Timna Tanners and Chad Smith of Old Greenwich, Conn. announce the birth of their son Jonah Samuel (Yona Shmuel) on January 26, 2007. He weighed 7 lb., 5 oz.
Jonah is the grandson of Dina Tanners and Howard Cockerham of Seattle, Paul Tanners of Spokane, and Sharon Baudo of Jackson, Tenn. He is the great-grandson of Jeanette R. K. Nelson of Seattle.
Jonah was named for his maternal grandfather, Sidney Nelson.

Tony and Stephanie Harris announce the birth of their daughter Victoria Ann (Tori) on February 11, 2007 at Overlake hospital in Bellevue. She weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz.
Victoria is the granddaughter of Bill and Judy Harris of Issaquah and Doug and Marcia Wiviott of Newcastle. She is the great-granddaughter of Erma Rykus, Ben Harris, Joe and Esther Peha, Len and Evelyn Wiviott, the late Ben Rykus and the late Shirley Harris.

Claire will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on March 10, 2007 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Claire is the daughter of Audrey Covner and Dianne Dougherty, and the older sister of Michaela. Her grandparents are Arnold and Mickey Covner, the late Beatrice Covner and the late Robert Dougherty.
Claire is a 7th-Grader at the Jewish Day School. She enjoys playing tennis and basketball and is a faithful fan of the Seattle Mariners and the University of Washington women’s basketball team. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Claire loves to draw, read, cook and become totally immersed in her computer.

Leba Sylvia Berman died on February 12, 2007. She was born on November 11, 1916 to Miriam and Harry Fierst.
Leba grew up in New York with her two brothers, Herbert and Leonard. After graduating from Smith College, Leba married Alfred Berman of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and they settled in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. In 1953, Leba and Al moved west, driving across country with their four young children to Seattle. Leba then enrolled in the University of Washington, where she received her Master’s degree in Social Work, at the same time caring for her family, which had grown to five children.
Leba was deeply devoted to Judaism and Israel, a passion passed down to her through her parents and her grandfather, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Cohen, the chief rabbi of Montreal from the 1920s until his death in 1950. Her mother, Miriam, had been a National Board Member of Hadassah and her father, Harry, had been an officer in the Zionist Organization of America.
Leba’s adventurous spirit was kindled early in her life. In 1927, at the age of 10, she journeyed with her grandfather, parents, and siblings to Palestine for the Bar Mitzvah of her older brother. He was the first American to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah in eretz Israel.
During their trip the family met with the chief Rabbi of Palestine, Rav Abraham Issak Kook, at his home. Following an extended stay in Palestine the family went to Basel, Switzerland to attend the 15th Zionist Congress. These early experiences helped cement Leba’s lifetime love of Israel and Judaism.
Leba was active in the Jewish community throughout her life. As an active member of Hadassah, Leba served a term as president of the Mt. Scopus Chapter and was honored as “Woman of the Year” in 1994. She often performed readings of the poetry of Bialik at meetings, participated in and led study groups and book clubs, and always added an interesting and stimulating perspective to discussions. Leba was an outspoken activist for causes in which she believed, giving public support for the freeing of the Soviet Jewish refuseniks by demonstrating in Washington, D.C. at rallies for their release.
Leba derived great joy in facilitating adoptions for many families through Jewish Family Service of Greater Seattle. She loved matching children who needed loving homes with couples who needed children to love. Her devotion to children, both her own and the many whom she placed in adoptive homes, was legendary. 
Leba’s seemingly limitless energy in all her endeavors remains an inspiration. Leba was the embodiment of her name, Ahuva in Hebrew, meaning “love.” As one of her grandsons noted, Leba’s name is an acronym for “Lovely, Energetic, Beautiful, Adventurous.”
Whether perched upon a donkey heading for Petra or surrounded by her family at the seder table Leba was described by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her as a woman brimming with life, love and laughter. Leba was vibrant, feisty, optimistic, fun and funny, a strong woman full of joy.
Leba was predeceased by her husband, Alfred Berman; brother Herbert Fierst; son Richard Berman; and great-grandson, Tytan Hayes. Leba is survived by her brother Leonard (Caroline) Fierst of Silver Spring, Md.; daughters Linda (John Pilkington) Levy of Berkeley, Calif., Susan Moon, Barbara (Jack) Hayes and Bonnie Levine, all of Seattle; grandchildren Jody and Shannon Moon of Seattle, David Levy of Kona, Hawaii, Oren Levy of Palo Alto, Calif., Dylan (Mandy) Hayes and Amy Hayes of Seattle; and great-grandchildren Ciara Levy of Kona, Hawaii and Isak Moon of Seattle.
Donations in Leba’s memory may be made to Hadassah, 1750 112th Ave. NE, Ste. C225, Bellevue, WA 98004, specifically to the Mother and Child Pavilion in Ein Kerem.

Alan celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on December 21, 2006 at the Muizenberg Shul in Cape Town, South Africa.
Alan is the son of Russel and Lauren Goldman of Newcastle. He is the grandson of Bernie and Salome Barnett, Sylvia Sandler and Percy Goldman, all of Cape Town.
Alan is a 7th-Grader at Pacific Learning Center. He enjoys collecting books, learning about the U.S. presidents, collecting miniature SUVs, traveling and bowling.

David and Deborah Beder announce the arrival of their son Joshua Noah on January 10, 2007 at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. He weighed 6 lbs., 11 oz. and measured 19 1/4 in. long.
Joshua is the brother of Benjamin. He is the grandson of Henry and Ruth Beder of Bellevue, and Robert and Janice Lieberman of Vancouver, Wash. He is the great-grandson of Florence Lieberman of Tamarac, Fla.

Raquel and Simon Koz of Bellevue announce the arrival of their son Gavin Nathan on January 27, 2007.
Gavin is the brother of Sophie and the grandson of Athalia and Harvey Rosen of Tacoma and Beulah and Gordon Koz of San Diego, Calif. Gavin is the great-grandson of Eva Rochlin of Tucson, Ariz.

Ellen will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on March 10, 2007 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Ellen is the daughter of Sharon and Jeffrey Kay of Bellevue. She is the granddaughter of Sylvia and Irving Swartz of Charlotte, N.C. and Jackie and Leonard Kay of Lansdowne, Va.
Ellen is a 7th-Grader at Issaquah Middle School. She enjoys singing, soccer, and hanging out with friends.

Sidney Wax died in Bellevue on January 26, 2007, the morning of his 97th birthday. He was born in San Francisco in 1910.
In his life, Sid personified the classic American success story. In San Francisco, he helped raise three brothers and a sister. His family moved to Stockton, Calif. where, after the death of his father Harry, he was forced to dropout of 8th Grade to run the family furniture store. An entrepreneur at heart, Sid started as an apprentice in the fur business, then founded a fur design and manufacturing business with his older brother. The enterprise was interrupted by World War II, during which he served at Fort Lee, Va. 
In 1939, Sid married Lee Raine in San Francisco and in 1942 the couple had their son, Herb Wax. After the war, Sid moved to Seattle, his wife’s hometown, and went into business with his brother-in-law buying and selling closeout merchandise.
He was a local icon as the president and co-founder of the home-improvement store remembered by many local Seattle people as “Wax and Raine” (Wax as in candle, Raine like Seattle). He later sold his business to Standard Brands in 1972. He credited the success of his business to the Seattle World Fair and the pride Seattle-ites took in improving their homes in preparation for the fair.
In 1976, Lee died. Sid married his second wife, Marilyn Rogers Stutz, in 1981. Sid and Marilyn enjoyed retirement traveling and spending winters in Palm Springs, Calif. Marilyn died in November 2005.
Sid was a kind, gracious, and humble man who had a special way of connecting with people. His greatest credit was the friendships he had with so many people, many lasting more than 50 years. 
Sid was a lifetime member of Variety Club International, a 32nd-degree Freemason, a Shriner, and long-time member of Temple De Hirsch Sinai. For over 50 years, he was also a member of Glendale Country Club — at the time of his death he was their oldest living member.
Sid is survived by children Herb Wax, Jeffery (Shirley) Stutz, Brian (Dean) Stutz, Jonathan (Stacie) Stutz, and daughter Ellen Stutz (Steven) Weidner; grandchildren Anne-Marie (Matt), Jack, Brett (Rachel), Elliott, Adam, Eric, Katie, Jaclyn, Sterling, Blair, Morgan; and great-grandchildren Taylor, Jack, Shoham and Shelhevet.
Remembrances may be made to Jewish Family Service or the Caroline Kline Galland Home.

Michael and Leila Bender announce the arrival of their daughter Amaya Lucille on January 12, 2007 at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. She weighted 7 lbs., 14 oz. and was 20-1/2 in. long.
Amaya is the granddaughter of Robert and Catherine Clark of Woodinville, and Allan and Yvonne Bender of Bellevue.

Rena will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on Sunday, February 25, 2007 at Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath in Seattle.
Rena is the daughter of Joey and Julie Greene and the sister of Benjamin and Sara. Her grandparents are A. Richard and Ina Weiner of Omaha, Neb., Bernard Greene of Seattle, and the late Irene Greene.
Rena is a 6th-Grader at Seattle Hebrew Academy. She enjoys sports, horseback riding, playing with her dogs, venturing out to the mall with her friends, attending Jr. NCSY/Middle School events at BCMH and working with children. In preparation for her Bat Mitzvah she has been learning about Megillat Esther.

Vicki Lynn Piha Ashberg died Friday, February 2, 2007 surrounded by her loving family after a two-year battle with kidney cancer. She had just celebrated her 44th birthday. 
Vicki was born on January 23, 1963 in Seattle. She graduated from Sammamish High School in 1981 and Western Washington University in 1986, majoring in Speech Communications. Early in her career, she enjoyed working at Nordstrom Bellevue, where she met many of the close friends that she kept until her death. She also worked side-by-side with her father and brother as a property manager and marketing director at Morris Piha Real Estate Services.
Vicki met Jay Ashberg and they married on October 17, 1999. She gave birth to their son, Mitchell Jack, on November 13, 2002. “Mitchie” was the joy of her life. In Vicki’s own words, being a mom “was the best job I ever had.” Vicki was a loving and phenomenal mother.
Vicki exuded grace, style, class, generosity and genuine beauty inside and out, which was evident by the number of friends that surrounded her in the last few months. Her priorities in life were her son, husband, family and friends. Sunday was her favorite day of the week, calling it “family day.” Her relationship with her parents, sister and brother was like no other.
Vicki was unbelievably courageous in her two-year fight with a very painful and scary cancer. She never gave up, getting out of bed everyday to face life’s challenges, despite being handicapped with severe pain in her spine.
Vicki is survived by her parents Marlene and Morrie Piha; husband Jay; son Mitchell Jack; best friend and sister Ricca (Billy) Poll; brother Sandy (Lesley) Piha; grandmother Rita Calderon; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.
Funeral services were held at Sephardic Bikur Holim and attended by nearly 1,000 of her family and friends. It was a beautiful tribute to a beautiful and beloved woman. Donations can be made to City of Hope, c/o Dr. Robert Figlin, Kidney Cancer Research Program, 1055 Wilshiret Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017.

Issy and Sid Kleiman announce the arrival of their daughter Gabrielle Mia on December 27, 2006. She weighed 6 lbs., 6 oz.
Gabriella is the sister of Ariella, Caleb, Kandra, Jessica and Derek. She is the granddaughter of Vera and Elis Kantor of Kirkland, and the great-granddaughter of Leah Schwartz of Boynton Beach, Fla.

Nathan will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on February 10, 2007 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Nathan is the son of Cynthia Flash Hemphill and Dan Hemphill of Bellevue. His grandparents are Philip N. Flash of Mercer Island and the late Claire Barkey Flash, and Hellen Wilson of Bellevue, and the late Dale Hemphill. His is the great-grandson of Garnet Criss of Renton.
Nathan is a 7th-Grader at Tyee Middle School in Bellevue. He enjoys soccer, guitar, jazz band, skiing, snowboarding, Rubik’s Cube and Camp Solomon Schechter.

Dr. Edward Flick died on January 11, 2006. He was born on February 7, 1916.
Dr. Flick was born and raised in South Philadelphia to an immigrant family that valued education above all else. At age 16 he received his diploma from South Philadelphia High School for Boys and went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, he found himself unable to gain admission to an American medical school due to ethnic quota restrictions, so he began his medical training in Scotland. Later, he transferred to Chicago Medical School, from which he received his medical degree in 1944.
Dr. Flick devoted his life to his family and his profession. While an intern, Dr. Flick met the love of his life, Irene Hogren, a pediatric nurse. When World War II beckoned, he served as a lieutenant physician in the Navy. After returning from service and completing his medical residency, he married Irene, and together they built a general practice in Chicago.
In 1958, Flick and Irene made a decision to specialize in ophthalmology and toured France and Switzerland to learn the latest procedures and how to use new instruments. When they returned to the U.S., his family moved to Seattle to begin his ophthalmologic practice, with Irene as his nurse and optician. He and Irene traveled the globe seeking new educational experiences, including an expedition to Antarctica and volunteering as medical workers on a kibbutz.
Dr. Flick is survived by his children, Kate, Keith, and Kyle, all names beginning with a “K” in honor of his mother, Kate Flick; and grandsons, Gabriel and Benjamin.
Dr. Flick was laid to rest beside his beloved wife Irene on January 15, 2007. Donations may be made in his name to Emanuel Congregation, 3412 NE 65th St., Seattle, WA 98115.

Rose (Razel) Klein died on January 11, 2007. She was born in 1921, the middle child of Joseph and Ida Isaacson.
Rose was a lifelong Seattleite and was well known in the Seattle Jewish community. She served for many years as the secretary and treasurer of B’nai B’rith Women and was an active member of AMIT. She received an award for her volunteer work from the president’s council of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.
Rose was known for her sweet nature, grace, intelligence and inner strength. Those close to Rose never heard a bad thing said about her.
Rose was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Aaron Klein; older brother, Rabbi Itzchak Isaacson; and older sister Geraldine (Gussie) Solny. She is survived by siblings Marie Karonsky of the Bay Area and Henry Isaacson of New York; children Rabbi Charna Klein, Harris Klein and Lester Klein, all of Seattle; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Alexander will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on February 3, 2007 at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue.
Alexander is the son of Scott Marber and Molly Bellehumeur of Sammamish and the brother of Max, Jacqueline, and Shelby. His grandparents are Kitty Marber of Stoughton, Mass. and the late Alexander Marber, Carolyn Bellehumeur of Menomonee Falls, Wisc. and the late Gerald Bellehumeur.
Alexander is a 7th-Grader at Beaver Lake Middle School. He enjoys music and swimming.

Rabbi Seth Goldstein and Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg announce the arrival of their son Erez Amichai on December 23, 2006 at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. He was 8 lbs. and 19 in. long.
Erez is the brother of Ozi. His grandparents are Alan and Karen Goldstein of Pomona N.Y., Alice Kinberg of Olympia and the late Rabbi Myron Kinberg. His great-grandparents are Nathan and Henrietta Schwartzberg of Delray Beach, Fla. and Rhoda Kinberg of San Diego, Calif. His great-great-grandmother is Aziza Sibony of Rishon L’tzion, Israel.

Carol Cacile Meisels died on Saturday, December 30, 2006, after a six-year battle with cancer. She was born in Portland, Ore. on November 23, 1933 to Milton and Anita Gevurtz.
Carol was raised in Portland, where she graduated from Lincoln High School. Following graduation from Stanford University in 1955, Carol worked in the stocks and bonds field in San Francisco. There she met her husband, Stan. They were married on February 6, 1964, while he was a student in rabbinical school.
Subsequent to Stan’s ordination, the couple and their children lived in the Chicago area, Fresno, Calif. and Los Angeles, where she worked in special education for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In 1989, Carol and Stan returned to the Northwest and resided in Bellevue from then on. Carol was an active member of the Eastside Interfaith Social Services Council, a member of the Temple De Hirsch Sinai social action committee, and a passionate supporter of animal protection efforts.
Next to her family, her friends were her greatest delight. She was the consummate “people person.” Her friends loved her, and she was a blessing to her husband, children and grandchildren.
Carol is survived by her husband of 42 years, Rabbi Stanley Meisels; brother Dr. John Gevurtz; children Julie Meisels and David Meisels; and two grandchildren, Mellissa and Gavin.
Funeral services were held at Temple De Hirsch Sinai on January 3, 2007. Memorials may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, your local SPCA, or MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

Beth Belgard and Andrew Carrol were married on November 4, 2006 by Rabbi Daniel Weiner at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle.
Beth is the daughter of Stuart and Marsha Belgard of Richland. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and Washington State University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Education. She is currently an operations manager at Sallie Mae.
Andrew is the son of Joseph and Gayle Carrol of Bellevue and grandson of Estelle Bensussen of Bellevue. His is a graduate of Sammamish High School, and the University of Arizona, where he earned a Journalism degree. He is currently a general manager at T.W. Carrol and Co.
Beth and Andrew live in Redmond.

Rachel will celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on January 20, 2007 at Congregation Kol Ami in Woodinville.
Rachel is the daughter of David Horne and Susan Balmuth of Redmond, and the sister of Sarah. She is the granddaughter of Daniel and Rita Balmuth of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.   
Rachel is a 7th-Grader at Redmond Junior High School. She enjoys ballet, music, studying Hebrew and attending B’nai B’rith Camp in Oregon.

Shaya and Sydney Poll Calvo announce the arrival of their daughter Sally Fortuna on July 25, 2006 at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. She weighed 4.2 lbs. and was 19.3 in. long.
Sally is the sister of Murray and Maisy — the family dogs. She is the granddaughter of Melvyn and Rosalind Poll of Seattle and Dr. Stan and Barbara Calvo of Burien.
Sally is named for her two great-grandmothers, the late Sally Poll and Fortuna Calvo.

Robbie will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on Sat., January 13 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Robbie is the son of David and Julie Ellenhorn and the brother of Tammy. He is the grandson of Myrna Secord of Bellevueand the late Robert Secord, and Joan Ellenhorn of Bellevue and the late Edwin Ellenhorn. His great-grandfather is Bernard Kastriner of Bellevue.
Robbie is a 7th-Grader at The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle. He enjoys the study of Torah, Hebrew and Jewish history, soccer and basketball, and digital photography. Like his father and grandfathers, Robbie is an avid newspaper reader and a huge sports fan. He especially loves Mariners baseball, international soccer, the Tour de France and spending his summers at Camp Solomon Schechter with his friends. Robbie also likes to travel and will perform a mitzvah project during an extended trip to Israel with his family this summer.

Ben will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah on January 20, 2007 at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island.
Ben is the son of Liz and Dave Director of Bellevue and the brother of Jake and Hannah. His grandparents are Ann and Paul Olsen of Zillah, Wash., and the late Morrie and late Becky Director.
Ben is a 7th-Grader at Issaquah Middle School. He enjoys lacrosse, basketball, listening to music and spending time with friends.

Leo Okin died of lung cancer on July 30, 2006 at his home in Mesa, Ariz. He was born in Divinsk, Latvia in 1923.
When Leo was seven years old, his family emigrated to the United States, and Leo spent his youth in Brooklyn. He started his career as a social worker at Bellevue Hospital in New York and joined the army at the beginning of World War II.
After the war, Leo married Ruth, his wife of 59 years. He worked for a number of Jewish centers on the East Coast before moving to California in the 1950s to work for the Jewish Welfare Board in San Francisco.
In 1965, Leo was hired as executive director of the Seattle Jewish Community Center. At that time the JCC had a one-room office in downtown Seattle and Leo envisioned building a center on Mercer Island. That vision became a reality in 1968.
Leo was a lifelong learner and teacher. He received a Bachelor’s degree from New York University, a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, where he wrote a thesis on the prospects of Jews and Arabs living in peace in the Middle East. He later taught at William and Mary College in Norfolk, Virginia.
After his retirement from the JCC at the age of 53, Leo devoted his time to his family, real-estate investment and travel. He and Ruth traveled throughout the world. In addition to their home in Seattle, he and Ruth had homes in Phoenix and Jerusalem.
Leo is survived by his wife, Ruth; daughters Phyllis Rock, Margret Rosenberg, Sandy Lior, and Helanie Webman; 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Donations in his memory may be sent to the Stroum Jewish Community Center.