August 22, 1916–December 31, 2012
Ben Harris was born August 22, 1916 in Seattle, Wash. — On Monday, December 31, 2012, we experienced a great loss with his passing. In his 96 years of life, he was a loving husband, beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather, successful businessman, and an accomplished athlete.
A graduate of Garfield High School, Ben competed and won many state and regional championships in baseball, basketball and tennis. He cultivated a discipline of hard work, practice and love for sports, which he seemed to naturally excel in. He was married to Shirley Oseran Harris for 64 years, until her sudden passing from an aggressive cancer 10 years ago. She was his one and only love.
Ben worked hard building a family-owned furniture store, Harris Furniture, with his brother Hymie. Together, they established one of the most successful family-owned businesses for over 40 years on the Eastside. Ben tried to retire several times, but still had the urge to keep selling. He came out of retirement twice: First to work at Frederick & Nelson’s and then to work at Greenbaum Home Furnishings. He kept his sales career going strong until the age of 90. He then finally decided to retire so he could devote his time to mastering the game of golf. Ben became the oldest golfer at Glendale Golf and Country Club, to still carry his clubs at the age of 93, rather than using an electric cart, on the 18-hole golf course.
Ben is survived by three children; son Bill and his wife, Judy Harris; daughter Jacqueline Harris Curran; and son, Robert Harris. Also included are six grandchildren: Tony and his wife Stephanie Harris, Matt and his wife Maja Hansen, granddaughter, Molly Sherer and her husband Charles, grandson Andrew Harris. He is also survived by granddaughter Maryl Curran Widdows and her husband Dominic and granddaughter Celia Curran. There are six great-grandchildren: Elinor and Carina Widdows, Tori and Bentley Harris, Mila Hansen-Harris, and Hannah Sherer.
Donations in honor of Ben Harris are being directed by the family to the Caroline Kline Galland Home, an organization that provides services and outreach to Jewish seniors in Seattle, including managed care and assisted living at The Summit at First Hill, where Ben was well-looked-after in his last years: The Caroline Kline Galland Home, 7500 Seward Park Ave S., Seattle, WA 98118.

Hannah will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, January 19 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue. She is the daughter of Ian and Lisa Morris of Mercer Island, and the sister of Robbie and Kaylee Morris. Her grandparents are Renee and David Morris of Fair Lawn, N.J., Anita Skop of Staten Island, N.Y. and the late Bob Skop.
Hannah is a 7th-grader at The Jewish Day School and enjoys art, fashion design, gymnastics, tennis and spending time with friends. For her mitzvah project, Hannah is donating her hair to Locks of Love. 

Beloff, The Honorable Adam Mitchell, 48, of Philadelphia, Penn., passed away on Saturday, December 1, 2012. Adam was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Beloff, twin brother, Marc Beloff, and stepmother Mollie Braverman. He is survived by his father Dr. Stanley of Ventnor, N.J.; brothers Sam (Dale) of Swedesboro, N.J. and Josh (Eva Corets) of Clyde Hill, Wash.; sisters Donna Wood (Dan) of Cherry Hill, N.J. and Gail of Crown Point, Ind.; nieces and nephews Jared (Erika Metzger), Bryce, Sarah Lloyd (Brian), Allison Wood, Rebecca Wood, Reid Corets Beloff and Madison Corets Beloff; great niece and nephew Zoe Beloff and Charlie Lloyd; and step-siblings Carol Schreibman of Margate, N.J., Alan Jay (Melody) Braverman of Boca Raton, Fla. and Bennett Braverman of Boulder, Colo.
Adam was born in Philadelphia and raised in Ventnor. He graduated from Atlantic City High School, attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., receiving a B.A. in Public Affairs and Catholic University and St. Louis University as part of his continuing education abroad in Spain. After returning to the U.S., he attended the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. While in law school, he successfully competed on the National Trial Team. Adam served as the president of the South Seventh Street Redevelopment Association and was a volunteer to the Miss Columbus Day Scholarship pageant for 30 years, including as the pageant’s Chairman of Judges. He volunteered and judged National Mock Trial competitions including the John S. Bradway High School Mock Trial Competition at Temple University, sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the American Mock Trial Invitational at the New Jersey State Bar Foundation in New Brunswick, N.J. Adam proudly served as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at Beth El Synagogue, Margate, N.J., followed by interment at Rodef Shalom Cemetery in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to a charity of your choice.

Jacob will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Thursday, December 20 at Robinson’s Arch in Jerusalem. The family attends Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Jacob is the son of Dan and Elaine Mintz of Sammamish and the brother of Tessa Mintz. His grandparents are Dave Mintz of Mercer Island and the late Eileen Mintz and the late Jack and Lilly Leff.
Jacob is a 7th grader at Pine Lake Middle School. He enjoys playing Xbox Live, dancing, swimming and skiing.

September 17, 1936–November 30, 2012
Sandra L. (Arnstein) Naon was born in Seattle on September 17, 1936. Sandy passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on November 30, 2012. For the 17 years they were together, Sandy and her partner in life, Albert Shemarya, lived life to its fullest: Traveling the world, enjoying the theater and movies, playing tennis, and she loved playing Mah Jongg (win or lose). Socializing with a wonderful group of friends was an integral part of her life. She was a “Super Gramma” and babysitter to her four grandkids and two step-grandkids. Sandy is survived by her partner in life, Albert Shemarya, sons David (Kathy) and Jeff (Lori), sister Linda Arnstein Zweig of San Francisco, and her grandchildren, Zachary, Benjamin, Jack, and Harper Naon, and Jacob and Rena Alberts of Portland, Ore. Sandy was pre-deceased by her husband of 30 years, Jack Naon (1990), and her oldest son, Craig (2011).
Funeral services were held on December 3, 2012, followed by burial at Sunset Hills in Bellevue. At Sandy’s request, remembrances may be made to the Seattle AIDS Alliance or Gilda’s Club.

Mary Katherine (Alhadeff) Halela was born in Seattle November 25, 1923. Our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, great aunt, friend and community member passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 10, 2012 at Marika’s AFH in Bellevue. Mary is survived by her daughter Maggie (Mark), son Robert, Randi Halela, grandchildren Courtney, Joey, Sydney, Rachelle, Shelby and great-grandchildren Jackson, Jagger and Lake. Mary is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. Mary graduated from Garfield High School and attended the University of Washington for two years. She worked for many years as a secretary until she met Dad in 1948. Mom and Dad married in 1950. Mary’s life was her family; after raising the children she went back to work. Mom also enjoyed her many years working at Longacres Race Track in the program office. Mary was a member of Sephardic Bikur Holim and a member of her beloved Terra Tillers Garden Club for over 50 years. She enjoyed dance, music, theatre, traveling, flower arranging and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Mary’s family and extended family meant everything to her. Her love touched all who knew her. We will miss her dearly. The family suggests that remembrances in Mary’s memory may be made to Temple B’nai Torah, Sephardic Bikur Holim, or Congregation Ezra Bessaroth.

May 4, 1929– October 3, 2012
Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend and new great-grandmother passed away peacefully Wednesday, October 3 surrounded by loving family after valiantly battling cancer, heart and lung problems for the past 32 years.
She was born May 4, 1929 to Morris and Matilda Hanan, and attended Horace Mann Elementary, Garfield High School and the University of Washington. In 1948 she married Dr. Harry J. Kraft, who she said “kept me laughing” for the 64 years of their marriage. They raised their family on Mercer Island where they lived until 2011 when they moved to Bellevue’s Belletini. She was active in raising money to build the current Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island, and was involved in the National Council of Jewish Women, Temple De Hirsch Sinai, and conducted oral interviews for the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Harry Kraft; daughter Elaine (Jeff Bean) of Seattle; sons Robert (Lori) of Bellevue and Richard (Debra Corner) of Lynnwood; grandchildren Paul Somerstein (Karly) Seattle; Leslie Somerstein, Seattle; Rachel Kraft, Tucson, Ariz., Aaron Kraft, Bellevue, and Brionna Kraft, Valley Village, Calif; great-grandson Adam Somerstein; beloved nieces Joanne Sandler (Michael), Mercer Island; Marcia Friedman (Ed Weinstein), Seattle and Margaret Pearl (Tad), Seattle; nephews Morris Hanan (Patti), Sammamish and Tom Hanan (Marci), Mercer Island. She also had two “bonus” grandchildren, Ahmad Corner, Seattle, and Shoshana Bean, Valley Village, Calif.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Morris and Matilda Hanan and her sister Julia Friedman (Edwin) and brother Albert Hanan (Maryl). Remembrances may be made in her name to the Kline Galland Home, 7500 Seward Park Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98118.

Aaron will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, November 3 at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle. Aaron is the son of Laurie and Michael Barokas of Redmond and the brother of Joshua Barokas. His grandparents are Saralee P. Warnick of Bellevue, Barbara and Morgan Barokas of Bellevue, and the late Alan Warnick.
Aaron is a 7th-grader at Evergreen Middle School who enjoys playing soccer and baseball, following the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Heat, and hanging out with his brother and his dog, Magine.
For his ongoing mitzvah project, Aaron mentors special-needs students at Emily Dickinson Elementary School in Redmond.

Daniel will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, November 10 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle. He is the son of Debbie Douglas and Tom Davis of Seattle, and the brother of Tommy Davis. His grandparents are Dorothy Douglas of Seattle, the late Tom and Mildred Davis, and the late Robert Douglas.
Daniel is an 8th-grader at Hamilton Middle School and enjoys playing guitar, skiing, baking, bicycling, reading, games, and spending time with friends. His mitzvah project was helping to prepare and serve meals at the Scargo Apartments, a residence for people who have recently been homeless.

May 12, 1932–October 7, 2012
Born in Seattle, Washington to Louie and Ada Sanft on May 12, 1932. Al passed away on October 7, 2012 in Seattle after a four-year battle with Amyloid heart disease. Al was a loving man who cared deeply for his family and his friends.
Al attended Garfield High School, graduating in 1950. During the Korean War, he served in the United States Navy in Korea and Japan as an officer on the USS Dixie.
Al worked in his family business, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage, a company that his father founded in 1916. For 60 years he had made it into a thriving business, expanding its operations from Washington and Oregon to Alaska and all over the Northwestern U.S., and Canada. As well, Al had a successful real estate company, A&B Properties, developing properties around the region. His children continue managing these businesses.
Al married the love of his life, Ruth Marie Buske, on August 14, 1959. They were inseparable. Al and Ruth raised four loving children; and later had five grandchildren who adored them. Al and Ruth built an extraordinary life together. They enjoyed traveling with friends all over the world, fishing in Westport, and going to Hawaii with their entire family every year. He went on an annual trip to Las Vegas for his birthday with friends every May. Al and Ruth were lucky enough to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2009.
Al’s favorite pastime was to go fishing whenever he could, especially in Westport, Washington, (the salmon capital of the world). He fished often, mainly with his brother and his children, and an endless number of friends that would dare to ride the rough waters.
In 1982, Al and Ruth built their dream home in Westport, right on the beach. He loved fishing on his private boat Barrels, and owned a charter fishing boat named Firecracker that was well known in Westport. Al and Ruth hosted a family reunion every July 4th, with fireworks and fun on the beach that everyone looked forward to.
Al’s other hobbies included making kosher dill pickles. He and Ruth were famous for their smoked salmon. Al loved all sports including the Huskies, the Cougars, Seahawks, Sonics, and the Mariners. He attended games right till the end, including the infamous Seahawks Monday night football game against the Packers.
Al had a giant heart. He was tall, dark, and handsome; had a twinkle in his eyes; and was tan at most times. Most people called him “Big Al.” He loved Elvis, dancing, his Cadillacs, and especially he loved spending time with all his special friends and relatives.
Al was a proud member of the Masonic temple, a 32nd-degree Mason, a member of the Nile Shrine temple, and member of the Elks, all for 50 years. He was a longtime member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Reusable Industrial Packaging Association, RIPA. Al’s family co-founded the Machzikay Hadath synagogue in Seattle, and was a founding member of Herzl-Ner Tamid.
Al’s family meant everything. Family was always first and foremost. Al’s death was preceded by the passing of Ruth in January 2010. He leaves behind four children: Nettie (Mark) Cohodas, Barrie (Richard) Galanti, Brina Sanft, and Louie Sanft. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Samantha and Ben Cohodas, and Sam, Oliver, and Rachel Galanti.
His funeral service took place on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue on Mercer Island. Burial followed at Bikur Cholim cemetery in Seattle.
Donations in his name can be made to Jewish Family Service, Shriners Children’s Hospital, or Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue.

Jun. 1, 1928–Oct. 14, 2012
In Palo Alto, Calif. at age 84 after a long illness. Beloved wife of Dr. Ira Lawrence Karp for 57 years; loving mother of Rabbi R. Reuel Karpov, Ph.D. and Yonah Karp (Harold Bobroff); adoring grandmother of Hannah Ruth Karp Bobroff, Abraham Raphael Karp Bobroff, and Nora Rayna Karp Bobroff; dear sister of the late Shelma Greenberg Angel, of Arcadia, Calif. and the late Frederick Raymond Greenberg, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Laenu Karp was originally from Minneapolis, Minn. She was a lifelong learner, earning a Ph.D. in education and two master’s degrees through her lifetime. Her professorships included stints at Tuskegee Institute and University of Kentucky, and she was also a technical writer of computing documentation through the 1980s. She was also a lover of Judaism, having lived in Israel in the early 1950s, teaching English on a kibbutz and leading choirs at that time. She spoke fluent Hebrew and taught many students both Hebrew and trope. A lifelong musician as well, she was a composer, conductor and played every instrument in the orchestra.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at Eden Memorial Park, Mission Hills, Calif. She is buried near her parents, Esther Bernice Greenberg and Shuey Isadore Greenberg and sister Shelma Greenberg Angel.
Memorial donations to Congregation Kol Emeth, Palo Alto, Calif. preferred. Inquiries and memories to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

March 23, 1932–September 16, 2012
Jack Abravanel was born in Salonika, Greece, on March 23, 1932 to Isidore and Dora Abravanel. A natural athlete, winning medals in high school for high jumping, he subsequently became a celebrated soccer player in Salonika, and later in life an avid racquetball player, until he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1997. He valiantly fought the disease for 15 years.
Jack was a Holocaust survivor. He was deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at the age of 11. Due to the family having Spanish citizenship, they survived. During the war, he spent time in a Palestine refugee camp and then he and his family returned to Greece where he met Lela, his future wife, in a summer camp. Lela, with her family, immigrated to Houston, Texas after the war. Jack followed her there, where he later graduated from the University of Texas. Jack and Lela were married, and had their first daughter, Doris. Jack was hired by Boeing, which brought the family to Seattle, where Tammy was born. Jack’s rewarding career as an aerospace engineer spanned over 35 years. He traveled domestically and abroad, and the Boeing business trips he took with Lela to France were their most memorable.
As a founding member of Temple Sinai, Jack was active in the synagogue, especially the Sunday school. An attentive and caring father, he cherished the times he spent helping his daughters study, excel in sports, and realize their dreams. After retiring, Jack (a.k.a. Papu) devoted his life to helping raise his only grandchild, Makena. He described the time he spent taking care of Makena as the most enjoyable and rewarding “job” he had ever had.
Jack passed away on September 16, 2012 in Bellevue with his family by his side. The family wishes to thank Evergreen Hospice for the excellent care of Jack.
As a devoted husband for 56 years, Jack is survived by his beloved wife, Lela, daughters Doris and Tammy (Craig Owens), one granddaughter, Makena, brother Sylvin, and two nephews, Isidore and Mario.
Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the charity of your choice.

Ellie will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, October 20 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle.
Ellie is the daughter of David and Jen Dynes and the sister of Connor. Her grandparents are Joyce and Eric Sundin of Seattle, Elizabeth Dynes of Burlington, the late Art London and the late Charles Dynes.
Ellie is a 7th-grader at Whitman Middle School and enjoys making movies, going to Camp Kalsman in the summer, playing guitar, skiing and spending time with her friends.

Joshua will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Joshua is the son of Robert and Annie Osnis of Mercer Island, and the brother of Leah, Michelle and Ian. His grandparents are Arkady Osnis of New York, Arkady and Alexandra Cherts of Issaquah, and the late Irina Osnis.
Joshua is an 8th-grader at Islander Middle School. He enjoys playing sports, engineering, working with special-needs kids and cooking. For his mitzvah project he is doing a pet food drive.

Shira will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle. She is the daughter of Laurie Becker and Paul Berkelhammer of Seattle. Her grandparents are Joel and Dorothy Becker of Hauppauge, N.Y. and Jerry and Sheila Berkelhammer of Princeton, N.J.
Shira is a 7th-grader at Orca K-8 school. She enjoys spending time with her friends, playing the flute, attending ballet class, reading, and playing with the family cats. Shira’s mitzvah project was to assist Project Cool of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness with collecting school supplies for homeless children.

Jacob Fenton and Phil Kastel were married in a legal civil ceremony on September 9, 2012 on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Surrounded by an intimate group of 35 family members and close friends, the sunset wedding and reception were held at a private beachside estate.
Jacob is a graduate of the University of Washington and former student president of Hillel at the UW. He is now a talent agent at United Talent Agency in Beverly Hills. Phil is vice president of Grill Concepts, Inc. whose portfolio of restaurants include the Daily Grill (including the location in downtown Seattle), The Grill on the Alley, Public School 612,
and 310.
The couple lives in Los Angeles.

Chaya Burstein, 1923–2012
When I first starting teaching children in a Judaic setting, Chaya Burstein’s “Jewish Kid’s Catalog” was the book I used for ideas and simple explanations of holidays and customs. As a day school librarian, I often recommended her mystery books for 3rd and 4th graders who needed a mystery for a book report. I loved being able to give them a “Jewish” story for a secular assignment. Her “Jewish Holiday Cookbook” was a perennial favorite. Students who checked it out were “required” to bring the librarian a taste of whatever they cooked. Like Chaya’s books, “Delicious!” She was a true treasure and contributed so much to the juvenile Judaic lexicon.
— Susan Dubin, past president, Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)

Meeting Chaya Burstein when we moved to Seattle was a treat in itself. Like my colleagues in the Jewish library world, I knew her work well, so sitting across from her at the Temple Beth Am BABL book group meetings or just chatting with her was a privilege. Then, in April 2011, TBA held an exhibition of her work. I not only was able to enjoy the exuberance and color of her original pictures, I could take home two that spoke to me. They frame my desk and give me delight as I write these words of appreciation.
— Rita Berman Frischer, past president, AJL Synagogue, Schools and Centers division

Chaya Burstein, mother, grandmother, talented artist and author, a woman of extraordinary valor, vigor and opinion, passed away on Saturday, September 15, surrounded by her family singing her on her way. When she died, the world of Jewish children’s books lost a wonderful asset, a person who, while living her life with passion and creativity, wrote and illustrated varied books which offered young readers accessible and appealing introductions to just about every aspect of Jewish life. She paid special attention to the world’s ecology and to Israel for, besides her family and her work, it was Israel that ignited in Chaya the adventurousness and devotion that was to shape so much of her life.
Born in Queens in 1923 to Russian immigrant parents, Chaya’s imagination was fed by her mother who, she said, “would steal time away from the family grocery store to tell me stories about the village in Russia where she grew up — about her goats and chickens and other friends. Then I would sit on the milk box and draw my own comic strips or make paper dolls and tell myself stories, using them as the characters.”
Chaya’s imagination was also engaged by her early involvement in the secular socialist Zionist organization Ha’shomer Ha’tzair. In this group, when she was 16, she met Mordy Burstein, her future husband, a “younger man” of 15 who was her match in daring and determination. While Mordy served in the Pacific during World War II, Chaya turned to practical drawing as a draftsman and a year after Mordy returned in 1945, they married. Then, in 1948, after first working with survivors in a displaced persons camp in France, the two smuggled themselves into Israel to join a group there and found a kibbutz that still exists today. They were home.
However, when Mordy was accepted into engineering school at the University of Missouri under the G.I. Bill, they made the tough decision to move back to the States until he got his degree. Circumstances intervened and they would not return to live in Israel for almost 35 years. Living on Long Island, Chaya raised three children and put her art and ambition on hold until they were in school, whereupon she studied at the School of Visual Arts in N.Y. She then took her portfolio to Harcourt Brace, where they told her she should write stories to go with her illustrations. The best stories she knew were told her by her mother, Rifka, who lived with the family; Chaya’s first book, “Rifka Bangs the Teakettle,” sprang from those tales of her mother’s childhood in a shtetl in Russia. Harcourt published the book in 1970.
Over the next 41 years, Chaya wrote and illustrated 15 books while getting her master’s degree in Middle East History and caring for her family. Two of those works, “Rifka Grows Up” (1976) and “The Jewish Kids Catalog” (1982) — a classic in every Jewish school and library — won the National Jewish Book Award. She wrote and her art enlivened an outstanding series of catalogs, one which focused on Israel, one on the natural world and ecology.
She wrote modern and ancient histories, Bible stories, and a Passover Haggadah. But despite winning awards and recognition, Chaya, like Mordy, yearned to return to Israel. At ages 63 and 62 they became founding members of a community in the Galilee where they lived and worked for 20 years. She continued to write while working to shape the emerging community and do literacy work with both Jews and Arabs.
In 2005, health concerns and the desire to be close to their immediate and extended family, most of whom had settled in Seattle, brought them back in spite of their strong desire to remain in Israel. They shared a studio behind their house in Northgate, where Chaya worked on the drawings and text for her final book, “The Amazing History of the Jews,” which she completed in the summer of 2011. In December 2011, at Temple Beth Am’s Jewish Book Month Shabbat, Chaya was named as the temple’s Author of the Year. But the rare nerve disease that would ultimately cost her life was already affecting the use of her hands, a tragedy for an artist. Unable to work, she read and when she could not, her children read to her. In her final days, she was never alone and she heard singing as she slipped away into the sunset.
Let her have the last word on her career. On the night she was honored, Chaya gave a speech in which she said, “I love my work. I loved doing it when I was able to. I had fun doing it. I looked forward to drawing and writing each day. I don’t know if that warrants an honor. I think all of us working people who enjoy work and work hard should be honored. However, most to be honored are those who go in to do jobs they do not enjoy or jobs that must be done in order to earn a living.”
Her grandson, Jacob, said it best: “True to who she was, at the end of her long and extraordinary life, Chaya was thankful, humble, wholly aware of the world around her, and contrary.”
Chaya is survived by her husband of 66 years, Mordy Burstein, her three children, Ranan, Dina and Beth, her five grandchildren and a host of extended family, all of them expressing gratitude for the legacy she has left.

— Rita Berman Frischer

David will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on September 1, 2012, at Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle.
David is the son of Mindy Cohen and Barry Kahn of Mukilteo, and the brother of Rachel and Joshua. His grandparents are Gilda Cohen of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Gay Kahn of Bergenfield, N.J., and the late Theodore Cohen, Jr. and the late Phillip Kahn.
David is an 8th grader at Evergreen School. He enjoys computers, building bicycles, Lego and other contraptions, drawing and lapidary.

April 11, 1914—August 10, 2012
Gerda Buchheim Haas died in Tacoma on Friday, August 10, 2012. Born April 11, 1914 in Berlin, Germany into a large extended family, Gerda joined her sister Hilde, her father Meier Buchheim — a kosher butcher — her mother Paula Rosenthal and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. As a young woman she wanted to teach, but edicts not allowing Jews in university prevented that. Married to Hans Haas in Berlin 1935, she bore her only child Henry Haas in April 1938. The Nazi government’s increasingly anti-Semitic edicts and events in the 1930s caused Gerda and her husband, with their infant son Henry, to flee Berlin in July 1938, attempting to find refuge elsewhere in Europe. Constantly in jeopardy, and on the run from Berlin to Prague, Czechoslovakia, on to Nyitra, Slovakia, then on to Alassio, Italy, she managed finally in June of 1939 to smuggle herself and her son into France illegally. Once safely in Paris with relatives, she was reunited with her husband Hans, who had arrived illegally from Holland. Gerda and her husband managed to book passage on a ship leaving from Marseilles in July 1939 to Shanghai, China, a city that did not require a visa for entry. Arriving in Shanghai on August 5, 1939 in stifling summer heat, Gerda and her family encountered vast language, cultural, economic, physical, and housing issues. These were somewhat ameliorated by her sister and mother-in-law, who had arrived a few months earlier.
In December 1941 the Japanese army occupied the International Settlement of Shanghai. Once in charge of this international area of the city, the Nazi government pressured the Japanese government to exterminate the Jewish refugees. The Japanese skillfully and diplomatically refused, reaching a compromise with the Nazis in 1943, by interning all 18,000 Jewish refugees into Hongkou (a Shanghai slum neighborhood, where Gerda and her family had already lived in just one room since their arrival) and declaring all the Jews to be stateless refugees. Very strict restrictions of movement were imposed by the Japanese army and this area became a ghetto without walls into which the entire Jewish refugee population in Shanghai had to live, co-existing with the poorer Chinese. Despite all the challenges and frightful living conditions, Gerda and her husband endured their time in Shanghai, working at whatever they could find to help their family survive. Upon the end of WWII and the discovery of the murder of her parents and virtually her entire family in Germany by the Nazis, Gerda and her husband Hans (John) decided not to return to Germany but to build a new life for themselves elsewhere.
With the help of the Hebrew Immigration Assistance Society (HIAS), the family sailed to San Francisco on a troop ship. With $90 between them, the family began an eight-year acclimation process, teaching themselves English by making themselves read the newspaper, talking to as many English-speaking Americans as possible, and working at an extensive variety of jobs. They started their new life in Portland, Ore., finally settling in Tacoma in 1955, where the family rebuilt and reestablished their lives with a greater sense of permanency. Gerda worked at various odd jobs in Tacoma. Eventually she and her husband established a small business — the Discount Mart — in downtown Tacoma on the corner of South 13th and Broadway.
Later in life, she realized her early ambition of teaching children by becoming a teacher’s aide in the Tacoma School District, principally at the old Ruston school. She loved every single day she worked in that position. For many years at the invitation of teachers, she shared her life story with Pierce County elementary and middle school classes, hoping it would serve as a lesson in the evils and consequences of prejudice and hate.
Once in America, Gerda’s priority was her family, and every Friday night for decades the family celebrated Shabbat dinner at her home, and that pleasant evening was eventually taken over by her son Henry and his wife, with Gerda coming to their home for Shabbat dinner up until her death. Gerda’s earlier and young life, as she had known it, had been torn from her and shattered by evil ideologues. She had lived from day to day just trying to survive with her baby Henry.
The family’s arrival in America was a rebirth for her… but she was really only in the labor stage until her grandchildren were born. However, she blossomed beyond belief when her great-grandchildren Sarah Haas and Jacob, Sam, and Sophie Isaac were born and we could see finally that she was at peace with herself.
Preceded in death by her former husband John, her sister Hilde, and her grandson-in-law Joshua Bondi Isaac, she is survived by her son Henry, her “daughter” Kate Fraser Haas (Henry’s wife), three beloved grandchildren David, Susan, and Kimberly, and four “wonderful” great-grandchildren. She was a member of Temple Beth El in Tacoma.
Should you care to make a gift in her memory, please consider the Religious School Fund at Temple Beth El, Tacoma, or the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center in Seattle. Graveside services were held at the Home of Peace Cemetery in Lakewood.

February 1, 1948–August 14, 2012
Jeffrey Ira Akrish passed away August 14, 2012 at 64 years after a 21-year battle with heart-related illnesses. Funeral service was held on August 16, 2012 at the Hills of Eternity.
Born on February 1, 1948 in Seattle, Jeff worked for his father and uncle at Market House Corned Beef. In 1989 Jeff was diagnosed with congestive heart failure caused by a virus. On June 19, 2001, Jeff received a heart transplant at the University of Washington Medical Center; eight years later Jeff beat lymphoma, receiving chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant treated by the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Jeff’s duty and love for his family gave him the strength to battle his illnesses. Jeff was married to the love of his life, Carol, for 13 years, living in Redmond. Jeff loved his family, especially enjoying family dinners. He is survived by his brother Ken Akrish, son Ronald Shay Akrish, daughter in-law Carisa, and his granddaughter, Cecilia Rose, who was Jeff’s pride and joy. Jeff had three step-children, Melinda Hoffman and Erik Matteson, Garrett and Barbi Hoffman, Joel and Mary Ann Hoffman.
Jeff’s family extends its gratitude to the University of Washington Medical Center, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the transplant donor program, and all his physicians who treated him over the years. Remembrances are greatly appreciated to the UWMC, SCCA, or Temple De Hirsch Sinai.

David Lerner, 94, of Mercer Island, passed away peacefully at the Kline Galland Home on Friday, July 13, 2012.
David enjoyed 90 wonderful, healthy, active years, and spent the past four and a half years cared for at home by his wife, Joan, and caregivers. His condition the last three weeks of life forced his placement in the Hospice program at Kline Galland, where his care was exceptional.
David was born January 20, 1918 in Elk River, Minn. He was the oldest child of Sam and Gertrude Lerner. His younger brothers, Max and Byrle, predeceased him. David’s mother died when he was young, leaving his father to raise his three sons.
David graduated from the University of Minnesota and served as a 2nd Lt. in the Army serving in Europe during WWII. After the war he went to work for Revlon, Inc. as its district manager for 15 states.
David married Edith Goldman. She passed away in 1962, leaving David to care for his two children, Leigh and Trudie. David needed to change his lifestyle of traveling, so he purchased Berliner’s Beauty Supply in Seattle and he moved to Mercer Island with his daughter Trudie.
He met a young widow, Joan Tall Greene, and they were married June 16, 1964. David adopted her daughter, Terry Lynn Greene, and was a wonderful father to her all his life.
David was a very well liked man. He was a great storyteller and always made people feel good. His charm and warmth allowed him to make friends wherever he was. He always maintained a positive friendly attitude throughout his life.
David retired in 1987 to satisfy his lifelong passion for learning. He attended the University of Washington as an access student, enjoying many years with his friends at class and the weekly lunches together. David was a good bridge player and enjoyed his Tuesday afternoon bridge games. When he became too weak to go out, the Tuesday bridge came to his home each Tuesday afternoon.
David had a strong passion for cars and was an avid sports fan. His last outing was Father’s Day 2012, when his son-in-law took his father, Marty Brashem, David and his caregiver to the new car museum in Tacoma.
David Lerner’s lasting legacy is a calm sense of self, warm smile and thoughtful nature. David is survived by his wife of 48 years, Joan Tall Lerner, his son Leigh (Loren), daughters Trudie (Dr. Wendy Heller) and Terry Lerner Brashem (Mark). His grandchildren include Meredeth Lerner Bloom (Matt), Sasha Lerner, Stacie Brashem and Kevin Brashem. David’s great-grandson, Jacob Bloom, was born April 12, 2012 and although David was never able to meet him, he was very proud of him and cherished the pictures sent of the newborn. David is survived by his two nephews, Bruce and Mark Lerner, who were always very close to their uncle David. David’s brother-in-law, Leonard Tall, whom he shared many happy times with, predeceased him.
The family wishes to thank David’s wonderful home caregivers, Tigest, Sara, Fissaha, Rabia, Astera and Teresa, who took exceptional care of him the past four years, and the wonderful staff at Kline Galland who cared for him the last two weeks of his life. Everyone was of great blessing and comfort.
Burial was private at the Hills of Eternity Mausoleum, and a service celebrating David Lerner’s life was held on July 16, 2012 at Temple De Hirsh Sinai. Rabbi James Mirel, a close family friend, officiated.
Donations in memory of David Lerner may be sent to the Caroline Kline Galland Home, City of Hope, or a charity of your choice.

Liana Mardekhayev and Isaac Ralph Granillo were married on June 24, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle. Rabbi Simon Benzaquen officiated.
Liana is the daughter of Riva Mardekhayev and Semyon Mardakhayev. Her grandparents are Klara Matveyev and the late Joseph Matveyev. She is a graduate of Northwest Yeshiva High School and Seattle University.
Isaac is the son of Debra and Anthony Granillo and the grandson of Roberta Schultz and the late Jerry Isaac Amon. He is also a graduate of Northwest Yeshiva High School, and a graduate of Western Washington University. The couple resides in Kirkland. 

Allison celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on August 18, 2012 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Allison is the daughter of Neil Martin and Patricia Willner-Martin of Bellevue and the sister of Richelle Willner-Martin. Her grandparents are James and Kathryn Martin of Edina, Minn., Ina Willner of Bellevue and the late Richard Willner.
Allison is entering 8th grade. She completed 7th grade at the Jewish Day School in Bellevue. She enjoys theater performance, singing, reading and swim team. Her mitzvah project was volunteering with special needs children with the Friendship Circle of Washington.

Cora (Coco) celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on August 18, 2012 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle.
Coco is the daughter of Laura Stusser-McNeil and KC McNeil of Seattle, and the sister of Harris McNeil. Her grandparents are Helen Stusser of Seattle and the late Pat Stusser, Jo McNeil of Seattle and the late Bob McNeil.
Coco is an 8th-grader at TOPS and enjoys music, cooking, playing volleyball, skiing, theater and hanging out with friends. For her mitzvah project, Coco volunteered at the Jewish Family Service Polack Food Bank and grew beets with her father in the family P-Patch to donate.

Samuel will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on August 25, 2012, at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Samuel is the son of Aaron and Jane Rosenstein of Mercer Island, and the brother of Nathan Rosenstein. His grandparents are Daisy Israel of Mercer Island, Beth and David Rosenstein of Albuquerque, N.M. and Mercer Island, and the late Michael M. Israel.
Samuel will be an 8th-grader at Islander Middle School this fall. He enjoys skiing, hanging out with friends, and playing baseball and basketball. For his mitzvah project, Samuel worked with Teen Feed’s summer volunteer program and as a volunteer basketball referee at the PEAK.