Obituaries

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Outreach To 'Lost' Jews Drove Aish HaTorah Founder

Ben Harris

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

R

abbi Noah Weinberg, the found-
er and dean of the sprawling
global outreach organization
Aish HaTorah, died Feb. 5, 2009, at his
home in Jerusalem. He was 78.
A brilliant educator and charismatic
lecturer, Rabbi Weinberg was a pioneer in
the baal teshuvah movement, the process of
bringing secular Jews to Orthodox Judaism,
and was the guiding force behind Aish
HaTorah's emergence as a leader of efforts
to turn back the tide of assimilation.
With just five students — including
Rabbi Alon Tolwin, now director of Aish
HaTorah Detroit — Rabbi Weinberg
founded Aish in 1974 in Jerusalem. It now
occupies prime real estate opposite the
Western Wall and encompasses dozens
of branches around the world. About
100,000 people attend Aish programs
annually in 77 cities in 17 countries.
"By starting the baal teshuvah move-
ment, Rabbi Weinberg has created a force

NORMAN ABEL, 93, of Bloomfield Hills,
died Feb. 3, 2009.
He was a manager at Charles Furniture
at 13 Mile and Woodward and since 1947
was a member of the Detroit Federation of
Musicians.
Mr. Abel is survived by his wife of
64 years, Thelma Abel; son, Kerry Abel;
friend, Howard Gourwitz and his son, Jake
Gourwitz; brother, Gerald Abel; sister-in-
law, Belle Abel; nieces, nephews.
He was the loving brother of the late
Isadore Abel; the dear brother-in-law of
the late Marcia Abel; devoted father of the
late Martin Abel.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to Kadima,
15999 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, MI 48076
or Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, MI 48323. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

THEODORE "TED" BERMAN, 87, died
Feb. 8, 2009, in Cleveland.
He is survived by his children, Laurie
Kimmel (Robert) of West Bloomfield and
Saundra Reichard (Mark) of Torrance,
Calif.; loving grandchildren, Avihud and
Emily Kimmel, David Reichard (Sherrie);
two great-grandchildren; cherished nieces
and nephews.
Mr. Berman was the beloved husband
of the late Ethel (Hochheiser) Berman;
brother of the late Hyman "Jack" Berman
(Dinny) and the late Mollie Greenberg.

of colossal historical importance for all of education was ignorant of the wealth of
Judaism," said Rabbi Tolwin.
their heritage. He saw it as his mission
"Rabbi Weinberg created bridges
to make Judaism relevant to an apathetic
between the secular and the religious
generation. He was incredibly successful
worlds. He introduced a level of profes-
over the last 50 years at reigniting the
sionalism into the Torah world neces-
spark of Jewishness in hundreds of thou-
sitated by the need to teach
sands of Jewish souls."
yeshivah graduates how to
Rabbi Weinberg believed
speak to secular people.
the greatest challenge fac-
"He created the cam-
ing Jewry today is the loss
pus movement for Israel
of Jews to ignorance, apathy
advocacy and inspired
and assimilation. To drive
the creation of media and
the point home, he led a
other outlets to train and
delegation of Aish rabbis to
empower Jewish students
Holocaust sites in Poland in
Rabbi Noah Weinberg
to know and to defend the
2006, a journey detailed in
State of Israel on campus;'
the film From the Ashes.
added Rabbi Tolwin. "Through his Web
"Why did we come here?" he asks in
site aish.com, he was a pioneer in using
the film. "We are losing more neshamahs
the Internet for mass Jewish education!'
[souls] every day than we're gaining.
Rabbi Yitz Greenman, the execu-
We're in trouble. We got to wake up!'
tive director of Aish HaTorah New
Rabbi Weinberg, after starting outreach
York/Discovery, noted, "Rav Noah was
efforts in the '60s and '70s including Ohr
a unique visionary who believed that
Somayach, realized he needed to populate
every Jew was innately interested in their
Aish with individuals who were them-
Jewishness, but because of the lack of
selves once secular. Only they, he believed,

Services were held at Berkowitz-Kumin-
Bookatz Memorial Chapel, 1985 S. Taylor
Rd., Cleveland Hts. Interment at Zion
Memorial Park.

WINIFRED "WINNIE" BORKIN, 84, of
Southfield, died Feb. 5, 2009.
She is survived by her husband, William;
daughters and sons-in-law, Karen and
Robert Gladstone of Commerce Township,
Marilyn and Dr. Danny Benjamin of West
Bloomfield; sisters-in-law and brother-
in-law, Marion Shlom, Morris and Connie
Borkin; grandchildren, Matthew Benjamin,
Ryan Benjamin, Bradley Gladstone; many
loving nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Borkin was the loving daughter of
the late Simon and the late Libby Shlom;
dear sister of the late Irving Shlom, the
late Philip Shlom, the late Yetta Sallan, the
late Bertha Novograd; dear sister-in-law
of the late Max Sallan, the late Nathan
Novograd, the late Harry and the late Irene
Borkin, the late Ceil Shlom.
Contributions may be made to
Alzheimer's Association, 20300 Civic Center
Dr. Suite, # 100, Southfield, MI 48076.
Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

BERTRAM "BERT" BROSTOFF, 93, of
Wixom, died Feb. 8, 2009.
An Air Force veteran of World War
II, he had been stationed in the South
Pacific. He retired as a freelance window

display designer and was a member of the
Michigan Freelance Display Guild. He was
also a member of Temple Treasures and was
a volunteer for Jewish Vocational Service.
Mr. Brostoff is survived by a daughter
and son-in-law, Marsha and Ted Palmer of
Wixom; grandchildren, Ryan Grubbs, Erik
Grubbs, John and Morgan Palmer; great-
grandchildren, Luke and Natalie Palmer.
He was the beloved husband of the late
Lillian Ruth Brostoff.
Interment at B'nai David Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the
Alzheimer's Association, 20400 Civic
Center Drive, #100, Southfield, MI
48076, (248) 351-0280, www.alz.org .
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

LILA DANIELS, 86, of Las Vegas, Nev.,
formerly of Detroit, died Jan. 16, 2009.
She is survived by her daughter and
son-in-law, Marilyn and Lawrence David
of New Jersey; son and daughter-in-law,
William and Laurel Daniels of California;
grandchildren, Adam and Robert David,
Sarah and Justin Daniels, Brian Daniels,
Jessica Harrison; great-grandchildren,
Rachel Harrison, Emerson and Halley
Daniels, Lila Daniels; sister-in-law, Edith
Hoffman; nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Daniels was the beloved wife of the
late Bernard E. Daniels; the loving mother
of the late Harley J. Daniels; the devoted
daughter of the late Robert and the late
Anna Hoffman; the dear sister of the late

understood the urgency of the task.
"He paid attention to people in a way
I don't recall seeing ever before said
Adam Jacobs, a rabbi at the Aish Center
in Manhattan who encountered Aish as a
secular Jew in college and found his way
to Jerusalem.
Rabbi Greenman recalled once visit-
ing Rabbi Weinberg on a Friday night to
see the rabbi's young son climbing up
a pipe. Expecting him to scold his son,
Rabbi Greenman was shocked to discover
Rabbi Weinberg offer to lift the boy on his
shoulders so he could reach the ceiling.
"That's who Rabbi Weinberg was;' said
Rabbi Greenman. "He was a man who
said to everyone, `Stand on my shoulders,
and I'll help you go further! He helped
every Jew try to reach the ceiling."
Added Rabbi Tolwin, "Rabbi Weinberg
did all this with relatively little funding
and staff. He was a visionary who died
way before his work was completed!' El

IN Senior Copy Editor David Sachs
contributed to this report.

Bernard Hoffman and the late Sol Hoffman.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the
VA Greater Los Angeles/General Post
Fund, do Voluntary Service, Bldg. 218,
11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
90073. Checks should be marked for
the Homeless Veterans Programs. This
announcement was placed at the request
of the family by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

EARL DAVIDSON, 100, of West
Bloomfield, died Feb. 4, 2009.
He was born in Mitalin, Poland, grew up
in Detroit and served his country in World
War II in the Pacific. He was devoted to
family and friends, loved to travel and to
keep up on current affairs. He displayed
charm, warmth and a sense of humor.
Mr. Davidson is survived by his beloved
wife, Sylvia; stepson, Elliot Segal; grand-
daughter, Rachel Segal.
He was the dear brother of the late Alex
Davidson, Sam (Mary) Davidson, Belle
(Max) Diller, and Lee (Alan) Stone. He is
also survived by his dear brother-in-law
Joseph (Sharon) Cohen and loving nieces
and nephews, Estelle Davidson, Allen
Davidson, Carol Stone, Jerry Diller, Ronald
Stone, Sandra Meyer.
Contributions may be made to Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network or to
a charity of one's choice. Interment at
Beth Abraham Cemetery in Ferndale.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

Obituaries on page B38

February 12 = 2009

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