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A Lovely Person

DAVID SACHS

Copy Editor

W

hen Rebecca Freedman
would exit a roomful of
relatives or friends, she
would affectionately bid
farewell, saying, "Goodbye, you lovely
people."
With her warm heart and patient ear,
Mrs. Freedman cultivated scores of
friendships over her many years as a vol-
unteer, adviser and mentor.
"People felt drawn to her and kept her
up-to-date about their lives," said
daughter Diane Arnkoff.
"She made friends with women much
younger with whom she would go
through all their triumphs and travails,
not just women of her own generation."
Rebecca Freedman, 85, of Farmington
Hills, died of cancer July 31. She was a
vigorous volunteer from her teens
through her octogenarian years.
And she found love — twice.
After graduating Wayne University
with a bachelor's degree in political sci-
ence and a master's in government, the
then-Rebecca Kahn, a Detroit native,
married Harry Arnkoff, a physician, in
1939, and moved to Pontiac the next
year.
There they raised two daughters,
Susan and Diane. As a volunteer,
Rebecca Arnkoff was a mainstay of
Temple Beth Jacob for two decades,
winning Reform Judaism's Lamed Vav
award for her service as temple secretary,
sisterhood officer, choir member, teacher
and youth group chairman.
During World War II, the temple sis-
terhood formed a Red Cross sewing unit
and invited the Pontiac community to
join in, making pajamas, bandages,
afghans, gloves and stockings. Many
women's organizations in Pontiac
opened their memberships to Jewish
women after this interaction.
She cared for her husband, Dr.
Arnkoff, at home for two years during
his extended illness. He died of cancer in
1969.
Five years later, at age 58, she married
her high school sweetheart, Sidney
Freedman, whose wife also died of can-
cer, and who also had two grown daugh-
ters, Marcia and Frances.
Mrs. Freedman nurtured a new close-
knit family, accepting her husband's
daughters as her own and welcoming all
grandchildren with equal love.
W%-•,
Mrs. Freedman maintained a lifetime

8/10
2001

108

A Genuine Friend

interest in poli-
tics and current
events. And her
volunteering
continued, too,
this time at the
Cranbrook
Institute of
Science, where
Rebecca Freedman
she and her
husband would
lecture youngsters on subjects like
snakes, bees and Native American cul-
ture. "Sid and Rebecca," as they were
fondly known, became fixtures at
Cranbrook and were honored in 1988 as
volunteers of the year
After Sid died in 1993, Mrs.
Freedman continued her volunteer
work, at the Karmanos Cancer Institute's
Oakland County community outreach
center.
Despite her final illness, Mrs.
Freedman would by no means miss trav-
eling to Florida for her grandson
Howard's graduation from medical
school in May 2000 and her grand-
daughter Helen's wedding to Noah
Kaplan last December.
"I still want to dial her number," said
granddaughter Monica. "She was a truly
lovely person."
Mrs. Freedman is survived by her
daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and
Dr. Alfred Feingold of Florida, Dr.
Diane Arnkoff of Maryland, Marcia and
Martin Baum of Detroit, Frances
Freedman of Calif.; grandchildren, Dr.
Howard Feingold, Helen and Noah
Kaplan, Monica Baum, Eric Baum,
Nikole Yinger; and sister, Sylvia Snyder
Schulman.
Mrs. Freedman was the beloved wife
of the late Harry Arnkoff, M.D., and
the late Sidney Freedman; loving moth-
er-in-law of the late Dr. Al Rosenthal
and dear sister of the late Murray Kahn.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Sid and Rebecca Arnkoff
Freedman Memorial Fund, c/o
Cranbrook Institute of Science, P.O.
Box 801, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-
0801; the Karmanos Cancer Institute
(Baum-Freedman Volunteer Fund),
18831 W. 12 Mile, Lathrup Village, MI
48076; Temple Beth Jacob Endowment
Fund, c/o Temple Beth El, 7400
Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, MI
48031; and the Beth Elders Fund, do
Temple Beth El. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

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Superstine's family felt that spot was
reserved for them.
Staff Wr-iter
"He was so proud of his kids," Fine
says
of his children Danielle, 17;
hen Dr. Jerome
Samantha,
13; and Elizabeth, 7.
Superstine of Bloomfield
His
daughters
and occasionally his
Hills died of pancreatic
mother
took
a
turn
answering office
cancer on July 31, he left
phones.
His
father
frequently
worked
a loving family, staff and hundreds of
in
the
lab
and
visited
with
patients,
young friends who each had been
many children of his own patients.
made to feel they were his favorite
After-hours contact with
patient.
patients
included regular
"Everyone thought
calls
to
those
with new
they were his best
braces
or
recent
procedures.
friend," says employee
"And
I
always
knew
if I
Molly Fine of Oak Park.
needed
to
I
could
call
him
The 48-year-old
and
he
would
be
available,"
Superstine treated most-
says Julie Horn of West
ly pre-teen and teenage
Bloomfield, whose two
patients in the 22 years
daughters are patients in
he practiced orthodon-
the office.
tics in Farmington Hills.
The occasional unusual
His funeral brought
cases
were given extra time.
close to 1,000 people,
Once,
a patient's brace-
including friends from
Dr. Jerome Superstine bracket snapped on a flight
his ski group, his bowl-
to Israel. Dr. Superstine
ing team, Congregation
located
a
Jerusalem-based
orthodontist
Beth Ahm and the University of
to
make
the
repair.
Michigan.
"He knew every patient and had his
But it also brought kids.
own
connection with each one of
"The kids stood out," says employee
them,"
Fine says. His patients knew of
Shifra Zeiler of Oak Park. "[The
his
devotion
to U-M and occasionally
funeral] was filled with patients who
teased him by asking for green and
didn't know his family at all. I looked
white "Michigan State" bands for their
around and thought every person
braces.
there probably felt as close to him as I
With a Pac Man machine and
felt."
Disney
memorabilia in his office, his
"So many of his patients have writ-
mother
called him "a kid at heart."
ten us notes telling how good he was
A
love
of travel allowed his staff to
to them, how they loved to go to his
attend
conventions
in such places as
office," says his mother, Dorothy
Toronto
and
Hawaii.
He frequently
Superstine.
traveled with his wife, Sue, and his
Following graduation from
daughters, parents and sister's family.
University of Michigan Dental
"He had a genuine love of people
School, Dr. Superstine joined his
and
treated them like he wanted to be
father, Dr. Milton Superstine. The
treated,"
says his mother. " He was
two worked together until the elder's
always
good
to everyone and was
retirement in 1995.
always helping people. He had a good
When Jerome became ill, his
heart."
father's longtime friend, Dr. Eli
Dr. Superstine is survived by his
Berger of West Bloomfield, stepped
wife,
Sue; daughters, Danielle,
in to treat patients and recruited
Samantha
and Elizabeth; parents, Dr.
others to help until the practice is
Milton
and
Dorothy Superstine of
sold.
Bloomfield
Hills; sister and brother-
The entire office staff remains, hon-
in-law,
Jody
and Richard Grossman of
oring a promise to their boss to help
Farmington Hills.
patients through the transition.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Dr. Superstine also provided ortho-
Cemetery.
Contributions may be
dontic care in dental offices in Flint
made
to
a
charity
of one's choice.
and Detroit, one day a week.
Arrangements
by
Ira Kaufman
While'his office staff felt his
Chapel.
patients came first in his heart, Dr.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

logr

❑