidge High School. He attended college at the University of Maryland, College Park, and went on to become chief executive officer of HOF Laundry Systems.
He was honored in the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington Sports Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy; sister, Anita; children, Jodi, Tammy and Daryle; and grandchildren, Oliver, Janie, Cooper, Luke, Amanda, Annie, Tess, Ruby, Jordan, Justin, Kayla and Lucy.

Earl Geldon

Earl Geldon, of Silver Spring, died on Jan. 15. He was the beloved husband of the late Ruth Geldon for 76 years; devoted father of Fred (Anne) Geldon and Gilbert (Marjorie) Geldon; adored grandfather of Todd Geldon, Ben Geldon, Elise (Brian Seidel) Geldon and Dan (Heather) Geldon and loving great-grandfather of Zoe Geldon, Susanna Geldon and Dylan Geldon Seidel. He is survived by many loving nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Donations may be made to the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Arthur Marks

Arthur Marks, of Potomac, died on Jan. 15. He was born in Detroit on Oct. 1, 1944. Art is survived by his wife of 25 years, Nancy Casey, and his children, Joshua, Michael, Samantha and Spencer. He was the caring brother of Gene, David (Camille)
and Irene (Graham Bass).

Art practiced venture capital for 35 years. Art had numerous passions including, fly fishing, photography, sailing, military history and gardening. He transformed his home into a paradise for birds, bees, butterflies and people. Donations can be made to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Gerald S. Rothkin

Gerald S. Rothkin died on Jan. 14. He was the beloved father of Michael (Donna) Rothkin, Marcy (Sam) Myers and Andrew Rothkin; devoted grandfather of Allison (Eddie) Reed, Mitch Zanqwill, Emily and Ben Rothkin and Sophie Freedman; adoring great-grandfather of Jack Gerald; loving brother of the late Ruth Niefeld, Shirley Wolfe; and uncle to many nieces and nephews. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Joseph Bernard Spund

Joseph B. Spund, of Sandy Spring, died on Jan. 15. He was the beloved father of Hollis Spund Vogdes (David Edwards) and Stephen (Amy) Spund; loving brother of the late Zelda Levin, the late Ellen Potts and the late Stanley Spund; adored grandfather of Bryan (Sarah) Spund, Jesse Spund, Brooke Spund, Jillian (Shane) Boggs, Jacob Vogdes and Devin Vogdes and great-grandfather of Makenzie. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Jan. 24, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Meshulam Riklis, an Israeli-American businessman who was called “perhaps the first corporate takeover artist” in the United States, has died.

Riklis had more than $1 billion in assets prior to several of his businesses going bankrupt in the early 1990s. One of the best-known was McCrory Corp., a chain of five-and-dime stores that was founded in 1882 and went bust in 1992 under Riklis. His critics accused him of gutting the firm and others, and of shifting around its wealth before terminating it.

Riklis died Friday at 95 in a Tel Aviv hospital, Maariv reported.

He lent money to his close friend Ariel Sharon, the late Israeli prime minister, to buy the Sharon family’s ranch in southern Israel, according to Israel National News.

His third wife, Tali Sinai-Riklis, said in 2015 that Riklis had donated about $190 million throughout his life to Israeli charities and pro-Israel causes. He also was married to the actress Pia Zadora in 1977; they divorced in 1993. Riklis had four children in total.

Riklis, in addition to producing the 1982 film “Butterfly” starring Zadora, financed “G.L.O.W.: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” a syndicated program featuring women professional wrestlers. It was the inspiration for the current scripted series “GLOW” on Netflix, a fictionalized account of Riklis’ creation, which ran from 1986 to 1990.

Riklis was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to parents who were on their way from Russia to prestate Israel. He moved to the United States in 1947 when he was 23 and later became a citizen. He moved permanently to Israel about a decade ago. n

—JTA News and Features

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A. Ronald Bloch Photo Provided

A. Ronald Bloch

A. Ronald Bloch, of Bethesda, died on Jan. 21. He was the beloved husband of Mary Bloch; devoted father of Robert (Sari) Bloch and Linda Bloch; cherished grandfather of Sasha Bloch and loving brother of Pearl Segall. Memorial
contributions may be made to Montgomery Hospice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Dvora Gainsburg

Dvora Gainsburg, of Cabin John, died on Jan. 22. She was the beloved wife of the late Coleman Gainsburg; devoted mother of Danny Gainsburg (Phyllis Chovitz), Mike Gainsburg, Larry Gainsburg (Amy) and Shellie Gainsburg (Ralph Sonenshine); loving sister of Helen Elson; sister-in-law of Elaine Fox and Gail Wolson; adored grandmother of Benai McClanahan (Freddie), Samantha Gainsburg (Serefhan Yas), Izzy Gainsburg, Marissa Gainsburg, Jesse Gainsburg, Brett Perry, Rachel Sonenshine and Noah Gainsburg; and great-grandmother of Brooks McClanahan. Contributions may be made to Mazon (mazon.org) or S.O.M.E. (some.org). Services entrusted to Shomrei Neshama of Greater Washington.

Peter Richard Gilbert

Peter Richard Gilbert of Chevy Chase, died on Jan. 22. He was the beloved son of the late Daniel and Peggy Gilbert; cherished husband of Robin; devoted father of Richard and Jeffrey; devoted father-in-law of Lainie and Robyn; loving brother of Dorothy Gilbert Goldstone and the late Anne Drew; adored grandfather of Samantha, Jake, Lexie, Grayson and Zach. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Linda Schwartz Rosenthal

Linda Schwartz Rosenthal died on Jan. 16. She was the first in her family to go to college and then law school. As a lawyer, she founded the firm Eig & Schwartz, which later merged with the firm of Paley Rothman. Her peers across the nation elected her to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers in honor and recognition of her professional excellence.

Linda served as member of the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners, the Committee on Ethics of the Maryland State Bar, Character Committee of the Maryland Court of Appeals, and as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law. Linda was selected the maximum allowable three times to the top 100 women in Maryland and inducted into the Circle of Excellence.

She spent donated her time and effort to social and charitable organizations. Throughout her career, she inspired young women to attend law school and mentored them through the early years of their careers. Her professional influence continues to ripple throughout the legal community by the relationships with her mentees.

She aided cancer research at risk to her well-being, participating in four phase I clinical trials. She supported fellow cancer patients and survivors, helping them navigate the labyrinth of clinical trial research and insurance issues.

She is survived by her husband, Alan; sons, Jeffrey and Kevin; their wives, Lauren and Allison; grandchildren, William, Bennett, Olivia and Alexandra; and sister, Jo Ina Bergman.

Donations may be made to a charity of choice.

Sylvia E. Yaffe

Sylvia E. Yaffe, of Rockville, died on Jan. 25. She was the beloved wife of Ted Yaffe; devoted mother of Michael Yaffe (Sung-Yun Pai), Joan Hogen (Jack and Leah Mcgee (Tim); loving sister of Leonard Bosin, Morris Bosin, Bernice Cohen and the late Doris Bosin; and cherished grandmother of six.

Contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

The post Obituaries | Jan. 31, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Robert Babiskin

Robert Babiskin, of Rockville, died on Feb. 2. He was the beloved husband of Carol Babiskin; devoted father of Andrew Babiskin, Rachael Babiskin and Jenny (Erik) Tordoff; loving brother of Iris Hepburn; and treasured grandfather of Samantha and Noah.

Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Stanley Allen Fisher

Stanley Allen Fisher, of Washington, died on Feb. 1. He spent his weekends exploring what Washington had to offer, be it museums, art galleries, memorials or the various waterways and wilderness. He took his vacations to exotic places where he continued his love of adventure. He was a rugged individual who was kind, funny, compassionate and generous to a fault. Services entrusted to Shomrei Neshama of Greater Washington.

Phyllis Rae Kirson

Phyllis Rae Kirson died on Jan. 30. A native Washingtonian and longtime Maryland resident, she had a giving heart and volunteer spirit.

Phyllis was the first wife of Dr. Stanley Kirson and loving mother to her three children, Diane Kirson-Glitman, Lisa Malyn and Joel Kirson. She was a devoted grandmother with endless patience for her five grandchildren, Sarah, Abbi, Robert, Mayah and Jenna.

Her love of performing arts found a niche as a docent at the Strathmore Music Center. Her Strathmore work, attending the opera, and her grandchildren gave her great joy in her later years along with any event involving travel or the beach.
Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Burton Mezebish
Burton Mezebish, of Rockville, died on Feb. 1.

He was the beloved husband of Naomi Mezebish; devoted father of Alyssa Mezebish, Neil (Lindy) Mezebish, Andrea Boyer, Denia Addis and David Mezebish; loving brother of Linda Warner; brother-in-law of Marilyn Shendell; cherished grandfather of Heather, Emily, Cody, Ben, Alec, Hanna, Tori, Sophie, Remy and Anna; and cousin of Harvey
Goodman.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Services entrusted to Shomrei Neshama of
Greater Washington.

Harold Rosenfeld

Harold Rosenfeld died on Jan. 30.

He was the devoted son of the late Katie Spector Rosenfeld and Louis Rosenfeld; beloved husband of the late Miriam Rosenfeld; loving brother of the late Ida Caplan, Meyer Rosenfeld, Max Rosenfeld and Sylvia Rosenfeld; dear uncle of Marcia Hirsch, Beverly Polmar, MaryAnn Berkowitz, Ellen Carrico, Mark Rosenfeld and Gerald Rosenfeld; great-uncle and great-great- uncle of many nieces and nephews.

Harold served in the armed forces at the end of World War. After graduating from American University, he was employed at the Veterans Administration. When he retired from the government, he worked independently as a tax accountant. He was a lifelong fan of the Kingston Trio. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Stanley Sherman. Photo provided

Stanley M. Sherman

Stanley M. Sherman died on Jan. 29.

Retirement allowed Mr. Sherman to transform a part-time avocation, design bookbinding, into a full-time occupation, working from a studio in the basement of his Washington home. Over the course of his career he created over a hundred unique designs, many of which were featured in “Interpretation by Design,” a solo exhibition at the Walters Art Gallery (now Walters Art Museum) in Baltimore in 2006, curated by his wife, art historian Claire Richter Sherman.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Claire Richter Sherman; his son, Daniel J. Sherman, and son-in-law, Eduardo Douglas, of Chapel Hill, N.C.

Esther Shuster

Esther Shuster, of Silver Spring, died on Jan. 6. She was predeceased by her husband, Jacob, in 2009.

She attended Hunter High School and Hunter College in New York. She worked as a social worker in Harlem, in New York City, and in Washington. She was a substitute teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. She was the secretary for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Shuster was a member of the National Council of Jewish Women and a longtime member of Har Tzeon-Agudath Achim.
She is survived by her daughter, Rachel Shuster; her sons, Dr. Matthew Shuster and Dr. Paul Shuster; and her grandchildren, Emily, Robin, Noah, Ben and Adam Shuster and Daniel Weintraub.

Sylvia E. Yaffe

Sylvia E. Yaffe, of Rockville, died on Jan. 25. She was the beloved wife of the late Ted Yaffe; devoted mother of Michael Yaffe (Sung-Yun Pai), Joan Hogan (Jack) and Leah Mcgee (Tim); loving sister of Leonard Bosin, Morris Bosin, Bernice Cohen and the late Doris Bosin; and cherished grandmother of six. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Theodore H. Yaffe

Theodore H. Yaffe, of Rockville, died on Jan. 28. He was the beloved husband of the late Sylvia Yaffe; devoted father of Michael Yaffe (Sung-Yun Pai), Joan Kubeluis (Jack) and Leah Mcgee (Tim); and loving grandfather of six. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Feb. 7, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Leonard Dinnerstein, a historian who specialized in the study of anti-Semitism in the United States, has died.

One of his most authoritative works was “Anti-Semitism in America,” The New York Times wrote. In the 1994 book, Dinnerstein argued that age-old European prejudice against Jews was instilled in the New World by the earliest settlers, reinforced by successive waves of Protestant and Roman Catholic immigrants and ingrained as “an irrevocable part of the American heritage.”

The book has been regarded as the definitive examination of American anti-Semitism and was cited in 2017 by the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing on anti-Semitism on college campuses, The Times also noted.

Dinnerstein died at his home in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 22 of natural causes, The Times reported Thursday. He
was 84.

His doctoral dissertation in the 1960s was on the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager in Atlanta. Dinnerstein concluded in his scholarly work that anti-Semitism had become “an irrevocable part of the American heritage.”

In 1968, Columbia University Press published the thesis with the title “The Leo Frank Case.” It has never been out of print.

“The book launched my professional academic career in 1968,” Dinnerstein wrote in the preface to a 2008
revised edition.

—JTA News and Features

The post Leonard Dinnerstein, expert on anti-Semitism in America, dies at 84 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.