Obituaries Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online: www.detroitjewishnews.com 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;