Obituaries are supported by a generous grant from Sinai Memorial Chapel.

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Dr. Jeffrey Martin Aron

March 20, 1942–Feb. 7, 2023

Dr. Jeffrey Martin Aron, a resident of Novato, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Born on March 20, 1942, to Esther and Albert Aron in Los Angeles, he graduated from Van Nuys High School and attended the University of California Los Angeles, majoring in zoology, before receiving his medical degree from the California College of Medicine (now University of California Irvine).

Jeff practiced gastroenterology in the Bay Area and Northern California for over 48 years, before his retirement in 2021. He served his internship and residency in internal medicine at UCSF/Mount Zion followed by a fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Jeff returned to San Francisco to spend the majority of his career in private practice and also served as the Head of Gastrointestinal Medicine at Mount Zion Hospital (now UCSF/Mt. Zion).

Jeff served on the board of the Northern California chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and received their Premiere Physician award in 2003. At the end of his career, Jeff worked as an attending physician of the Gastroenterology Department at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, California.

Jeff was a loving husband and father who loved taking his family on vacations, trying out new foods and learning new topics — he always had an adventurous mind. He loved nothing more than coming home to spend time with his wife, best friend and soulmate, Harriette, where they would talk and enjoy a wonderful meal. Jeff loved going on drives with Harriette to Wine Country or into the city, listening to music and discovering a new restaurant.

Jeff was a voracious reader, an avid runner, and a huge sports fan who loved rooting on his beloved UCLA Bruins, S.F. Giants, A’s and 49ers. Jeff had a similar passion for treating his patients with dignity and compassion. He was known for spending significant time to understand his patients’ needs and health habits so that he could better treat them.

He regularly appeared on the Ronn Owens radio show as a medical expert to help educate Bay Area residents on health topics. He advocated for continuously improving the quality and standards of gastroenterology work in the Bay Area, helping establish the dedicated colonoscopy center for UCSF and leaving behind a legacy of wonderful doctors and medical professionals whom he trained.

We will miss Jeff’s smile, unique sense of humor and eternal optimism.

Jeff is survived by his wife, Harriette, of over 52 years; son Zachary and daughter-in-law Christi Fields; grandson Weston Godfrey; two sisters-in-law; two brothers-in-law; two nieces; two nephews; and three grand-nieces.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Northern California chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

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Judith A. Chinn

July 17, 1940–Feb. 1, 2023,

Mrs. Judith A. Chinn passed away peacefully on Feb. 1, 2023, at age 82. She was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Aaron Chinn for 48 years; loving father of Dr. David (Judy), Dr. Daniel (Julie), and the late Brad Chinn, and adoring grandmother of Ellen, Michael, Benjamin and Olivia, who affectionately called her “Grandma J” and “JJ.” She was also the partner of Dr. Ed Jones for the last seven years.

A graduate of Cornell University, she was an educator, author and businesswoman.

Funeral services were held at Oakmont Memorial Park on Feb. 6, 2023. Donations in her memory may be sent to the UCSF Cancer Center (giving.ucsf.edu), or the charity of your choice.

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Peggy Louise Dias, RDH, MFCC

Feb. 14, 1936–Feb. 22, 2023

Peggy Louise Dias (nee Peggy Louise Strass), born Feb. 14, 1936 (Valentine’s Day), died Feb. 22, 2023.

Peggy was born in Reichenberg, Czechoslovakia, to Edith and Otto Strass. In September 1939, the family immigrated to the United States in order to flee from the Holocaust. En route to the United States, they traveled through the Netherlands, where Peggy’s younger sister Vivian was born.

Upon arrival in New York, the family settled in Forest Hills, where Peggy attended public school and graduated from Forest Hills High School. She attended Boston University, NYU and Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. She graduated from Columbia with a RDH (registered dental hygienist) degree and also a master’s in dental hygiene education. She was employed by a prominent dentist at Central Park South in NYC before deciding to follow her sister Vivian out to the Bay Area in 1965.

She answered an ad in the New York Times for a teaching position at Diablo Valley College in their dental hygienist program. She was immediately hired and taught there for a year. She later gained employment with three different dentists in Oakland. She rented an apartment in Berkeley. She was a very busy hygienist and very proficient, as well.

After a year, she decided to move to San Francisco in the area known as Twin Peaks, where she rented an apartment. She had a very busy professional life and social life, as well. During a social event, she met her future husband, Dr. Fred Dias, a prominent endodontist who had his dental practice in San Francisco. Fred was also an East Coast transplant with European roots. His family was from the Netherlands and had left Europe to flee from the Holocaust.

They had very much in common. They were both born under the sign of Aquarius, both spoke German, both were in the dental profession, both loved the theater and especially Broadway, both loved European culture and cuisine.

They were married on Oct. 12, 1969 at the Stephen Wise synagogue in New York by her cousin, Rabbi Eddi Klein. They rented a penthouse apartment in the Marina district of San Francisco. It had a large balcony with a sweeping view, from the Golden Gate clear over to the East Bay. Fleet Week was a special treat.

After two years, when the rent was raised, they bought a lovely home in Burlingame complete with an Olympic-sized swimming pool which Fred maintained. They had many pool parties and BBQs for their friends, and Peggy was a perfect hostess. They loved entertaining their friends on warm summer afternoons in their spacious backyard. They lived there for 40 years.

Not able to have a child of their own, they decided to adopt. In 1976, Steven came into their lives. As the years passed, it turned out that Steven had ADD (attention deficit disorder)) and was dyslexic, as well. Peggy became very interested in the field of children with learning disabilities and studied all the information that was available at the time. She started the San Mateo chapter of the Learning Disabilities Association of America. The outcome of this was that she became an advocate for their son Steven and wound up writing a special book to help other parents with the same or similar problems. “Diamonds in the Rough: An Infancy to College Reference-Rehabilitation Guide for the ADD/Learning Disabled” was published in 1989 by Slosson Educational. Nothing on this subject was available before this.

During the Burlingame years (1970-2010), the couple owned four standard poodles, five cats and two canaries. Not all at the same time. Peggy had a standard poodle as a pet when she was a child and loved the breed. After getting their first poodle, Laska, an apricot female, Peggy became an expert dog trainer. She and Laska belonged to two dog-training clubs at the same time. Peggy entered the dog into AKC (American Kennel Club) obedience trials. Laska attained every title that the AKC could award for obedience before her third birthday. That award is called “Utility Dog.” Peggy and Laska put on obedience performances until Laska was 14 years old, the year she died. A dog show judge remarked to Peggy, “a standard poodle is like a Labrador with a college education.” Their other poodles were trained, as well, but Peggy never competed in dog shows after Laska passed away.

Peggy and Fred enjoyed travel, especially after Fred retired. Most of their first trips were to Hawaii, which started while Fred was still in practice. There were many dental education courses given in Hawaii, so the couple took advantage of being able to travel there and learn at the same time.

After retirement, the couple continued their trips, with Hawaii as a favorite destination and covering all of the islands. They went there at least 40 times and knew each island very well. They also traveled to Tahiti, which was their best snorkeling adventure. Trips to Europe and Africa were highlights, as well, since both Peggy and Fred had roots in Europe. Fred was from the Netherlands and Peggy from Czechoslovakia. Both still had living relatives in each country whom they visited. Peggy had family in Australia, as well, and they were able to cruise “down under” and reunite with her Aussie family.

While they lived in Rossmoor, they became good friends with Ralf Parton, a retired professor of art history. Ralf conducted trips all over the world, usually with a slant on art. Peggy and Fred went on many of his trips to Europe and the East Coast, as well. Also, Ralf conducted photo safaris to East Africa that were expertly managed. Peggy and Fred went on one of these very memorable trips to Kenya, and it was the highlight of their travels.

When they moved to Rossmoor, they joined the Railroad Roundhouse, the International Club, Primetime Couples, Hawaii State Club, the Dixieland Club and TGIF. Their life in Rossmoor was active, and music concerts were numerous also. They also enjoyed yearly subscriptions to the Lesher Performing Arts Center in Walnut Creek and other local theater groups, as well.

Funeral arrangements were made by Sinai Memorial Chapel, (925) 962-3636.

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Sam Genirberg

May 15, 1924–Jan. 27, 2023

Sam Genirberg died in the evening of Jan. 27, 2023 (6 Shevat 5783) in Danville, California, at the age of 98. He was predeceased by his wife, Rose, in 2013, and by his daughter, Eve, in 2019. He is survived by his daughter, Carolyn Genirberg, and his son, Richard Genirberg.

Sam was born on May 15, 1924 in Dubno, a small town in what was then Poland, in which the 12,000 Jewish residents comprised 60% of the population. He was the youngest of four children of Keyla Genirberg, a skilled seamstress, and Abraham Genirberg, a hatmaker. As a youth, Sam followed in the footsteps of his elder brother, a leader in the Zionist movement, by joining Hashomer Hatzair. On Sept. 17, 1939, the Red Army arrived in Dubno, and Sam became a Soviet citizen. The new government allowed him to return to school in Lvov to study economics and business. But only two years later, on June 22, 1941, when he was 17, Nazi Germany invaded the area and the Jewish population was subsequently forced into a ghetto.

Sam escaped from the Dubno ghetto in early October 1942 at the urging of his mother, who knew that any day the Germans would come for them and kill them. He used falsified identity documents to join a transport of non-Jews conscripted for compulsory labor in Germany. There he hid in plain sight for 2½ years, running away numerous times, when suspicions and rumors that he might be Jewish threatened his life.

When he was liberated on April 6, 1945, he thought he might be the only Jew left alive in Europe. As a Soviet citizen, he was repatriated to the Soviet zone, but he ran away again due to the harsh treatment by the Soviets and ended up in a DP camp in Zeilsheim, Germany. There he began rebuilding his life, met and married his wife, Rose, and fathered his first child. He also found his eldest brother, the only other member of his family who survived the Shoah.

In 1948, Sam immigrated to the United States with his wife and baby daughter and settled in Sonoma County, California. His career path proceeded from chicken farmer to owner and manager of a popular ice cream store (Moo’s Ice Cream on McDonald Avenue in Richmond, CA) to a highly successful real estate developer and manager.

He and his wife raised three children.

Over the years, he has been active in the Jewish community and has remained a steadfast supporter of Israel. He authored a book that recounts the story of his survival, “Among the Enemy: Hiding in Plain Sight in Nazi Germany,” which is available on Amazon. He frequently gave talks about his Holocaust experiences to community groups and to high school students.

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Gary Glassel

Sept. 14, 1944–Feb. 13, 2023

Gary Glassel was born in San Francisco, CA in 1944, the son of George and Selma Glassel. He is survived by his adoring wife of 53 years and love of his life, Rochelle. They met at Sherith Israel, where they eventually married in 1969. Gary is also survived by his three loving and devoted children, who were by his side throughout his life.

He attended Lowell High School, playing on the golf and tennis teams, and stayed local for college, graduating from S.F. State. Gary had aspirations of becoming a history professor; however, decided to follow his parents into the family wholesale apparel business, where he worked for his entire 30-year career before retiring in 1997.

Gary loved traveling the world with his wife and kids, spending time in Palm Springs and Lake Tahoe, and playing cards weekly with his S.F. friends at the Concordia Club. He loved hosting summer pool parties at his home in the East Bay and regularly attending Bay Area sporting events, especially baseball games. Gary had season tickets to the symphony and musical theater and enjoyed listening to oldies.

Gary was passionate about his family, always reminding his kids they were his greatest achievement. He loved good food and, luckily for Gary, Rochelle is an incredible cook and always had a gourmet dinner waiting for him and the kids.

Gary was an amazing storyteller, even though he often delivered the unedited version. Going out for dinner was an adventure and usually embarrassing for his children. By the time dinner was over, he knew the family history of each of the servers. Gary had an astonishing memory and could recall decades of old stories like it was yesterday. He also had the uncanny ability to do high-level math in his head, and his children admit they thought he had a special power.

Gary was a character, unlike no other and truly one of a kind. Everyone has a “Gary story,” and we would love to hear them all. Gary fought hard in the face of adversity and had three more years with his family and friends than expected. He was a warm and caring man with a wonderful sense of humor and he taught his children empathy and compassion for others. Gary loved his family and friends dearly and appreciated every moment together.

To share a memory or photo of Gary, or send a condolence to the family, please visit everloved.com/life-of/gary-glassel.

Donations in Gary’s name can be made to the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org/ways-to-give.

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Bert Greenberg

June 11, 1928–Feb. 12, 2023

Bert Greenberg, loving husband of the late Lila Friedman Greenberg, died peacefully in his sleep, at home in San Jose, on Feb. 12 after living many years with the complications of congestive heart failure.

Bert was born in San Francisco on June 11, 1928 to Dr. Harry and Lee Greenberg. He grew up in the Sunset District of San Francisco, graduated from Lincoln High School and then went on to attend Cal and graduate with a degree in journalism. After a few years working for SF News in advertising, he established a successful manufacturer’s representative business, Greenberg and Cleary.

He and Lila were married in 1949 and moved to Belmont, and then San Carlos for 37 years until 1998, when they settled in The Villages in San Jose.

Bert was infamous for his omnipresent sense of humor, emceeing events, hosting parties, singing, secret barbecue sauce, the best margaritas and his signature cocktail “The Greenberg Cooler,” which he drank while performing the Greenberg Float in the family swimming pool.

He was passionate about jazz and classical music, all sports, especially the Warriors and Cal Bears, social justice, and all things political. At The Villages, he was active in Senior Academy, Democratic Club, Jewish Community, Men’s Dialogue, Caregiver Support Group, and many other groups and committees. First and foremost was his beloved News Junkies, the group he founded many years ago.

He was a devoted caregiver and advocate for Lila during her years with Alzheimer’s.

He will be deeply missed by his son and daughter-in-law Stephen and Marianna Greenberg of Nevada City; daughter and son-in-law Lisa and James Gioia of Pleasanton; grandsons Kevin (Taylor) Gioia and Alex Gioia, both of San Diego, and Toby (Christy Alvarez) Greenberg of Grass Valley; and granddaughter Liana (Steve Mulkey) Greenberg of Denver; and great-granddaughters Scarlett, Stevie and Sayler Gioia of San Diego. He also leaves behind his brother-in-law Herb (Marianne) Friedman of Oakland, sister-in-law Mona (Mark) Kolko of Rochester N.Y., and sister-in-law Jan Bibel of Oakland. He is preceded in death by cherished sister, Zel Bauer, and was an admired uncle of many nieces and nephews.

His family holds so many special memories of his long life. His soulful rendition of “Sunrise, Sunset” will forever be in our hearts.

Memorial contributions can be made to The Villages Medical Auxiliary (vmavillages.org), Hospice Foundation of America (hospicefoundation.org/Donate) or the ACLU (aclu.org).

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Jerry Kosro

Sept. 10, 1926–Feb. 5, 2023

Jerry Kosro, loving husband and father, died peacefully on Feb. 5, 2023, from complications of kidney disease, at his lodging in The Magnolia of Millbrae.

A native of the Bronx, he and his family (wife Gladys, sons Mike and Jeff) moved west to the Bay Area in 1960 from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Jerry’s original family name was Kostetsky, his father coming from Odessa, Ukraine, to New York as a teenager.

In his youth, Jerry and his friends formed a social club, and rented a basement in a private house to have music and dances; here he met his future wife, Gladys Goldstein.

Jerry earned a degree in civil engineering at City College of New York (during the era that CCNY’s basketball team won both the NCAA and NIT championships in the same year). After graduation, he worked as an inspector of construction on the Brooklyn-to-Battery tunnel; took a job with the Army Corps of Engineers in Yuma, Arizona, developing construction methods for building aluminum truss bridges, eventually earning his professional engineering license.

He was soon hired as the Western Regional Engineer for the U.S. government agency for Health, Education and Welfare, in San Francisco, where he headed an office of 20 engineers and five secretaries. He was particularly proud of convincing upper management to adopt solar panels to heat and cool a tribal hospital in Whiteriver, AZ. He also was a leader in lowering costs for large government projects through the use of fast-track bidding in 1974, well before it became common practice.

Jerry retired in 1980. He and Gladys moved to Laguna Hills for a few years, enjoying days at the beach for months on end, before returning to the Bay Area. After six years of retirement, he became a tax preparer for H&R Block, and in 1988 he set up his own tax business. In 2012, he again retired.

Jerry and Gladys loved to travel, and in 1980, they rented a car in France and toured Western Europe for four months. He was an avid tennis player, meeting many friends every day at Central Park in San Mateo. He also enjoyed making stained-glass window panels and lampshades. He later discovered ocean cruising, and spent many enjoyable vacations with his family at sea and exploring port cities.

Jerry was predeceased by his dear wife Gladys in 2012. Some years later, he was blessed with the companionship of Annette Sutton, until her death in 2021. He spent his last years at The Magnolia of Millbrae, and was grateful for the care provided by them, and by Dan Bishop’s team at Right at Home, and by Mission Hospice of San Mateo.

He is survived by his sons and their wives, Mike (Lynn) of Corvallis, Oregon, and Jeff (Nancy) of West Bloomfield, Michigan; and his nephews Larry (Mona) Swedroe of St. Louis, Missouri, and Robert (Irene) Swedroe of Saratoga, California, and his niece Marilyn Edelhoch, along with their families.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Mission Hospice of San Mateo, Right at Home of Burlingame, The Magnolia of Millbrae or a charity of one’s choice.

May his memory be a blessing.

Interred at Home of Peace Cemetery, Colma, CA.

Sinai Memorial
(415) 921-3636

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Shirley Friedman Lerner

Feb. 18, 1920–Feb. 17, 2023

The Lerner clan’s “Mater Familias” passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, six hours before her 103rd birthday.

Shirley was born in Washington D.C. to Morris and Margaret Friedman. She was sister to George and Frances. She met and married her childhood sweetheart, Joe Lerner, and they were inseparable until his passing in 2005, still holding hands and being terribly cute together constantly. Shirley is survived by son, Ken (Laurie), and daughter Carol; grandchildren Aaron, Daniel (Remy), Jeremy (Shae), and Jamie (Doc); great-grandchildren Corbin and Arlo; nieces and nephews Dave Friedman (Leslie), Marcia, Stephen (Harriet), Johnny (Peter), and Higgy (Renee) Lerner; great-nephews and nieces Yarrow, Claire (Justin), Anthony, Jennifer (Rob), Amy (Joe), Matt (Jo), Ben (Ariana); and great-great-nieces and nephews Aeliz, Cyrus, Theo, Lucia, Marcela, Zizi, Avery and Connor. She also leaves lots of cousins and many, many friends.

After 20 years of raising children, Shirley returned to college, finished her BA and got an elementary teaching credential. She taught first and second grade for about 25 years until she retired with Joe to travel and continue learning. They took sabbaticals together, spending eight months in Europe, Israel and elder hostels.

Shirley was a watercolor artist, a soup and mandelbrot maven, and a regular at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo for more than five decades, and was known as a greeter to everyone who came her way. She welcomed whoever she met and remembered their name, so that she could smile and call them by name the next time she saw them. She encouraged families who came to temple for the first time to come again, just like she did at her home. Shirley and Joe were members of the Senior Friendship Club, Torah Study attendees, Library Committee members, and were part of a long-term Havurah.

Shirley’s family loved to watch her cook. She was a taster and an adder. As things cooked, she would take a sip, smack her lips, and add a pinch of this or that, till it was “batempte.”

Shirley loved people, justice, and equality but above all, she loved kindness. She made people feel loved, important and joyous. She loved to laugh! One of her favorite jokes was about the Southern California policeman who, while patrolling a freeway, hears a bulletin that a gorilla has escaped from the Griffith Park Zoo. Just then, he sees the gorilla hiding under an overpass. He calls in and the desk sergeant says “Try to coax it into the back of the patrol car.” Half an hour later, the policeman brings the gorilla into the station. The sergeant says “Take that animal to the zoo!” But, four hours later, the policeman returns, still holding the gorilla by the hand. The desk sergeant says “I thought I told you to take that gorilla to the Zoo?” The policeman responds “Yes!  And we had such a good time, tomorrow we’re going to Disneyland!”

We all miss Shirley’s smiling face!

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Charles H. Pollack, M.D.

May 20, 1939–Feb. 5, 2023

Charles Hillel Pollack, M.D., longtime resident of Berkeley, California, passed away on Feb. 5, 2023 due to complications after open heart surgery. Charlie is survived by his wife, Joanna A. Cooper. M.D.; brother David Pollack (Betty Pollack); four children: Stephen Pollack (Michael Ehrenberg); Jason Pollack (Karen Sibony); Naomi Pollack (Hal Brandel); and Dina Pollack (Michael Stearns); and two grandchildren: Simone Pollack and Isaac (Izzy) Pollack. Charlie was a co-founder of the Berkeley Therapy Institute, a non-profit mental health clinic, with a group of fellow mental health professionals. Charlie was an extremely generous person, not only to his family but towards his community and causes which were important to him. He was a longtime caregiver and advocate for people with disabilities and executive director of Maya’s Music Therapy Fund of her late daughter, Maya. MMTF provides music therapy services to people with developmental, physical, and cognitive disabilities. If you would like to make a donation in Charlie’s name, you may donate to MMTF online at www.mayasmusic.org.

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Ann Goodman Rapson

Feb. 1, 1955–Feb. 13, 2023

Ann Goodman Rapson, 68, passed away peacefully on Feb. 13, 2023, in her home in Piedmont surrounded by family. Born Feb. 1, 1955, in Newark, New Jersey, daughter of attorney Herbert S. Goodman and teacher Pearl Shoehalter Goodman, she was raised in nearby Millburn. Ann attended South Mountain School and graduated as class president and valedictorian from Millburn High in 1973, where she also edited the school paper. Her charm, wit, sensitivity and genuine caring made her lifelong friends with many of her Millburn cohort.

A lover of music, Ann played piano at home and attended every football game playing glockenspiel in the high school marching band. She spent her summers in Long Beach, New York, where she developed a love of surf, sand, Skee-Ball and boardwalks.

From 1962 to 1966, she spent eight weeks each year at Camp Leonard Leonore in Kent, Connecticut. Ann earned her confirmation at Temple Beth Israel in 1969. As a teenager, she traveled extensively with friends and family, notably to coastal Maine, Williamsburg, Virginia, and Aspen, Colorado. Ann loved the outdoors, especially while alongside her many friends and family members. Virtually everyone she met appreciated her insightful nature.

In the fall of 1973, Ann left New Jersey to attend Oberlin College in Ohio, where she unsurprisingly excelled academically, practiced organic farming and helped found the campus organic food co-op. In 1974, while attending Oberlin, she co-authored “A Journey To Natural Foods,” a natural foods cookbook.

After spending Oberlin’s “Jan Plan” in Northern California during the winter, and returning to an Ohio blizzard in 1977, Ann decided upon her graduation that spring to move to San Francisco.

She soon found employment in the Labor Relations Department of the University of San Francisco. Popular with her supervisors and mentors, they encouraged her to continue her education, this time in law. She attended USF School of Law at night and earned her JD in 1983. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1984. She practiced labor law at Thierman, Simpson and Cook in San Francisco and criminal law in Alameda County.

Ann met David Rapson while studying for the bar exam in San Francisco in the summer of 1983. After a whirlwind romance, they were married in their native New Jersey in November of that year, three months after their first date. But for Ann’s unexpected and untimely death, they would have celebrated their 40^th anniversary this year. Their personalities perfectly complemented one another, and they loved each other immensely.

Ann and Dave raised two daughters, Pearl Rapson Mizrahi and Lilly Rapson. Ann lovingly centered her life around her family. After losing her own mother, Pearl, at a young age, becoming a mother was particularly important and fulfilling for her. Her tender loving care grounded her daughters as she nurtured their independence.

She was an avid hiker, regularly frequenting trails in the East Bay Hills, Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Lobos State Park, where she loved identifying California native trees and blooming wildflowers, and watching the annual whale migration. She lived an active lifestyle, swimming at least five days a week at The Hills Swim and Tennis Club in Oakland, biking and playing “Poohsticks.” She also enjoyed traveling through Europe and the Middle East.

Ann was a thoughtful, selfless and gentle leader who instilled the importance of being civically minded and community engaged through politics and advocacy. She volunteered with numerous local political campaigns, and was active in the Bay Area Jewish and pro-Israel communities, serving as a vice president of Temple Beth Abraham, and as a lay leader for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She was the chairwoman of the Piedmont Park Commission, played her glockenspiel in the Piedmont Community Band, and won numerous blue-ribbon awards at the Alameda County Fair for her famous chocolate pecan, olallieberry, peach and apple pies.

Ann will be deeply missed by her family and those she has joyfully touched throughout her lifetime. She is survived by Dave, Pearl and Lilly; her brother Louis J. Goodman; her granddaughters, Grace and Lilah Mizrahi; and her son-in-law Aron Mizrahi. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her and may her whimsical spirit and radiant, vibrant light continue to shine.

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Perla “Pola” Reinharz

Feb. 7, 1925–Feb. 8, 2023 (98 years young)

Laid to rest on Feb. 10, 2023.

Beloved wife of the late Samuel Reinharz, loving mother to Bette Blanchard and the late Irwin Reinharz. Adoring Matna to her grandchildren Kim and Mike Blanchard as well as her great grand dogs — Andre and Liam — whom she loved just as much. Perla is survived by her devoted daughter Bette.

Pola was born on Feb. 7, 1925 in Poland to Izck Preger and Bincha Manela. She was the youngest of four girls. She lived a very happy childhood until 1939, when the war tore her family apart. She was forced to hide underground in a cellar at the age of 14 before being forced to go work at a labor camp in order to escape going to Auschwitz. Her mother, father and eldest sister were killed by the Nazis. She worked in three different labor camps before being sent on a death march to Bergen Belsen in 1944, where she remained until she was liberated in April 1945.

She spent the next eight years of her life in Sweden, where she was able to reconnect with her two surviving sisters and eventually met her husband, Samuel Reinharz. She and her husband eventually moved to San Francisco, where she resided for the remainder of her life.

If you asked her what her greatest accomplishment in life was, she would without question say it was her family. There was nothing she loved more in this life nor was there anything she would not do and did not do for them.

To know Pola was to love Pola. There wasn’t a single person who knew her who did not feel as though she was their mother or grandmother. Her love was contagious. She made friends with absolutely everyone, including but not limited to one of the Nazi foreman at the labor camp she worked at during the war. Leave it to Matna to befriend literally everyone. She had more than enough love, hugs and warmth to go around. It was nothing short of amazing that after the incredibly hard life she lived and everything she went through that she was able to keep so much space in her heart for everyone.

There are no words for how much she is loved and already missed.

Donations in Pola’s memory may be made to the San Francisco Ronald McDonald House.

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Freda Teitelbaum

May 6, 1924–Feb. 11, 2023

Freda Teitelbaum, born in Vienna, Austria, was the first child of Bernard and Regina Ulman. Her sister Susi was born four years later. Freda enjoyed a secure childhood with a close family, summers at country resorts, winter skiing, weekend visits to the Vienna Woods, and immersion in the rich cultural life of Vienna.  Bright and studious, with eight years of private French lessons, she hoped to study at the Sorbonne in Paris.  This dream was shattered by the Anschluss, Hitler’s annexation of Austria in March 1938, when Freda was 13 and forced to leave school. After more than eighteen months under Nazi rule, the family was fortunate to secure visas and come to the United States late in 1939.

Life as refugees was a struggle, and when a distant cousin in Chicago offered her father a job, the family moved. While living in Chicago, Freda worked to help support the family, and she met her future husband, Irving Teitelbaum, on a blind date. Not yet a US citizen himself, having come from Poland in 1939, Irv joined the army in 1942, and the two corresponded during his service. After the war ended, Freda and Irv married in May 1945. A year later, they traveled to Los Angeles and decided to settle there for a fresh, independent start. Three children were born in rapid succession, two daughters and a son. While busy raising her family, Freda, an expert seamstress, made clothes for herself and her daughters and did alterations and dressmaking to bring in extra money. Freda and Irv built a close circle of friends, and their house was filled with library books, classical music, and lively social gatherings.

Freda never gave up her dream of a university education and began taking classes at Santa Monica College once her children were grown. Soon she had her AA degree and was admitted to UCLA. With Irv, her mother, her three children, two young grandchildren, and many friends looking on, she graduated in 1982 with a degree in English. Although she had vowed never to go back to Vienna, Freda summoned the courage to confront her past and went to Europe with her older daughter in 1983. As they made their way to Vienna, Freda started a journal as memories flooded back. On her return, Freda continued writing with a new sense of peace, and in 1995 her memoir “Vienna Revisited” was published, detailing her childhood and life as a refugee in the United States. Her book has been widely read and appreciated.

Over the years, Freda worked as a paralegal, did volunteer work, and traveled extensively with Irv. She also went to China and hiked the John Muir Trail with women friends. Freda and Irv enjoyed theater together, and Freda loved art, music, intimate gatherings with close friends, and time with her children and grandchildren. She was a quiet, modest intellectual with an infectious laugh, a voracious reader, and expressed her creative side in sewing, knitting, crocheting and needlepoint.

Freda died peacefully at home surrounded by loving family. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Irv who died fourteen years earlier after their 64 years of marriage. She is survived by her children Marcia Ruben, and husband Steve; Ruth Koch, and husband Jay; and Martin Teitelbaum, and wife Joy. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Andrew Koch, and wife Brennan; Amy Koch, and husband Aaron Kahn; Daniel Teitelbaum, and wife Elana; and Elana Teitelbaum Cinnamon, and husband Ian; and four great-grandchildren, Grace and Lulu Koch and Elliott and Owen Kahn.

If you wish to honor Freda’s life, please make donations in her memory to:

USC Shoah Foundation
1150 Olive Street, 25 th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90015
sfi.usc.edu/donate

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In Memoriam, Jean Milgram

A year ago on Jan. 23, 2022, the love of my life, and best friend, Jean Milgram, moved on eternally with God. She was a Holocaust survivor who lost her mother at Auschwitz. Jeannie lived a wonderful life to 101, and was the most unselfish person I had ever known. We met when she was 79, and I was the ripe age of 55. Age didn’t matter, as we bonded almost immediately.  Her smile could light up a room. She lived an enduring life as an unselfish person, volunteering for numerous organizations including Kaiser Hospital, the Food Bank, Seniors Plus, and Hadassah.

I’d like to share a passage from a conversation I had with Jeannie just a few days prior to her demise.

She whispered from her hospital bed to me, “Can I tell you something before I leave you, and will you promise not to get mad at me?”

Of course not!”, I exclaimed. “How could I get mad at you Jeannie? I love you!”

She said, “You know the thousands of Scrabble games we played the last 20 years together?”

I said, “Sure I do!”

She said, “Well, I let you win all those games. I gave you extra points.”

I said, “Why would you do that?”

She said, “It’s because I wanted you to be happy.”

This was the kind of person my Jeannie was. Always selfless. In honor of Jeannie, I light a candle every day.. Shalom Aleichem. I miss you dearly Jeannie.