Obituaries
Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
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Chaim Potok, Author
Of The Chosen
New York/JTA — Chaim Potok was
both a novelist who paved the way for
a younger generation of religious
American Jewish writers and a Jewish
scholar who worked tirelessly to bring
Jews and Judaism closer together.
Mr. Potok, 73, who was raised in an
Orthodox home but later became a
Conservative rabbi, died of brain cancer
July 23 at his suburban
Philadelphia home.
The best known of Mr.
Potok's more than 15
works included The
Chosen, which was made
into a Hollywood movie
starring Robby Benson,
and My Name Is Asher
Lev, which described the
struggle of Orthodox Jews
to maintain their faith in a
secular world.
"He is a major figure in
the American Jewish liter-
Chaim Potok
ary canon," said Daniel
Walden, a professor emer-
itus of American studies, English and
comparative literature at Penn State
University "His essential mission was to
explore the core-to-core cultural con-
flicts of our civilization, and in doing
so, he exposed what the Jewish experi-
ence was like, what the Jewish religion
was like."
Some of Mr. Potok's interest in these
"core conflicts" stemmed from his
involvement during the Korean War,
where he encountered Korean
Buddhism as a U.S. Army chaplain —
an experience he later fictionalized in
The Hook of Lights.
Indeed, he opened up the religious
Jewish world as much to non Jews as to
Jews. Years after The Chosen was pub-
lished, Walden said Mr. Potok received
letters and e-mails from nuns and
priests, as well as Protestant clergy,
thanking him for writing the book.
Unlike earlier Jewish writers who
were religious skeptics, such as Bernard
Malamud, Philip Roth and Saul Bellow,
Mr. Potok wrote from within the
Jewish religious tradition, Walden said.
As a result, Mr. Potok served as a
model for the next generation of
American Jewish writers — Allegra
Goodman, Nathan Englander and
Myra Goldberg — who also wrote
about the religious experience.
Mr. Potok's most famous book, The
Chosen, focuses on the charactii of
7/26
2002
130
Danny Saunders, who is raised in a cha-
sidic home in Brooklyn. Saunders'
attraction to the more tolerant world of
his friend Reuven Maher puts him at
odds with his father, who wants him to
remain within the chasidic world.
The story was familiar to Mr. Potok.
He spent a fervently Orthodox child-
hood in New York, where he was born
to parents who had emi-
grated from Poland.
.0
"My father, especially,
• wanted me to be a profes-
• sor of Talmud in a yeshiv-
ah," Mr. Potok said in .an
interview two years ago.
While he never fulfilled his
father's expectations, Mr.
Potok did become a Judaic
scholar.
In 1965, he earned a
doctorate in philosophy
from the University of
Pennsylvania, writing his
dissertation on the
German Jewish philoso-
pher Solomon Maimon, a contempo-
rary of Immanuel Kant. The last year ,
of his doctorate was spent in
Jerusalem, where he also wrote The
Chosen.
From 1966-1974, Mr. Potok was
editor in chief of the Jewish
Publication Society in Philadelphia.
During his tenure, he launched JPS'
series of Bible commentaries and
emphasized the publication of chil-
dren's literature.
Though Mr. Potok found his
home in Conservative Judaism, he
spoke passionately about the
Orthodox community, which he
believed, had grown too narrow-
minded.
"The yeshivah is the foil I strike
out with. Or the foil I strike out
against," he once said.
"Fundamentalism is an absolutely
wrong reading of Jewish traditions."
Mr. Potok also was a passionate
lover of Israel, where he _lived for
several years.
Israel figured in his 1997 . book on
the subject of Soviet Jews, The Gates
of November. It focuses on the
Slepak family, well-known
refuseniks, who move to Israel after
gaining their freedom.
Mr. Potok is survived by his wife,
Adena; two daughters, a son and
two grandchildren. ❑
PAULINE (KRENTZIN) BECK-
MAN, 91, formerly of West
Bloomfield of providence, R.I., died
July 22. She was a graduate of
Northern high school and the
Society of Arts and Crafts. Mrs.
Beckman was a stenographer at
Twentieth Century Fox in Detroit.
As an artist, she did work in textiles,
glass, sculpture and painting.
Mrs. Beckman is survived by her
husband, Irving Beckman; son,
Ralph Beckman of Providence;
brother, Earl Krentzin of Grosse
Pointe; four grandchildren. She was
the mother of the late Etta Tuber,
Nathan and Louis Krentzin.
Services were at Sugarman-Sinai
Memorial Chapel in Providence.
Interment at Swan Point Cemetery.
GAIL BERGER, 82, former
Detroiter of Austin, Texas, died July
12, 2002.
She is survived by her beloved hus-
band, Joseph Berger; son and daugh-
ter-in-law, Dennis and Pam Berger
of Austin; sister, Mae Schwartzberg
of Lauderhill, Fla.; brother, Irving
Fishman of West Bloomfield; grand-
son, Miles.
Contributions may be made to the
Jewish Children's Regional Services,
3500 N. Causeway Blvd., #1120,
Metairie, LA 70002-3599.
EDWARD BERSON, 70, of
Southfield, died July 17, 2002. He
was a music and entertainment
industry sales executive, an avid
golfer and a volunteer for Meals on
Wheels.
Mr. Berson is sur-
vived by his daughter
and son-in-law,
Romaney Berson and
Donald Murray of
New Jersey; son, Jory
Berson of Virginia;
grandchildren, Luke
Edward
Murray and Connor
Berson
Murray; sister, Adele
Rutman of Florida;
former wife, Judith
Berson.
Contributions may be made to
Meals on Wheels through the
National Council of Jewish Women.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
LEONARD HENRY BIEMAN, 55,
of Waterford, died July 18, 2002.
He is survived by his wife, Marlene
Bieman; mother, Mary Bieman of
West Bloomfield, mother-in-law,
Lillian Nissen; daughter and son-in-
law, Lisa and Dr. Kevin Feber of
Oak Park; brothers and sisters-in-
law, James and Cindy Bieman of
Fort Collins, Colo., Donald and
Nellie Bieman of Cayey, Puerto
Rico; granddaughter, Gabrielle
Feber. Mr. Bieman was the loving
son of the late Alfred Bieman; loving
son-in-law of the late Maurice
Rosen.
Contributions may be made to
Karmanos Cancer Institute, 24601
Northwestern, Southfield, MI 48075
or to a charity of one's choice.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
MICHAEL COREY, 80, of
Waterford, died July 15, 2002.
He is survived by his wife, Paula
Corey; sons and daughters-in-law,
David and Judith Corey of Mission
Viejo, Calif., Bradley and Kim Corey
of Clarkson; daughter and son-in-
law, Debra and Alex Wasserman of
Oceanside, Calif.; grandchildren,
Lisa Wasserman, Susan Wasserman,
Jordan Corey, Jared Corey, Jacob
Corey.
Contributions may be made to
Hospice of Michigan, 16250
Northland-Drive, Suite 212,
Southfield, MI 48075 or Michigan
Cancer Foundation, 18831 W. 12
Mile Road, Lathrup Village, MI
48076. Services and interment at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.
PAUL CUTTNER, 92, of East
Lansing, died July 14, 2002.
He is survived by his wife,
Veronica Cuttner; nieces and
nephews, Aylene and John
Kovensky-Gard, David and Candy
Cuttner; great-nieces and great-
nephews, Wendy and Philip Arnold,
Sara and Brian Kalt, Seth and Sarah
Kovensky, Ibrah Kovensky.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Services and
interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
NORMAN DAVIDSON, 89, of
Southfield, died July 20, 2002. A
graduate of the University of
Detroit, he went on to become a cost
accountant during the war, then pur -
sued a career in real estate. After
retiring, he opened a retail-clothing
store with his daughter. He was also
a charter member of the Mezeritcher
Society for over 60 years.