Some years ago, Lee Appel and Norbert Friedmann decided to go on a trip to Europe sponsored by Lehrhaus Judaica. Both widowers, Appel and Friedmann decided to room together.
“We had a ball,” said Appel, about the trip that took them to Paris, Amsterdam and Antwerp.
The most touching moment of the trip for Appel came when they visited Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. Appel knew that Friedmann was a Holocaust survivor. But Friedmann had never talked to his friend about his experiences.
Visiting the place where a Jewish family had hidden until they were turned in to the Gestapo, a site memorialized in perhaps the most famous diary in the world, proved to be too emotional for Friedmann.
“He couldn’t even go up the stairs,” said Appel. “He saw the photos and started to cry. Then we had a long talk about his experiences. He had never talked to me about it before. It really shook him.”
Friedmann died on Jan. 2 in San Francisco, 10 days shy of his 91st birthday.
He was born in Vienna, on Jan. 10, 1911. At age 14, he had to quit school to support his family. In 1934, he married Charlotte Feldmar.
On Kristallnacht, he was deported to Dachau. Every day after, his wife went to the Gestapo office and stood in line to try to obtain his release. On Christmas Eve 1938, she was given proper papers, which she stapled to the bottom of a kitchen chair to keep them safe.
He was released in April 1939, and they immediately left for the United States, leaving their family behind.
Their fifth anniversary fell while they were on the ship, said their daughter, Joyce Lakritz, and they had only $20 between them. Nonetheless, Friedmann spent $5 on roses for his wife, to celebrate. They arrived with $15.
Friedmann never got a college degree, but he constantly took college courses. While she was growing up in Manhattan, Lakritz said, Sundays were reserved for an afternoon walk with friends, and then coffee and cake, which always was accompanied by political discussions.
“He never stopped learning,” she said.
In 1972, the Friedmanns moved to San Francisco, to be close to their daughter and grandchildren. And according to Lakritz, “It was the best time of his life.”
Her father was not one to dwell on his experiences, she said. He lived life with gusto and encouraged others to do the same.
In 1975, Friedmann became the director of the Utility Workshop of the S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services, retiring at the age of 77. The Utility Workshop is a job creation program, providing employment for disabled and elderly people who would not otherwise be able to work.
“He helped people who otherwise would be on welfare, making them very successful,” said Anita Friedman, executive director of JFCS. “He created dozens of jobs for people who wouldn’t be employed and helped them become self-sufficient. He had a unique ability to combine a business head with a social-service heart.”
Friedmann also was known for his volunteer work and his passion for learning. A resident of Rhoda Goldman Plaza, he brought musical events and lectures there.
He also was a member of the Masons and Congregation Beth Israel-Judea. Cantor Henry Greenberg of Beth Israel-Judea knew Friedmann for about 10 years.
“He was a very warm, friendly man,” said Friedmann. “We socialized together quite often. I knew him both as a personal friend and as a congregant.”
Friedmann was predeceased by his wife, Charlotte, in 1995. He is survived by daughter Joyce Lakritz of Novato and three grandchildren.
Contributions in his honor can be made to the Norbert & Charlotte Friedmann Scholarship, c/o JFCS, 2150 Post St., S.F., CA 94115, or Congregation Beth Israel-Judea, 625 Brotherhood Way, S.F., CA 94132.