Rela Mintz Geffen, a sociologist who undertook pioneering studies about the expanding roles of women in Jewish life and ritual, and the often unacknowledged complexity of the modern Jewish family, has died. She was 75.

Geffen died Sunday in Philadelphia. The cause was multiple organ failure, according to family members.

She was the sixth president of Baltimore Hebrew University, from 2000 to 2007, and was a professor emerita of sociology.

Geffen taught sociology at Gratz College in Philadelphia for many years, coordinated its program in Jewish communal service and served five years as dean for academic affairs.

Her major fields of interest were sociology of religion, the family and gender roles, and often focused on the Conservative movement. At the time of her death, she was working on a qualitative study of Jewish grandparenting.

She published more than 40 articles and book chapters, and authored or edited four books including “Celebration and Renewal: Rites of Passage in Judaism” and “Freedom and Responsibility — Exploring the Challenges of Jewish Continuity,” which was the Centennial Volume of Gratz College, co-edited with Marsha Bryan Edelman.Another book, “Conservative Judaism: Dilemmas and Challenges,” was co-authored with the late Daniel Elazar.

Raised in New York, Geffen came from a line of distinguished rabbis. Her father, Rabbi Joel Geffen, served for some four decades as director of field activities and communities education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Her grandfather, Tobias Geffen, was the longtime rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Atlanta, and is credited with certifying a version of Coca-Cola that is kosher for Passover.

Geffen received her bachelor’s degree in religious education from JTS and her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Columbia University. She earned her doctorate in sociology from the University of Florida.

In a 1987 study, she showed how Jewish women were successfully “juggling” marriage, career and childrearing but often without support from their Jewish communities.

“Jewish women are committed to the Jewish community, but the Jewish community is not committed to them,” she told The New York Times. “This is an alienation that I think we cannot afford.”

—JTA News and Features

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Norman Fields

Norman Fields, of Potomac, died on Dec. 23. A World War II Army veteran, Norman moved to the D.C. metro area and established Embassy Opticians, with locations in Washington and Annapolis.

He was the beloved husband of 67 years to Nanette Fields (nee Latt). He is survived by his three adoring children, David Fields, Deborah Fields Vieder (Tom) and Michael Fields (Stacey); his cherished granddaughter, Rachael Vieder Linowes (Brett); and his precious great-granddaughter, Iris Gillian Linowes. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Alzheimer’s Association.

Shamai Kanter

Rabbi Shamai Kanter, 88, of Phoenix, Ariz., and formerly of North Bethesda, died on Dec. 27.
Shamai was born in Allston, Mass., on March 27, 1930, to David Kanter and Celia Wexler Kanter, who died giving birth to him. He was first raised by his grandparents and Celia’s devoted sisters, Sandra and Molly, and then by David’s seven brothers and sisters (“the folks“), before David’s marriage to Doris Cohen and the expansion of their immediate family with two more children.

Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and following a United States Air Force chaplaincy, Shamai Kanter was a lifelong congregational rabbi, holding pulpits in Toronto; Sharon, Mass., and Rochester, N.Y., where he retired.
During his rabbinical career, he also obtained a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Brown University in 1974. He published his doctoral research in 1981, “Rabban Gamaliel II: The Legal Traditions.”

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeannette; their three children, Raphael (Cindy), Elana (Michael) and Ethan (Sue); and their grandchildren, Rebecca, Eli, Micah, Hannah, Gabi, Jonathan, Ben, Charlie and Trevor. He was the brother of William Kanter and the late Barbara Fink. Donations may be made to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Hearing Loss Association of America or The Women’s Jewish Learning Center.

The post Obituaries | Jan. 10, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Izzy Young, the folk music promoter and archivist who produced Bob Dylan’s first major concert at Carnegie Chapter Hall in 1961, has died.

Young died Feb. 4 at his home in Stockholm. He was 90.

Israel Young was born in 1928 to Polish immigrants on the Lower East Side. His mother inspired him with Yiddish songs and he worked at his father’s bakery in Brooklyn.

When Izzy opened the Folklore Center in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1957, he wanted it to be a combination of all his passions. It was a music store, a bookstore, an archive, a place where artists could sit for hours listening to old recordings, writing or schmoozing. Young became a mentor to many of the most renowned beat poets and folk musicians of that era.

Dylan immortalized Young in the song “Talking Folklore Center”:
“On MacDougal Street I saw a cubby hole,
I went in to get out of the cold,
Found out after I’d entered
The place was called the
Folklore Center —
Owned by Israel Young —
He’s always in back —
Of the center.”

Young closed the Greenwich Village shop in 1973 and moved to Stockholm, where he started a similar enterprise, the
Folklore Centrum.

In 2016, Young shipped 20 boxes to the American Folklife Center in Washington. Inside were journals, manuscripts, photographs and recordings of some of America’s greatest musicians, including Pete Seeger and Dylan.

-JTA News and Features

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Barbra Casbar Siperstein, who fought for transgender rights in the United States after her own gender transition in middle age, has died.

Siperstein died Feb. 3 in New Brunswick, N.J. at the age of 76. Her death came two days after a law named for her went into effect that allows New Jersey residents to amend the gender on their birth certificates without proof of gender reassignment surgery.

The legislation was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, after being vetoed twice by his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie.

Siperstein, an Army veteran who was born with the name Barry, told her wife, Carol, that she was transgender in the late 1980s. Her wife was supportive and the couple stayed together until Carol’s death in 2001. In the intervening years they had used an amalgamation of their initials and names as an alias, Casbar. While she had been transitioning in stages since telling her wife, Siperstein became a public advocate for gender equality and transgender rights.

In 2009, after completing sex reassignment surgery, she officially changed her Hebrew name from Eliezer Banish to Baila Chaya at a ceremony at her Conservative synagogue in Freehold, the New Jersey Jewish News reported at the time. Siperstein, known as “Babs,” was a principal in her family’s eponymous paint and wallpaper chain.

She was the first transgender member of the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee, and served from 2011 to 2017. During that time she successfully worked to convince the party to include gender identity as a category for protected rights. Also during that time, she was a superdelegate for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.

Siperstein “was never shy to push us to open our hearts and minds, and to move our thinking ever forward,” Murphy said in a statement after her death.

—JTA News and Features

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William Sager

William (Bill) Sager, of Arlington, died on Jan. 12. He was 99.

He was a major in the Marine Corps from 1939 to 1960. He studied at the University of Virginia where he received his JD degree and master’s in economics and accounting.

He was the director of inheritance and gift taxation for the Virginia Department of Taxation and the director of practice and chief counsel for revenue sharing for the U.S. Treasury Department, among other positions. He also was an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Virginia Law School.

He was a member of the Virginia State Bar and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was author or co-author of more than 50 articles in law reviews and accounting and tax journals

He enjoyed giving lectures locally on the history of the Jews of the South in addition to oral histories of World War II to the community and Marines in Quantico and Henderson Hall.

His Marine Corps orders and other memorabilia have been donated to the National Museum of American Jewish Military History.

He is survived by his wife of 76 years, Elizabeth Mopsik Sager; his children, Dr. Rebecca Ashery, Dr. Phillip (Ruth) Sager and Sandy (Dr. Norman) Magid; his grandchildren, Elie Ashery, Barak Ashery, Victor Sager, Sarah (Sager) Slater, Ben Sager, Eli Magid, Yehuda Magid, Rafael Magid, Gabi Magid and Yael Magid; and his 13 great-grandchildren.

Leslie R. Sax

Leslie R. Sax died on Feb. 9. He was the beloved husband of Ronnie Sax; devoted father of Rachel Ramos, Jared Sax and Emily Bende; loving brother of Charles Sax and Debra Sax Annes; and cherished grandfather of Isaac Ramos. Contributions may be made to Suburban Hospital. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Sheldon Joel Shapiro

Sheldon Shapiro, of Silver Spring, died on Feb. 7.

Graduating with a bachelor of science degree in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, he began his career working as a field apprentice in 1993 for his father’s mechanical contracting company. He and his brother, Jerry, expanded Shapiro and Duncan to more than 400 employees and together they grew the company into one of the preferred mechanical contracting firms in the region.

A man with an enormous heart and a great sense of humor, he was more than just a businessman. He was a strong supporter of the HVAC and plumbing apprenticeship programs, sponsored engineering scholarships locally and actively served on various boards. An avid Terps fan and active alumni he could be seen at many Terrapin events.

He is survived by his parents, David and Marica Shapiro; siblings, Gerald (Geri) Shapiro, Linda (Richard) Groveman and Julie (Charles) Ayres; nieces and nephews: Joseph (Ashley) Groveman, Aubrey (Andrew) Ginn, Scott Groveman, Amanda (Colin) Whitaker, Aaron Shapiro, Jacob Ayres and Joshua Ayres; and a grand-nephew, Gavin Ginn.

Contributions may be made to the Sheldon Shapiro Charitable Foundation Inc, c/o Shapiro and Duncan, Inc, 14620 Rothgeb Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Shirley Weiser

Shirley Weiser, of Silver Spring, died on Feb. 4. She was the beloved wife of Herbert Weiser; devoted mother of Rachelle and Stefanie; and bubbe of David, Brooke, Ari, Eric, Tali and Samantha.

Contributions may be made to FIDF, Jewish Burial Society, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Feb. 14, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Andre Robert Berman

Andre Robert Berman, of Silver Spring, died on Feb. 14. He was the beloved husband of Jeanne (Zanger) Berman; loving brother of Steve (Charmaine), Laurent (Suzanne), Michel (Teresa), Richard and to 23 Zanger brothers-in-law and sisters-in law. Uncle Andre had 48 nieces and nephews whom he loved.
Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Ira M. Breiterman

Ira M. Breiterman, of Silver Spring, died on Feb. 10. He was the beloved husband of the late Judith, to whom he was married for 69 years; devoted father of Stuart (Wendy), Regina and Sima; loving brother of Charles Breiterman; adored grandfather of Michael, Adam (Keren) and Steven; and cherished great-grandfather of Ariana, Caleb, Talia and Ethan. He is also survived by Denise Vignoe, very special to the family; and cousins, nieces and nephews.

Ira was a member of the Jewish War Veterans and he received a Purple Heart for his service during World War II.
Donations can be made to Chabad of Silver Spring or a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Kathryn Grossman

Kathryn Grossman, of Rockville and Silver Spring, died on Feb. 14. She was the daughter of the late Eleanor (Edward) Karger; beloved wife of the late Carl S. Grossman; and devoted mother of Robert (Bea) Grossman, William Coupon, Martin (Julie) Grossman and Karen (Jeffrey) Cohen. She is survived by nine grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to Chabad at the University of Texas, 2101 Nueces St., Austin, TX 78705. Services entrusted to Shomrei Neshama of Greater Washington.

Harriet G. Sloane

Harriet G. Sloane, of Germantown, died on Feb. 14. She was the wife of the late Stanley L. Sloane, and mother of Bob Sloane (Maddie Shevlin) and Ann Sloane. Sloane was devoted to her family and community. She was the former national chair and president of the United Jewish Appeal Women’s Division and board member of the American Joint Distribution Committee. Arrangements entrusted to Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

Lynne Pearl Loube Tatlock

Lynne Pearl Loube Tatlock (née Kaplan) died on Feb. 15. She was 78. She was the beloved wife of the late John Tatlock. She is survived by her children, Nancy, Frances and Daniel; her five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; her sister, Susan (Michael) Gross, and their children.

Lynne was a docent in the initial docent group at the Hirschhorn Museum. As her interests progressed to art jewelry and then fine jewelry, she earned two master of gemology degrees from GIA and the British Gemological Institute. She was a member of AIA and lectured on the provenance of historic jewelry. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Irving Torchinsky

Irving Leon Torchinsky, of Silver Spring, died on Feb. 14. He was the beloved husband of the late Janet Zelda Sincoff Torchinsky; devoted father of Marilyn (Howard) Politzer, Linda (Chester) Katz, Susan (Elliott) Prissman, Sally Schtevie, Joyce Torchinsky, David (Laura) Torchinsky, Annette Torchinsky and Jay Torchinsky; loving zayde of Shirley Politzer, Lisa (Slava) Slavin, Gary Politzer, Joanna (Joshua) Rubin, Martin (Arielle) Katz, Bonnie Prissman, Annie Schtevie, Joseph Dekelbaum, Shira Torchinsky, Rina Torchinsky and Alexander Flum; cherished great-zayde of Carolina Politzer, Jacob and Sarah Slavin and Benjamin Rubin.

Contributions may be made to The Jewish Foundation for Group Homes, Shaare Tefila Congregation or a charity of choice. Arrangements entrusted to Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

The post Obituaries | Feb. 21, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

David S. Davidson, a former chief judge of the National Labor Relations Board and former board chair of both Mobile Med and the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, died on Feb. 17. He was 91.

Davidson, of North Bethesda, was born on April 24, 1927. A native of Springfield, Mass., he served in the Navy during World War II. He graduated from Yale College in 1948 and Yale Law School in 1951. As a Yale undergraduate, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Davidson joined the National Labor Relations Board as an attorney in 1952, where he eventually became an administrative law judge. A fierce advocate for social justice, Davidson held, in addition to his service as chair, leadership
positions at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Mobile Med, which provides health care to low-income residents of Montgomery County.

In 2005, friends of Davidson and his late wife, Dorothy Mulitz Davidson, created a scholarship fund in their name to help students interested in public service pay for college.

Davidson was a founding member, former president and longtime board member of Temple Emanuel
in Kensington.

In a statement, the Religious Action Center said “Judge Davidson was an important part of the fabric of our Movement’s commitment to creating a world of equality and fairness. The URJ would not even think of putting a Resolutions Committee together without Judge Davidson.”

And Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called Davidson “a kind and gentle soul who lived a life of purpose and always brought a reservoir of wisdom and moral clarity to his many endeavors.”

Davidson was predeceased by his first wife, Judge Rita Davidson, the first woman appointed to the Maryland Court of Appeals; his second wife, Dorothy Davidson; and his daughter, Minna Davidson. He is survived by his son, Leo Davidson; son-in-law, Craig Ludwig; stepdaughter, Toni Cortellessa; and grandchildren, Rachel Ludwig, Melissa Ludwig, Eric Cortellessa and Lauren Cortellessa.

Contributions can be made to Mobile Med, the David and Dorothy Multiz Davidson Endowed Scholarship Fund at Montgomery College, or Temple Emanuel.

Arrangements under the direction of Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home.

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Arlene Bruno

Arlene Bruno. Photo provided

Arlene Bruno, of North Bethesda, died on Feb. 15. She was the beloved mother of Candice L. Optican (James), Lance M. Optican (Donna) and Mitchell E. Optican (Maria); devoted sister of Beverly S. Travis; cherished grandmother of Rowan Traweek, Adam and Lisa Optican; and great-grandmother of Ariel Optican. Contibutions may be made to Montgomery Hospice, Rockville (montgomeryhospice.org/donate). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Frances K. Burka

Frances K. Burka, of Chevy Chase, died on Feb. 24. She was the beloved wife of the late Leonard Burka; devoted mother of Michael (Barbara) Burka and Sharon Burka; loving sister of Eileen (Stephen) Samuels, John (Renny) Kossow and the late Gerald Kossow; and cherished grandmother of Alex and Jeffrey.

Contributions may be made to the Frances and Leonard Burka Social Action Endowment at Adas Israel Congregation, the Frances and Leonard Burka Fund for the Arts at George Washington University or a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Samuel George Kahn

Samuel George Kahn, of Potomac, died on Feb. 19. He was the beloved husband of Irma Kahn; devoted father of Kenneth (Mary) Kahn and Edith (Richard Goldberg) Kahn; loving grandfather of Alexander and Michael Kahn and Benjamin and Helene Goldberg.

Contributions may be made to PKD Foundation (pkdcure.org) or Seeds of Peace-Maine (seedsofpeace.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Sylvia W. Lassen (née Wolf)

Sylvia W. Lassen, of Rockville, died on Feb. 23. She was the beloved wife of the late Allan Lassen; devoted mother of Wendy (Evan) Feldman and Jane (Eric) Gleason; loving sister-in-law of Lenora Lassen; and cherished grandmother of Harley Feldman, Nick Feldman, Charlie Gleason and Miles Gleason. Contributions may be made to a charity of choice.

Jeffrey Alan Ploshnick

Jeffrey Alan Ploshnick died on Feb. 19. He was the loving husband of Shari Ploshnick; beloved son of David and Ginger Ploshnick; devoted father of Jack and Reid; and cherished brother of Andrea Ploshnick Lagowitz (Jack Kolker) and Lisa Bierig (Andrew).

Contributions may be made to Delta Upsilon Fraternity at Syracuse University (dusyracuse.com). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Leon Jacob Slavin

Leon Jacob Slavin, of Chevy Chase, died on Feb. 19. He was the beloved husband of the late Juliet Slavin; and devoted father of Meredith (Avi) Sevi, Andrea, Daniel (Belkis), and Dawn Slavin. He is also survived by his treasured grandchildren, Lucas and Sophia; and companion, Jacqueline Jaffe.

Contributions may be made to JSSA Hospice, Attn: Hospice Director, 6123 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Feb. 28, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Thea Krauthammer

Thea Krauthammer (née Horowitz), of Rockville, died on Feb. 14. She was 97.

Born in Antwerp, Belgium, she escaped to America during World War II and worked as a translator between the U.S. Army and the Free French Forces. After meeting and marrying her husband — also a Jewish refugee — in Havana, Cuba, she moved throughout the postwar world with him until finally settling in New York and later Montreal, where they raised their family and built a business.

Idyllic summers were spent together in Long Beach, N.Y., where she continued her lifelong passions for languages, the arts and athletics. In her later years, she retired to Miami and then suburban Maryland to be close to family, with whom she spent her final days in peace and comfort.

She was the beloved wife of the late Shulim; devoted mother of the late Marcel (Joy) and the late Charles (Robyn); grandmother of Aviva (Brett) and Daniel; and great-grandmother of Maya and Eliana.
Arrangements by Torchinsky Hebrew Funeral Home.

Adele Shapiro

Adele Shapiro, of Rockville, died on Feb. 28. She was 79. Shapiro is survived by her husband of 59 years, Steven; their three children, Alan (Rose Ann), Robert (Jodi) and Andrea; and four grandchildren, Sam, John, Darren and Jeremy.

Adele worked as a secretary. She enjoyed gardening; watching her children and grandchildren play sports; and, most of all, her cats. Contributions may be made to Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society: P.O. Box 1543, Centreville, VA 20122-1543. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Barry A. Sklar

Barry A. Sklar, of Potomac, died on Feb. 27. He was the son of the late Ada and Louis Sklar; beloved husband of Susan; devoted father of Eric (Andrea) and Brian (Jennifer); loving grandfather of Alex, Jordan, Brendan, Corey and Amanda; and the late pets Shana and Solly. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, Montgomery County Humane Society, or ASPCA. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Steven Sharabany

Steven Sharabany, of Potomac, died on Feb. 25. He was the beloved husband of Phyllis Sharabany, and devoted father of Eric Sharabany and Jennifer Sharabany. Contributions may be made to Hadassah (hadassah.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

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

Holly I. Botler

Holly I. Botler

Holly I. Botler, of Potomac, died on March 7. She was predeceased by her father, Jerome Scheffres; her step-father, Cyrus Katzen; her former husband, Gary Bolter; and niece, Julie Scheffres.

Holly is survived by her mother, Myrtle Katzen; longtime companion Alan Landau; her children, Jeffrey (Stephanie) Bolter and Alexandra Bolter; her brother, Michael Scheffres (Susan); her step-brother, Jay (Lynn) Katzen, and step-sister, Linda Swartz; her granddaughter, Sadie; and her nephew and niece, Joe and Cara.

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

Dr. Selwyn Bottnick

Dr. Selwyn Bottnick, of North Bethesda, died on March 9. He was the beloved husband of Deborah Bottinick; devoted father of Mark Bottinick (Michele Janis) and Lawrence Bottinick (Rosa da Costa); and loving grandfather of Alexandra and Nina da Costa Bottinick, and Shoshana and Sydney Levenson.

Contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Dorothy Goldstein

Dorothy Goldstein, of Owings Mills, died on March 8.

She was the beloved daughter of the late Ruth Rubin Beslove and Joseph Beslove; sister of the late Edward Beslove; loving wife of the late Jack Goldstein; devoted mother of Hollis Spund Vogdes (David Edwards) and Stephen Spund (Amy), and step-mother of Ilene Ellenbogen (Glen) and Howard Goldstein (Jill Schick); adored grandmother of Bryan (Sarah) Spund, Jesse Spund, Brooke Spund, Jillian (Shane) Boggs, Jacob Vogdes and Devin Vogdes, and great-grandmother of Makenzie.

Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Linda Katz

Linda Katz, of Silver Spring, died on March 1. She was the beloved wife of the late Hershel Katz; devoted mother of Steven Andrew Katz and Simone Elizabeth Katz; and cherished grandmother of Sabrina and Derick.

Contributions may be made to the National Audubon Society or the Southern Poverty Law Center. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Adeline D. Smith

Adeline D. Smith, of Rockville, died on March 9. She was the beloved wife of the late Sidney Smith; devoted mother of Stuart (Janet) Smith and Joanne (Martin) Severe; cherished grandmother of four and great-grandmother of four. Contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

James Warren

James I. Warren
James Ira “Jim” Warren, of Bethesda, died on Feb. 25 of cancer. He was 68.

He was a loving husband (Janis), father (Katie and Sara), grandfather (Nate and George), brother (William and Lisa), and uncle (Andrew, Alix and Rachel).

After attending the Lawrenceville School and Stanford University, Jim served in the Air Force National Guard Reserves. Jim went on to graduate from New York University School of Law, where he received a J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation and an M.S. in Accounting, also from New York University. Deeply committed to his career as a nationally regarded Utility Tax Lawyer, he also made time to always be there for his family, his friends and anyone in need. He will be greatly missed and always treasured.

Donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | March 14, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Doris Pincus

Doris Pincus. Photo provided

Doris Pincus, of Bethesda, died on Mar. 15. She was 92.

She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Pincus. Born on Aug. 26, 1926 in Washington, D.C., to Kate and Charles Lemler, Doris is survived by her daughters Carol Tullman (Steve) of West Chester, Pa.; and Margi (Jason) Gold of Washington. She is also survived by her grandchildren Scott (Colleen), Lindsey and Kevin, as well as her great-grandsons, Austin and Landon.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (parkinson.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Mark Irwin Cushnir

Mark Irwin Cushnir, of Olney, died on March 12.

He was the beloved husband of Barbara; devoted father of Stacy and Courtney; loving uncle of great nephews Bradley, Charlie and great niece Paisley; nieces Suzanna, Melissa Natalie, Erin and Christa; and nephews Scott, Chad, Zach and Jay. He was brother-in-law to Kitty, Diane, Vivian, Jeff and Neal.
Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | March 21, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

In the 1960s and ’70s, music lovers would likely be digging the drumming of Hal Blaine when they listened to a No. 1 hit.

Blaine, who died on Mar. 11, played on 40 of them in those decades as a member of the Wrecking Crew, a Los Angeles-based collective of session musicians.

Some of those hits: The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” and the Byrds’ cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

On hearing of his death, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys called him “the greatest drummer ever,” The Associated Press reported.

Blaine died of natural causes at his home in Palm Desert, Calif.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2000, called Blaine “the most recorded drummer in history.” He also was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award last year.Blaine first performed mainly at strip clubs before touring with musicians including Patti Page.

He was born Harold Simon Belsky in Holyoke, Mass., to Jewish immigrant parents from Russia. He called the community “a small Polish capital, loaded with immigrant Poles and Jews from all over Europe,” the AP reported, quoting a 1990 autobiography. When he was 7, his family moved to an all-Jewish neighborhood in Hartford, Conn., and at 11 Blaine attended Hebrew school and then celebrated his bar mitzvah.

He dropped out of high school in San Bernadino, Calif., at 16 and served in a military band in Korea.
Blaine was married at least six times, according to The Washington Post, and is survived by a daughter and seven grandchildren.

JTA News and Features

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Leopold Kleinman-Kozłowski, a pianist, composer, and actor who was called “the last klezmer of Galicia,” has died.

Kleinman-Kozłowski died on Mar. 12 in Krakow at the age of 100.

He was born on Nov. 26, 1918, in Przemyślany, which was Polish at the time and is now in Ukraine. Members of his family — including his grandfather Pejsach and father Tzvi Herman — played in klezmer bands.

During World War II, he lived in the ghetto in Przemyślany, and then in a forced labor camp in Kurowice. He fought in the partisan unit, and then in the ranks of the Polish Army, reaching Berlin.

After the war, he settled in Krakow, where he studied at the State Higher School of Music. He was the music director of the Army Song Festival in Kołobrzeg. In 1968, as a result of an anti-Semitic campaign, he was released from the army.

He worked as a music director at the Jewish Theater in Warsaw. He was a music consultant for the award-winning movie “Schindler’s List,” in which he played a cameo role.

He was active on stage almost to the end of his life. In recent years, he performed in venues such as Klezmer Hois in Krakow and at the Jewish Culture Festival in Chmielnik.

Kleinman-Kozłowski received numerous awards and distinctions for his artistic activity, including the Medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis,” and the title of honorary citizen of Krakow.

The post Pianist and composer Leopold Kleinman-Kozłowski dies at 100 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Rona Abramson

Dr. Rona Abramson, of Bethesda, died on March 22, 2019. She was 61.

She was a noted, honored and dedicated educator, humanitarian and philanthropist. The International Trustee of the Women’s Wing of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Movement, Rona offered practical tools, wisdom and support to millions of vulnerable women and children countries worldwide, including Canada, South Africa, Uganda, Lebanon and Italy. Her pragmatic approach and commitment to her work led to the establishment of community-wide consciousness-based teaching centers, universities and economic initiatives for women and girls.

Rona’s unbounded energy and tireless focus never waned for alleviating the suffering of women and children. Her mentorship and ability to engage and guide those that sought personal transformation including world leaders set her apart and she was often relied on to provide her project management expertise to initiatives focused on education, women’s empowerment and maternal health programs for nurses and midwives.

A founding member of the board of directors of the David Lynch Foundation, Rona and her beloved husband, Jeffrey, recently co-founded the Abramson Center for Peace as a division of the DLF, dedicated to preventing conflict and violence and fostering harmony and peace in war-torn regions. She has served on numerous advisory boards including Access Circles, Aspen Brain Institute and the Global Wellness Institute. Rona received a doctorate of World Peace from Maharishi European Research
University and a doctorate of Supreme Political Science from Maharishi University of World Peace.

She is survived by her husband and best friend, Jeffrey Abramson; her parents, Brenda and Abe Sluser; siblings
Laurie (Renee) Sluser and Marlene (Brian) Goldberg; extended family Anne-Marie and Mitchell Garber, Donna and Morrie Liquornik; along with a large family, nephews and nieces. She will also be remembered by the many women
and children whose lives she has forever improved.

William Adler

William Adler died on March 20, 2019. He was 93.

Adler was the devoted husband of 67 years to the late Diana Adler; loving father of Mitchell (Nancy) Adler, Joel Adler and Fern (Larry) Bensignor; dear brother of the late Jewel Gutman; loving grandfather of Jeremy (Bridget) Adler, Warren (Jennifer) Adler, Michelle and Eli Bensignor, and Joshua and Nathan Adler; and cherished great-grandfather of Pierce, Gavin and Cora Adler.

Donations may be made to Jewish Social Services Agency (www.jssa.org) or to Ingleside at King Farm Employee Appreciation Fund (www.ikfmd.org). Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Mark Barren

Dr. Mark Victor Barren, of Potomac, died on March 19, 2019. Mark was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He was affectionately known as “Papa.”

Mark was born on Jan. 7, 1943, in Guildford Surrey, England, to Herbert and Joan Barren. In 1954 his family came to the U.S. and settled in Miami, Florida. After attending Miami Norland High School and the University of Florida, he graduated from the University of Maryland Dental School in 1968 where he was president of the student body. He was drafted by the U.S. Army and spent two years in Vietnam where he was awarded a Bronze Star. After military service, he received his master’s in pediatric dentistry from Boston University and opened his practice in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He retired in 2013.

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Estelle Silver Barren, and his brother-in-law Steven Silver. He is survived by his devoted daughters, Allison (Andrew) Weintraub, Sarah Barren and Jennifer Barren (Scott Gordon), and three adoring grandchildren, Zakary, Drew and Dylan Weintraub, his sister Joanna (Jim) Hayes, brother-in-laws Jeffrey (Peggy) Silver and Barry (Jackie Parker) Silver as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Mark will be remembered for his sharp mind, sense of humor and love of Harley Davidsons, cars, tennis and of his
grandchildren, of whom he was amazingly proud.

Contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or Sibley Memorial Hospital Foundation. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Daniel Aaron Nath

Daniel Nath, of Phoenix and Potomac, died on March 21, 2019. He was the cherished son of Robert Nath and Judith Nath; loving brother of Jennifer Nath Doc-Habany (Yehonatan) and Cheryl Nath (Fiance Travis); dear grandson of June Sussman, the late Jules Sussman and the late Claire and Jack Nath; the beloved nephew of many aunts and uncles; and adored uncle of Talia and David.

Contributions may be made to the charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | Mar. 28, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Martha Oser Greenspan Photo provided

Martha Oser Greenspan

Matha Oser Greenspan, of Silver Spring, died on Mar. 29.

She was the beloved wife of the late Richard B Greenspan; devoted mother of Marcia Blau and Dr. Robert E Greenspan; loving sister of the late Bernard and Jack Oser and the late Adelaide Rose; cherished grandmother of Hedy and Stephen Blau, Emily, Sarah, Rachel and Matthew Greenspan; and great-grandmother of Ethan, Dylan, Shayna, Jayden, Layla and Nolan.
Contributions may be made to Casey House of Montgomery Hospice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Imogene Lehman

Imogene Lehman, of Rockville, died on March 29.

She is predeceased by her son, David A. Lehman. She was the beloved wife of Leonard Lehman; devoted mother of Jeff (Hua), Zach, Toby (Linda) and Amy; loving grandmother of Rebecca, Jacob, Benjamin and Jesse.

Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Lillian Litowsky

Lillian Litowsky, of Silver Spring, died on Mar. 30.

She was the beloved wife of the late Albert Litowsky; devoted mother of Kenneth Alan Litowsky (Ramona), Cary, NC, and the late Carole Anne Litowsky; grandmother of Emilee Litowsky Holt (A. J. Holt), and Adam Litowsky.

Contributions may be made to Riderwood Retirement Community Benevolent Fund. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Naomi Mezebish

Naomi Mezebish, of Rockville, died on Mar. 31.

She was the beloved wife of the late Burton Mezebish; devoted mother of Alyssa Mezebish, Neil (Lindy)
Mezebish, Andrea Boyer, Denia Addis and David Mezebish; loving sister of Marilyn Shendell, sister-in-law of Linda Warner; cherished grandmother of Heather, Emily, Cody, Ben, Alec, Hanna, Tori, Sophie, Remy and Anna; and great-grandmother of Will and Alice.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).

Services entrusted to Shomrei Neshama of Greater Washington.

Dr. Lawrence Henry Shuman

Dr. Lawrence Henry Shuman, of Falls Church, died on Mar. 21.

Dr. Shuman was born in Philadelphia and attended Central High School, Marietta College, Chicago Medical School, which became Rosalind Franklin University before his residency at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia as an obstetrician/gynecologist and his fellowship in fertility at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Dr. Shuman practiced medicine in Alexandria from 1963 to 1995 and was a mohel in Northern Virginia, certified by both the Conservative and Reform movements.

Dr. Shuman is survived by his beloved wife, Deanna Shuman (Nee Joseph); children, Joshua Shuman (Bat Zion), Andi Wirpel (William) and Joanna Shuman; and grandchildren, Amitai, Golan, Tamar Rinat, Alexi and Spencer.
Contributions may be made to Agudas Achim Congregation, Gesher Day School or the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.

The post Obituaries | April 4, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Michel Bacos, the Air France pilot who refused to leave his Jewish passengers behind after his plane was
hijacked to Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, has died.

Bacos remained with the Jewish and Israeli passengers, as did his crew, until they were rescued in a secret operation by the Israeli military. He died March 26 in Nice, France, at the age of 95.

Palestinian terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 flying to Paris from Tel Aviv and diverted it to Entebbe on June 27, 1976. The terrorists freed all the non-Jewish passengers, but Bacos and his crew opted to remain with the Jewish and Israeli hostages. They were rescued a week later, on July 4. Three hostages and mission commander Yonatan Netanyahu, the current Israeli prime minister’s older brother, were killed during the rescue.

Bacos was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor. Israel also recognized his actions, as did Jewish organizations such as B’nai Brith International and the American Jewish Committee.

Bacos visited Israel several times, including attending memorial ceremonies for Yonatan Netanyahu, The Jerusalem Post reported.

—JTA News and Features

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Dolly Bennof

Dolly Bennof, of Leisure World in Silver Spring, died on April 6.

She was the beloved wife of the late Alvin Bennof for 56 years. They met as toddlers in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion, grew up together, moved to Washington after World War II and raised a family in love and laughter.

She was the devoted mother of Richard (Arlene), Steven and Gale (Jim) Bennof; and cherished grandmother of the late Jeremy Wechsler.

A professional entertainer, Dolly sang throughout the Washington area as a soloist and with the John Brown Band, as well as at Leisure World with her beloved friends in the Fun and Fancy Theatre Group.
Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Ruthjoy Leventhal

Ruthjoy Leventhal, of Rockville, died on April 1.

She is survived by her three children, Amy Musher (Joe), Scott Livingston (Claire) and John Livingston (Susan); her four grandsons, Jacob, Noah and Evan Livingston, and Jeffrey Rosen (Christy); two great-grandchildren, Ben and Andrea Rosen; and her brother, William Marshall. She is predeceased by two other grandchildren, Jay Rosen and Alex Livingston.

Ruthjoy enjoyed a full life with many friends and family. She loved playing bridge, canasta and hand and foot. She was a dedicated member of B’nai Israel Congregation. She also volunteered at Suburban Hospital, Bethesda Thrift Shop and Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Her doctor said when he asked her what was on her “Bucket List,” she said to ride on a motorcycle.
Contributions may be made to B’nai Israel Congregation or Make-a-Wish Foundation. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Richard William Robins

Richard William Robins, of Chevy Chase, died on April 4.

He was the beloved husband of Eve Silverman Robins; devoted father of Lena Robins-Faden (Ryan), Amanda Alter (Michael) and Rachel Robins; loving brother of Barry Robins and Joan Robins; cherished grandfather of Naomi, Abigail, Adam, Emily, Anna and Isabelle. Contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Janet Lee Steinberg

Janet Lee Steinberg, of Bethesda, died on April 6.

She was the beloved wife of the late Samuel J. Steinberg; devoted mother of Wendy Steinberg and the late Lisa Steinberg; cherished grandmother of Robert and Lilly Tapparo and Eli Mellen; and great-grandmother of Avi Mellen. Contributions may be made to JSSA. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Allan Michael Weinstein

Allan Michael Weinstein died on April 1. He was born in New Haven, Conn., to Joseph and Ida Weinstein.
He was the beloved husband of 41 years of Linda and adored father of David and Jessica. He is also survived by his brother Robert E. Weinstein, his niece, nephew and many close cousins.

Allan felt honored to be a physician, and his compassion as a doctor led him down many paths. His varied professional pursuits were all focused on a single objective: developing innovative ideas to achieve better health outcomes. Allan was a kind, supportive and positive force in the many lives that he touched. He loved nothing more than spending time with his cherished family and friends.

Donations can be made to So Others Might Eat (SOME) in Washington. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | April 11, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

David Brion Davis, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who wrote a comprehensive trilogy of books on the problem of slavery in western culture, has died.Davis, a professor emeritus of American history at Yale University where he taught for more than 30 years, died on Sunday in Guilford, Conn., at the age of 92.

Davis was the founding director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale.
He wrote or edited 16 books, but is best known for his slavery trilogy.

The first, “The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture,” published in 1966, won a Pulitzer Prize and was a National Book Award finalist. The second, “The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution, 1770-1823,” published in 1975, won the National Book Award as well as the Bancroft Prize, one of the most prestigious in the study of American history.

The last book, “The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation,” was published in 2014 and won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

He also wrote on how the role of Jews in the slave trade in the Americas was greatly exaggerated in deliberate efforts to encourage anti-Semitism.

The fundamental problem of slavery, Davis wrote in his first book, “lay not in its cruelty or exploitation, but in the underlying conception of man as a conveyable possession with no more autonomy of will and consciousness than a domestic animal.”

He received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama in 2014.

Davis said in a 2014 interview that his parents had rebelled against their Christian upbringing and that he was raised with no religious heritage. He married a Jewish woman in 1971 and more than a decade later when he was in his 60s he began the process of conversion to Judaism.

He had a bar mitzvah at the age of 80.

“Judaism resonates with my Niebuhrian view of history and human nature. I also was deeply influenced by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. I believe in God and pray almost daily and could not be more grateful for my total acceptance as a Jew by many friends, including members of our Bible-study weekly Shabbos group, who are mostly modern Orthodox,” he said of his religious journey.

A statement from Yale’s MacMillan Center, for international and area studies, said: “He was an intellectual in pursuit of truth and wisdom. In his presence one always learned something. He was a deeply spiritual man who saw the historian’s craft as a search for the minds and souls of people in the past. He devoted his life and career to understanding the place of the inhumane but profoundly important and persistent practices of slavery and racism in the world. He was a philosopher at heart, a lyrical writer, and defined why we do history. We stand on his shoulders.”

JTA News & Features

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Paula Oken Horowitz

Paula Horowitz died on April 10. She was born Oct. 14, 1927, in Washington, where her parents, Max and Sarah Oken, owned a butcher shop.

She graduated with honors from University of Maryland and received a master’s degree in social work from Catholic University. She went on to head the adult services division of Prince George’s County Department of Social Services after many years in the department’s Child Protective Services.

The mother of Matt Horowitz (Michele) and Carolyn Amacher, she was preceded by her loving husband, Eli. Paula was blessed with four grandchildren, Eric, Lisa, Ezra and Sam. She saw all of them to adulthood.

Contributions may be made in her memory to Hadassah. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

Milton Kanner

Milton Kanner, of Silver Spring, died on April 12.

He is predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Doris Kanner. Milton is survived by his three children, Rick (Marcia), Howard (Ilene) and Robert (Sandy); his grandchildren, Shauna, Justin (Christie), Adam (Susanna), Gregg (Adina), David (Rebecca) and Larry; and his great-grandchildren, Noah, Madalyn, Cole, Jack and Asher.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Social Service Agency. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

The post Obituaries | April 18, 2019 appeared first on Washington Jewish Week.

Irving “Irv” Eisen died on April 17. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years, Patricia.

He was the devoted father of the late Stuart (Rona) Eisen. He is survived by his children Soozie (Bobby) Brendler, and Michael (Susan) Eisen. He was the adored grandfather to Brad (Meredith), Candace, Stefanie, Tracey (Ron), Rebecca, Jason and Natalie; and great-grandfather to Leo, Gigi and Henry.
Irv was a proud World War II Navy veteran, avid golfer and coin collector.

Contributions may be made to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.

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