I
Obituaries
Beth Ahm's 'Bubble'
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
F
or more than a half-century, Ruth
Mermelstein was 'a mainstay at.. .
Congregation
Beth Abraham
L.,
(now Beth Ahm in \ATest Bloomfield), sery
ing side-by-Side with her husband, Rev.
Joseph Mermelstein, the shul's ritual direc-
tor and a fellow Holocaust survivor.
'foungsters knew Mrs. Mermelstein
as the - "Cookie Lady" — always having
treats for them when they arrived for
Hebrew school, said Marilyn Rice of West
Bloomfield, Beth Ahm president.
"She was the pied piper for hungry
people at the synagogue. She helped make
breakfasts for the morning minyan, lunch-
es for sisterhood meetings and prepared
the rummage sales — she was always
there for everyone Rice said.
"Ruthie was a very warm person, like
a bubbie, loved by everyone said Gina
Horwitz of West -Bloomfield, a former Beth
Ahm member. "The entire shul family
embraCed the Mermelsteins."
Mrs. Mermelstein, 80, of West
Bloomfield, died hours after a two-vehicle
-
CLIFFORD BERESH, 58, of
Farmington Hills, died July 28, 2006. He
was a stockbroker at Shearson Lehman
and previously E.F. Hutton national prod-
uct manager for the Hutton line, which •
was their computer system. He also trav-
eled the country teaching brokers how to
use their computer systems.
Mr. Beresh is survived by his son and
daughter-in-law, Robert and Robyn Beresh
of California; daughter and son-in-law,
Elizabeth Beresh and Dr. Mark Berkman;
mother, Vivian Beresh; sister and brother-
in-law, Priscilla and Dr. Marvin Goldstein;
aunt and uncle, Esther and Dr. Henry
Krystal. He was the loving son of the late
Dr. Louis Beresh.
Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to the
Multiple Sclerosis Society, Jewish Hospice
and Chaplaincy Network or to Hospice of
Michigan. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
JEFFREY COHEN, 52, of Oak Park,
died July 24, 2006.
He is survived by his wife, Laurie
Cohen; mother, Lois Cohen of Southfield;
son, Matthew Cohen of Oak Park; daugh-
ter, Jamie Cohen of Oak Park; brothers
traffic accident on July 25, 2006, which
occurred while she a passenger in a car
driven by her husband on Orchard . Lake
Road, He suffered broken ribs and the ,
other driver was hospitalized. No citation
was issued, said Farmington Hills Police.
A survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-
Belsen death camps in Poland and
Germany; Ruth was liberated at the end .
of the war at age 19. She met her hus-
band in New York five years later, said
their daughter, Judy Klein of Silver
Spring, Md.
"Both of them were born in
Ho
Su
what is now Ukraine; he was in
Nazi slave labor camps throughout
the war," she said."My parents didn't like
New York, so a relative helped him get a
job as the ritual director at Beth Abraham
in Detroit!'
`.`Ruth was a quiet, dignified lady
who never really talked much about the
Holocaust," said A. Irving Schnipper, Beth
Ahm rabbi emeritus. "She was the 'mother
of the synagogue: very diligent and very
accommodating to everyone, young and old.".
Rev. Mermelstein gave a poignant, 20-
minute eulogy of his wife at the funeral
and sister-in-law, Jay Cohen of Southfield,
Lee and Cathy Cohen of Brighton; sister
and brother-in-law, Andrea and Elliot
Nachwalter of Las Vegas, Nev.; brothers-
in-law and sisters-in-law, Gary and Gayle
Granat, Diane and Howard Becker; many
loving nieces, nephews and friends. He
was the loving son of the late Jack Cohen.
Contributions may be made to American
Diabetes Association, 30300 Telegraph
Road, #2255, Bingham Farms, MI 48025
or to a charity of one's choice. Interment at
Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
RIVKA DAVIDOVICH, 93, of Franklin,
died July 30, 2006.
She is survived by her son and daugh-
ter-in-law, Jacob and Vicky Davidovich of
Israel; daughter and son-in-law, Tamar
and Dr. Marvin Margolis of Franklin;
brother and sister-in-law, Chaim and Rosa
Bogoslaysky of Seattle, Wash.; grandchil-
dren, Barak and Dafina Davidovich, Horev
and Michal Davidovich, Hagar and Tamir
Solomon; great-grandchildren, Elay, Lia.
She was the beloved wife of the late David
Davidovich.
Contributions may be made to St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital, 501 St.
Ruth Mermelstein
July 26. He said, "I lost my temple, my
guiding light; she was alwa-ys there for me
to help me do everything." Beth Ahm's
Rabbi Steven Rubenstein and Rabbi
Schnipper officiated at the service. The
couple's son, Rabbi Benzion Mermelstein
of Kew Garden, N.Y., also spoke.
Mrs. Mermelstein's lifelong dedication
to the synagogue was cherished by all.
"Ruthie was a quiet, unassuming
Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Services
and interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.
ESTHER FREEDMAN, 96, of
West Bloomfield, died July 24, 2006.
She was a member of Sinai Women's
Guild, Hadassah,
Jewish Women
International and
Temple Beth El.
Mrs. Freedman
is survived by her
daughter and son-
in-law, Sandra and
Moshe Stolov of
Oak Park; son and
Freedman
daughter-in-law, Dr.
Michael and Marion
Freedman of West
Bloomfield; grandchildren, Michael
Roskind, Valerie and Stuart Sandweiss,
Jason and Bonnie Roskind, Louis and
Yonat Roskind, Jeffrey and Debra
Freedman, Dr. Laura Freedman and Jeffrey
Shanbom, Steven Freedman; great-grand-
children, Yosef, Shoshana, Rivka, Rena,
Ari, Raffi, Matis, Michal, Shira-Nechama,
Aharon, Scott, Zachary, Matthew, Ben,
woman, very grandmotherly, who helped
all of our members',' said Beth Ahm
Executive Director Tessa Goldberg. "She
always attended every function here."
Added synagogue member Dorothy
Sandberg of Bloomfield Township, "She
stood at the door and was always the first
. person to greet people when they arrived
for Shabbos services. She was very shy, but
she knew everyone!'
Ruth Mermelstein is survived by her
husband, Rev. Joseph Mermelstein; son
and daughter-in-law, Rabbi Benzion and
Freyda Mermelstein of Richman Hills,
N..Y.; daughters and sons-in-law, Helen
and Tzvi Rosenberg of Brooklyn, N.Y.,
Judy and Sheldon Klein of Silver Spring,
Md., Esther and Elliot Gutow of Cleveland;
sisters, Rose Schwartz of Brooklyn, Lifsha
Sperber of Brooklyn; 18 grandchildren; 13
great-grandchildren.
She was the loving sister of the late
Yehuda Leib Klein; dear sister-in-law
of the late Yaakov Schwartz and the late
Yitzchok Sperber.
Interment was at Beth Abraham
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
Congregation Beth Ahm, 5075 W Maple,
West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Kollel
Institute, 15230 W. Lincoln, Oak Park,
MI 48237-. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel. El
Ethan and Aidan. She was the beloved wife
of the late Lou Freedman; loving sister
of the late Helen Greenstein and the late
Samuel Eder; dear sister-in-law of the late
Morris Greenstein and the late Helen Eder
Lattin.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Temple
Beth El, 7400 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield
Hills, MI 48301; Machon In'orah, 15221 W.
10 Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237; or to a
charity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.
AMELIA GAUM, 84, of West
Bloomfield, died July 25, 2006.
She is survived by her daughter and
son-in-law, Michelle and Dr. Joel Harris of
Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Marsha
Harris, Ashley D. Gaum, Lorne D. Gaum,
Alan and Brenda Harris. She was the
beloved wife of the late Louis Gaum; lov-
ing mother of the late Ian Gaum.
Contributions may be made to
Hadassah, 5030 Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48323 or to a charity of
one's choice. Interment at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements
by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
Obituaries on page 78
August 3 a 2006
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