Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel. This page will be updated throughout the week. Submit an obituary here.

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Shirley Bob

Dec. 1, 1925-Aug. 1, 2020

Shirley Bob, 94, of Los Altos, died in her home on August 1. She was the daughter of the late Samuel and Rebecca Kaplan.

Shirley was born in Springfield, MA and grew up in Troy, NY. There she met the love of her life, the late Fred Bob, who became her husband and dance partner.

Shirley was a pillar of Jewish communal life her entire adult life.

As a young mother, she was a co-founder of the Livingston Jewish Center in Livingston, New Jersey in the early 1950s. Later, when they moved to Minneapolis, Shirley and Fred co-founded the Married Couples League at Congregation Adath Jeshurun. She also served as regional president of Women’s American ORT in Minnesota.

Upon moving to Los Altos, Shirley became deeply involved in the South Peninsula Jewish community and, especially, Congregation Kol Emeth. At Kol Emeth, she became President of Sisterhood, ran the Gift Shop for ten years, and assigned High Holiday Honors for many years. Most recently, she was involved in the effort to build a new building for Kol Emeth. She died a few days after the occupancy permit was granted, and on the same day that the first Shabbat service was held at the new facility.

Outside of Kol Emeth, Shirley was also involved in leadership in the South Peninsula with Hadassah, Women’s American ORT, and the Jewish Community Federation Women’s Division.

For 26 years Shirley and her daughter Ellen were the proprietors of bob and bob, a Jewish book and gift store in Palo Alto.

Among her other volunteer interests were crafting tactile maps for blind students in Minnesota and supporting Abilities United in Palo Alto.

Shirley was the mother of Steven (Tammie) Bob, Kenneth (Nancy) Bob, and Ellen (David Waksberg) Bob; grandmother of Lisa Howard, Gideon (Molly) Bob, Abigail (Asaf) Nagola, Raphael (Dahvi Waller) Bob-Waksberg, Becky Bob-Waksberg, Amalia (Ryan Church, fiancé) Bob-Waksberg, Shani (Omer Yosef) Bob, Amit (Adina Teibloom) Bob, and Netta (Anna Swartz) Bob; great-grandmother of Nat, Julia and Ethan Howard, Naama, Talia and Ayala Nagola, and Kira and Jonah Bob; and aunt of Janet (Allen Sanders) Hesslein and the late Laura Hesslein.

Donations in Shirley’s memory may be made to kolemeth.org or projectrozana.org.

Sinai South Bay

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Marty Brounstein

March 4, 1957–July 31, 2020

Marty Brounstein, of San Mateo, passed away at home surrounded by a loving family after a far too brief battle with Ampullary cancer. He was 63.

Marty was born on March 4, 1957 in Park Forest, a southern suburb of Chicago, IL. He grew up in Park Forest and nearby Olympia Fields with his three older siblings, Rick, Sheri and Julie, and his parents, Goldie and Cyril Brounstein. Marty was a natural-born Cubs fan, and the highlights of his youth, besides his baseball, were the many road trips to visit his family throughout Canada, and the discovery of his love for running.

In 1980, Marty received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the National College of Education at National Louis University, where a passion for teaching blossomed. During summers, he worked at a camp for autistic teens, mentoring staff in the use of empathy to earn camper trust and to resolve conflicts with listening and care. Upon graduating, he taught history in Arizona for the Mesa School District for four years before taking a year off to run 23 marathons around the country, including the Boston Marathon. Marty would run over 51 marathons before inspiring his nephew, Dan, to make it a family tradition.

He earned a master’s degree in Industrial Relations from University of Oregon. After a brief stint in HR, Marty made a bold move to start his own management consulting business, Practical Solutions Group. Marty coached and trained executives at many companies and government institutions across the country, and broadened his business influence by becoming a professional business writer. Marty wrote three books for the For Dummies series on Communication, Management and Mentoring and ultimately nine management books in all.

In 2001, Marty met his perfect match in Leah Baars. They connected through shared interests in world travel, the love of Judaism, and family values, and were married in San Mateo in 2007. On one trip to Holland, Marty was profoundly impacted by meeting a son of Frans and Mien Wijnakker, a brave couple who saved more than two dozen Jews during the Holocaust. Among those saved were his beloved wife’s parents… and Leah herself, who was born in hiding. This gave Marty new inspiration; he determinedly pursued information, contacts, and interviews about the Wijnakkers, and in 2011 published a book based on their story called “The Righteous Few: Two Who Made a Difference”. A delightful and engaging speaker, Marty traveled around the country giving book talks to individuals, schools, and companies to share the Wijnakkers’ extraordinary story, ultimately giving 750 talks over nine years. Marty recently completed a second inspirational Holocaust history called “Woman of Valor,” the story of Eta Chait (Wrobel), a young Polish woman and Resistance leader.

In 2019 Marty was deeply touched to receive the Jefferson Award presented by Multiplying Good. Considered the Nobel Prize for public service, the Jefferson Award recognizes people who make a difference on a daily basis in their local communities — unsung heroes who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition or award.

Marty is survived by his wife, siblings and extended family. Donations may be made to the Inspiring Courage Legacy Fund, a nonprofit created by Marty to continue sharing his books retelling inspirational acts of courage and compassion during the Holocaust. While the nonprofit status is being finalized, we welcome tax-deductible donations to Peninsula Sinai Congregation’s special fund to support this project: peninsulasinai.org/donate.

Sinai-Redwood City

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Jack Fasman

November 4, 1924–July 30, 2020

Jack Fasman, beloved father, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on Tisha B’Av, Thursday, July 30, 2020 at his residence in the Vi Memory Unit in Palo Alto. He was 95.

Born in Chicago on November 4, 1924 to Louis and Florence Kaplan Fasman, he was the youngest of four siblings: Edith, Paul, Dorothy, and Jack. Jack’s mother died when he was but four months old. His father could not take care of the four children, so they ended up living apart: Edith was with family, Paul was in an orphanage, Dorothy and Jack were in foster care.

It was a difficult childhood. Jack grew up as a survivor. He was scrappy and a hustler, and he loved games and competition of all sorts. He graduated from Von Steuben High School and he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois, where he met La Verne Ascher. After years of courtship, during which time Jack completed his master’s degree in history at Northwestern and La Verne completed her master’s in education at Columbia University, they married on March 26, 1950. It was a strong, often fiery marriage that lasted over 54 years until La Verne’s passing in 2004.

Jack was an exceptionally devoted and beloved teacher. Three decades after his retirement from Carlmont High School, his students were still singing his praises as the finest teacher they had ever known. Jack was a lifelong learner, rarely seen without a book or newspaper in his hand. His most prized possession was his library.

Jack was the father of three (“one of each,” he would quip): Rabbi Mark (Alice), Ellen, and Louis. They gave him six grandchildren: Rachel, Robert, and Deborah Schultz, David Fasman, and Dana and Laura Fasman. Because of his dementia in recent years, he didn’t get to know his three great-grandchildren well: Aryeh and Leah Frank, and Levi Schultz.

Until the past few years, Jack had a prodigious memory. He loved to learn. He loved to make people laugh and to laugh along with them. He loved music: he played piano, and he enjoyed classical and jazz. Jack was a passionate baseball fan, especially the Giants. And he loved chocolate and other sweets.

Jack was a man of high integrity, intellectual honesty, and respect for others. He was remarkably kind and generous with those who are often treated poorly: waiters, custodians, nurses, unsolicited callers, and others. He didn’t “care only that his children were happy”; he expected them to be mentsches.

Jack was a proud Jew. He was a member of Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City for 64 years. After his retirement, he was a Shabbat morning regular as well as a regular at the Wednesday morning minyan and adult education classes. He traveled several times to Israel and toured throughout the country.

After a difficult start, Jack built a life in which he touched thousands of students as well as friends and family. He leaves a legacy of learning, laughter, and love.

Donations in his name may be made to Congregation Beth Jacob, bethjacobrwc.org, Adult Education fund, or to any organization that values books.

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Cara Lee (Lesser) Goldfader

February 12, 1942–July 28, 2020

Cara Lee (Lesser) Goldfader, age 78, passed away unexpectedly on July 28, 2020, at her home in Laguna Woods, CA.

Cara was born on February 12, 1942 to Louis and Rebecca (Drazin) Lesser of Dorchester, MA. The family moved to Brookline, MA, in 1955, where Cara graduated from Brookline High School. Cara was a great student and very smart. After high school, she wanted to go to nursing school, but her parents wanted her to go to college. To compromise, she completed her studies at Brandeis University in 3 years, taking an extra load and summer classes. After receiving her BA degree in History from Brandeis University in 1962, she graduated in 1965 from Beth Israel School of Nursing in Boston, MA.

Cara met and married her husband Sidney shortly thereafter, and moved to his hometown of Worcester, MA to start a family. Despite the devastating early losses of her parents and sister, Cara went on to have 3 beautiful children and a meaningful family life of her own.

Cara enjoyed a diverse and lengthy nursing career, and was devoted to the compassionate care of elderly patients. She completed her career as Director of Nurses for a long-term care facility in central Massachusetts in 1997. After her husband died in 1997, Cara made the decision to leave Worcester and move to Southern California to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Cara lived in Laguna Woods, Calif., for the last 20 years of her life.

Cara was a lifelong learner and an avid reader. She had an inquisitive mind, and enjoyed discussions on politics, history, current affairs, and Israel. She loved the ocean, seashells, classical music and Hebrew liturgy. She was frequently found singing the Hebrew songs and melodies that filled her childhood home. She had the softest hands. She loved comedies and Walt Disney movies, and any Boston sports team. She valued human dignity, and always tried to help those less fortunate. She loved chocolate, and had a big sweet tooth. She had a deep Jewish soul, and a home filled with Judaica. Cara’s cooking stood out for its many wonderful traditional Jewish dishes, especially her kugel, and for the occasional strange creations and sometimes spectacular culinary failures.

She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren, and shared a special bond with her brother Elly. With a loving heart and spirit that will leave indelible memories in the lives and hearts of all she touched, she had the charming ability to be able to laugh at herself. She was a touchstone and anchor for her family, and her loss leaves a palpable space.

Cara is survived by her beloved brother Eliyu Lesser, and sister-in-law Maxine Lesser of Deland, FL; her beloved daughter Rebecca Goldfader of San Francisco, CA; her beloved son Michael Goldfader and daughter-in-law Susan Goldfader of Los Angeles, CA; her beloved son Louis Noah Goldfader of Richardson, TX; and her three grandchildren: Brooke and Sloane Goldfader of Los Angeles, CA; and Sidney Goldfader-Dufty of San Francisco, CA. She is also survived by Bevan Dufty, Rebecca’s co-parent and Sidney Goldfader-Dufty’s father, as well as the many wonderful caring nieces, nephews and cousins, who were touched by her love and spirit.

Cara was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Goldfader; her parents Louis and Rebecca (Drazin) Lesser, and her sister Naomi Debba Lesser.

Due to Covid-19, limited graveside services were held on Aug. 2 at Temple Beth El cemetery in West Roxbury, MA.

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Dr. Sam A. Oryol

January 6, 1946–July 30, 2020

Baruch Dayan Ha’emet

It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that our family informs you of the passing of Dr. Sam A. Oryol — a loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, and a respected doctor. He was 74 years old.

Dr. Oryol was born in Kemerovo, Siberia (Russia) on January 6, 1946, to Dr. Blyuma Oryol and Alexander Oryol. He graduated from medical school in Lviv, Ukraine. After receiving his initial medical training in Lviv and later serving as the Chief of Staff of a military hospital for pilots in the Russian Air Force, he moved to Odessa to work as a pediatrician, just like his mother who was a pediatrician in Lviv.

On July 30, 1979, exactly 41 years before the day of his death, the Oryol family (together with their extended family) immigrated to the United States and settled in San Francisco. Dr. Oryol was determined to continue practicing medicine despite the many obstacles he faced. Like most Soviet Jewish refugees, he arrived in the United States with few resources and no knowledge of English. After successfully completing residency in internal medicine in Mt. Zion/UCSF and passing his medical board exams, Dr. Oryol became a licensed physician in Florida and California. He established his medical practice in 1988, in which he continued to treat patients until his death.

Dr. Oryol was respected by his medical colleagues and loved by his patients, many of whom he treated for decades. He would never turn down a patient and provided the same high level of care to both the wealthy and to those living on the margins of society. He was one of the first Russian-speaking doctors to establish a medical practice to serve the Russian community in San Francisco. Despite the pandemic, Dr. Oryol continued to treat patients in his office and in a nursing home in San Francisco until his death.

Dr. Oryol is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Larisa Oryol, and their children Yuliya Ann Oryol and Alexander Lev Oryol, their daughter-in-law Dominique Oryol, and their grandchildren Gabriella Leah Vulakh, Elise Ariella Vulakh, and Sam Caleb Oryol. Baby Sam, who was named in Dr. Oryol’s honor, was born on July 29th, just a few hours before his grandfather died.

Dr. Oryol will be buried next to his mother, Dr. Blyuma Oryol, and his sister Irina Oryol. Dr. Oryol’s father, who died when the family was in the process of immigrating to the United States, is buried in Rome, Italy. A funeral service was held at Eternal Home Cemetery in Colma. Memorial donations may be made to HIAS, hias.org, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), doctorswithoutborders.org.

Sinai-SF