Obituaries
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A Yiddishe Life And Legacy
Who's going to
by a spellbinding young
read the letters?'
speaker, Moishe Friedman,
Editorial Assistant
That bothered her
who asked to walk her
greatly. She and I
home.
he most remarkable thing
spent hours and
Surviving
the
turmoil
of
about Sarah Friedman was ,
hours and hours
World War I, her family
her fervent, passionate love of
discussing that
immigrated
to
Detroit
in
all things Yiddish.
one point.
1923.
Moishe
immigrated
"Poetry, culture, language, the arts —
"I tried to
to
Argentina,
but
did
not
you name it," said her nephew, Eugene
make
her under-
have a sponsor to enter
Broder of Tamarac, Fla. "Anything that
stand
that
America.
began with 'Yiddish' she absolutely sup-
Yiddish was not
Sarah,
in
an
act
of
ported, loved it, lived and breathed it."
dead and not
courage, traveled alone 21
Sarah Friedman of Bloomfield
dying," he
days as a ship's steerage pas-
Hills, a lifelong patron of Yiddish
added, noting
senger
to
reunite
with
arts and culture with her late hus-
that there has
Ivloishe
and
marry
him
in
band Morris "Moishe" Friedman,
been "a resur-
Buenos
Aires.
She
then
died Feb. 13 at age 96.
gence in Yiddish
sponsored his immigration
"My mother's love of the Yiddish lan-
life on campuses
to the U.S.
guage never diminished. If anything, it
throughout the
In
Detroit,
the
got stronger with time," said her daugh-
world. There are
Friedmans
were
among
ter, Berry Sorkowitz of Bloomfield Hills.
more universities
Sarah Friedman
the founders of the
"She felt strongly about all the young,
teaching Yiddish
Sholem
Aleichem
Institute
talented people murdered in the
now than there ever has been.
and Sarah taught Yiddish in its Sunday
Holocaust. That even though so many
"And I think that Aunt Sarah began
school.
She
also
acted
in
Yiddish
the-
were killed, that their language would
to
realize
that maybe there was hope,
ater and gave readings of Yiddish poet-
not die. She promoted it all her life."
maybe it wasn't all gone. She took
ry
and
prose
each
year
at
the
Institute's
"The Friedman home was the center
great comfort in the fact that she had
High Holiday assemblies. The
of Yiddish culture and art in Detroit
done her part.
Friedmans
sponsored
a
Yiddish
lecture
after World War II," Broder recalled.
The Friedmans endowed a chair
series
at
United
Hebrew
Schools.
The Friedmans hosted Yiddish writers
at Bar-Ilan University in Israel to
For
nearly
five
decades,
Mrs.
and luminaries in their homes, first on
train teachers of Yiddish. She donat-
Friedman chaired the Yiddish book
Tyler at Holmur in the Dexter-Davison
ed their library to the National
department
for
the
Jewish
Community
area, and later on Sussex Street, near the
Yiddish
Book Center in Amherst,
Center of Metropolitan Detroit's
Sholem Aleichem Institute at Greenfield
Mass., and their papers to the YIVO
annual
book
fair.
and Seven Mile roads in Detroit.
Institute in New York.
"She had a tremendous command of
Broder said his late Uncle Morris
"I think that she was gratified that her
the
language,"
Sorkowitz
said.
"People
Friedman was a builder, who saw to
efforts
were accomplishing things, but
would tell me that they would come to
it that "in any home they lived in,
she always wanted more," Sorkowitz said.
the
book
fair-planning
meetings
just
to
there was always a second floor that
"She was always telling people: Don't
hear my mother speak Yiddish.
was a little suite," with bathroom
leave this undone; teach your children;
She
was
at
the
book
fair
all
the
time,
and sitting room. "People from out
make sure they know.'"
to explain the Yiddish books to the
of town who were giving a lecture, a
Mrs. Friedman is survived by her
younger
people
who
were
buying
them
reading or performing somewhere in
daughter, Betty Sorkowitz of Bloomfield
for
their
bubbies
and
zaydes.
Detroit, always had a warm, friendly
Hills; grandchildren Julie and Dr.
"She was known as a resource," her
place to stay," he said.
Douglas Shiffman, Janet and Dr. Allan
daughter added. "If people couldn't
At her Feb. 16 funeral at Ira
Jacobs; great-grandchildren Jodie and
find
a
meaning
of
a
word
or
transla-
Kaufman Chapel, Rabbi Harold Loss of
Jeffrey Shiffman, Carolyn and Renee
tion, they would come to her. People
Temple Israel described Mrs. Friedman
Jacobs; sister and brother-in-law Esther
would
bring
her
mail
from
Europe
as a tiny lady who was strong and feisty.
and Edwin Rechtman of Georgia.
that they couldn't read."
"She was very meticulous in the
She was the beloved wife for 66 years
The
Friedmans
knew
and
hosted
the
things she did," Broder said. "She knew
of the late Morris Friedman and the dear
Yiddish
writers
of
their
day
—
the
what she wanted and she went after it
mother-in-law of the late Martin
renowned, like the late Chaim Grade
with a real passion."
Sorkowitz.
and the late Isaac Bashevis Singer, as well
Mrs. Friedman was born in 1903 in .
Interment was at Adat Shalom
as
the
struggling,
to
whom
the
couple
the shtetl (town) of Biala, Poland, which
Memorial Park. Contributions may be
would
offer
financial
support.
is east of Warsaw.
made to the Moishe and Sarah
Mrs. Friedman had a large library of
"The shtetl was the good part of her
Friedman Chair for Yiddish Teachers
Yiddish books and a priceless collection
life, growing up," Sorkowitz said, adding
Education, do Bar-Ilan University, 6733
of
original
manuscripts
and
letters
from
that her mother "read all the great classic
Telegraph, Suite 130, Bloomfield Hills,
Yiddish
authors.
writers in Yiddish. She had a love of
MI 48301 and Sholem Aleichem
Recalled
Broder,
"She
used
to
say
to
learning."
Institute, 24901 Northwestern Highway,
me, Tosl, where are my books going to
As a youth, the former Sarah
Suite 313B, Southfield, MI 48075.
go?
Who's
going
to
listen
to
the
music?
Weisman went to a Zionist lecture given
DAVID SACHS
T
"
STEVEN EDWARD ARLOW, 32, of
Farmington, died Feb. 19.
He is survived by his parents,
Rosalind Gwaltney and Michael Arlow
grandfather, Nathan Cutler. Mr. Arlow
was the loving stepson of the late Tom
Gwaltney; loving grandson of the late
Shirley Cutler.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Interment at
Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery
in Livonia. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
;
FREDERIC H. BALLMER, 76, of
Bellevue, Washington, died Feb. 21. H
was a financial analyst for Ford Motor
Company.
Mr. Ballmer is survived by his son
and dauditer-in-law, Steven A. and
Connie Ballmer of Bellevue, Wash.;
daughter, Shelly Ballmer of Medina,
Wash.; grandchildren, Samuel, Peter ar
Aaron Benjamin Ballmer; sister, Ruth
Ballmer of Switzerland; brother-in-law
and sister-in-law, Irving and Olsa
Dworkin. He was the beloved husban
of the late Beatrice Ballmer.
Interment at Beth El Memorial Par
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
.
SYDNEY BLACK, 85, of West
Bloomfield, died Feb. 18.
He is survived by his son and daug
ter-in-law, Michael and Judy Black of
Southfield; brother and sister-in-law,
Harold and Edith Black of Detroit; sis
ter and brother-in-law, Ilene and Robe
Mullen of Calif.; grandchildren, Alisa
Hollander, Randy (Julie) Gayer, Marc
Black, Eric and Ian Black; two great-
grandchildren. He was the beloved hu
band of the late Nellie Black; father o
the late Arlene Ruby.
Graveside services were held at the
Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery in
Mt. Clemens. Contributions may be
made to Hospice of Michigan, 16250
Northland Dr., Southfield, MI 48075
to a charity of one's choice.
'
.
2/25
2000
134
SOPHIA DUNN, 95, of Southfield,
died Feb. 15. She was a life member o
Hadassah and volunteered for many
charitable organizations.
She is survived by her daughters
and sons-in-law, Deborah and Sheld
Freedman of Novi, Marcia and Sol
Schop of Toronto, Canada; grandch
dren, Elissa (Efim) Burda, Mitchell
(Susan) Freedman, Kathy Freedman
Stephen (Susan) Schop, Dr. Derek
Schop, Rhonda (Dr. Mark Hurtig)
Schop, Bonnie (Mark) Schwartz;
great-grandchildren, Douglas, Joshu
Michael, Benjamin, Courtney,
Andrew, Spencer, Adam and
Alexander. Mrs. Dunn was the
beloved wife of the late Bernard
Frutkin and the late Joseph Dunn;