Obituaries
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Builder Of Hope
N
Steve Raphael
Special to the Jewish News
orman Naimark was a
builder.
Whether constructing
apartments, condos or clinics — or
building bridges between diverse indi-
viduals or communities — Mr. Naimark
believed in the dignity of all.
Mr. Naimark, 89, of West Bloomfield,
was an untiring community activist
and volunteer for both Jewish and
civic causes — including the develop-
ment corporation serving Corktown,
the neighborhood near Tiger Stadium.
He was on the board of two nonprofit
organizations and attended a board
meeting the week before he died of a
heart attack on Sept. 17, 2006.
"This is God's gentleman," said
Rabbi Milton Arm, a longtime friend
who delivered the eulogy. Mr. Naimark,
said the rabbi, extended to "all people
— and I emphasize all people — the
qualities of kindness, mercy, under-
standing and genuine honesty.
"All of us were affected by Norm's
life."
A native Detroiter, Mr. Naimark grad-
uated Northern High School in 1935
and received his bachelor's degree in
political science and master's degree
in public administration from Wayne
University.
He enlisted in the Army in 1941 as
a private, entered officer candidate
school and left with the rank of major
four years later. He served in the
Pacific Theater and was recommended
for a Bronze Star for Meritorious
Service.
He began building his business that
ultimately became known as Covenant
Corp., a commercial development com-
pany. He met his future wife, Helen,
during a campaign to send supplies
to Holocaust survivors in Europe. She
later served as executive director of
Jewish Federation Apartments (now
Jewish Apartments and Services)
when it was just one building in Oak
Park, growing the organization there
and in West Bloomfield.
Even while building his business for
the private sector, Mr. Naimark "got
involved in affordable housing, and got
more involved and more involved," said
daughter Susan Naimark. "He always
felt strongly about promoting equity
and self-sufficiency among people
more needy, not just among Jews."
Mr. Naimark was a founding board
member of the Michigan Interfaith
Trust Fund, a statewide affordable
housing and economic development
fund, and was a former president
and current board member of the
A Life At Law
S
amuel Posner, 90, of
Bloomfield Hills, died on
Sept. 25, 2006, of congestive
heart failure.
One of the oldest practicing trial
lawyers in Michigan, Mr. Posner was
still trying cases until his final ill-
ness. He graduated from Wayne Law
School in 1939, where he met his late
wife, Elizabeth (Libby) Posner, who
graduated from Wayne Law School the
year before. During World War II, he
served in counter-intelligence and was
part of the forces that liberated the
concentration camp at Buchenwald,
Germany. After marrying Libby, he re-
enlisted to help gather evidence for
the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
His two loves were the law and his
family. Upon his return, he and his
wife formed the law firm of Posner
and Posner. In 1974, their son Gerald
F. Posner joined them in practice. The
firm, renamed Posner, Posner and
Posner, was believed to be the only
mother-father-son law firm in the
state at that time. Mrs. Posner, who
also actively practiced law until her
final illness,.passed away in 1995. In
2002, grandson Zachary M. Posner
joined the firm.
Samuel Posner was well known in
Detroit legal circles as a tenacious
trial lawyer who was a champion of the
underdog. He began his career special-
izing in criminal law and was one of
the original members of the group of
elite Detroit criminal lawyers known as
the "Clinton Street Bar."
He later expanded to general practice.
He loved trial work and the challenge
of the courtroom. He tried well over a
thousand cases of all kinds in his 66
years of practice, including many suc-
Greater Corktown Development Corp.,
where he became close friends with
Monsignor Clement Kern, Corktown's
parish priest.
When other Jewish institutions
began leaving Detroit for the suburbs,
Mr. Naimark served as co-chair of the
Labor Zionist Alliance and the A. Philip
Randolph Institute, which worked to
build bridges between the Jewish and
black communities in Metropolitan
Detroit.
He was president of the Junior
Division of the Jewish Welfare
Federation immediately following
World War II. He was on the executive
committee of the Jewish Community
Council for 16 years; a board mem-
ber of the Jewish Welfare Federation
for nine years; first vice president of
the Birmingham Board of Education
and chairman of its human relations
council; sand road commissioner for
Franklin Village.
He devoted his life to the Labor
Zionist movement, serving as presi-
dent of the Detroit Zionist Federation,
as well as executive committee mem-
ber of the national Labor Zionist
Alliance.
In the last few months of his life,
Mr. Naimark visited his four children
spread out throughout the United
States. "He had a kid in every time
zone," Susan said.
Norman Naimark is survived by his
beloved wife, Helen; sons and daugh-
cessful malpractice, products liability,
civil rights and police brutality cases.
Mr. Posner is survived by his son
and daughter-in-law, Gerald and Eva
Posner of Bloomfield Hills; grand-
children, Zachary and Cyndi Posner;
great-grandson, Brendan Posner;
brother and sister-in-law, Leonard and
Lois Posner of West Bloomfield; sister,
Eleanor Schwartz of West Bloomfield;
brother-in-law, Phillip Epstein; sister-
in-law, Madeline Posner; numerous
cousins, nieces and nephews, including
Donna and Roy Buxton, Robin Gaston,
Barbara and Michael Hechtman, Nancy
and Richard Seidel, Debra Hage,
Marlene and Charles Thav, Gail and
Henry Sandweiss, Gary and Justine
Posner, Ellen and William Kestenberg,
Barry Belian, Karen Posner, Amy
Posner; many great-nieces and great-
nephews.
Mr. Posner was the beloved husband
of the late Elizabeth Posner; brother
of the late Irwin Posner; brother-in-
law of the late Mary Epstein, the late
Norman Naimark
ters-in-law, Michael Naimark and Marie
Sester of Los Angeles, David Naimark
of Wheaton, III.; daughters and sons-
in-law, Judith and Robert Sullivan
of Carbondale, Colo., Susan Naimark
and John Rowse of Boston, Mass.;
grandchildren, Charles Naimark, Rose
Sullivan, Joseph Sullivan, Benjamin
Naimark-Rowse and Jesse Naimark-
Rowse; many loving cousins, nieces,
nephews, other family members and
friends.
He was the dear brother of the late
Milton Naimark and the late Dr. Martin
Naimark.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park. Contributions may
be made to the Michigan Interfaith
Trust Fund, 2727 Second Ave., Ste.
301, Detroit, MI 48201 or to a char-
ity of one's choice. Arrangements by
Dorfman Chapel. _
Samuel Posner
William Schwartz; uncle of the late
Debbie Belian.
Interment was at Machpelah
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to the Michigan Humane Society or
to the American Heart Association.
Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
September 28 • 2006
77