Obituaries
Obituaries are updated and archived on JNonline.us .
akob "Kuba" Liwazer, 95, of West
Bloomfield died May 7, 2009.
Mr. Liwazer was born in
Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 19, 1914, into a
family of Gerrer Chasidim. He was one
of nine siblings and his father, Ben-Zion,
was a baal koreh (Torah reader). Mr.
Liwazer received advanced degrees in
philosophy and microbiology in 1937
from a Polish university. Anti-Semitic
laws prohibited him from fulfilling his
intention to attend medical school.
From 1941 to 1944, Mr. Liwazer was
trapped in the Shauli ghetto in Lithuania
until its liquidation and then imprisoned
in the Stuttof and Dachau concentration
camps. He was liberated on May 2, 1945,
a date he celebrated every year. He was
soon accidentally reunited with his first
cousin, the chaplain rabbi, U.S. Col. Lt.
Hersh Liwazer.
A lover of Zion and Jewish educa-
tion and tradition, "Kuba," as he was
fondly known, was greatly influenced by
Theodor Herzl's book Altneuland (Old
New Land) and was dedicated to join-
ing the collective efforts to help establish
the State of Israel. While in Munich, he
met Detroiters Joe Holtzman and Lou
Berry, who were working on behalf of
the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee. Chaplain Liwazer arranged
for Kuba to join him on a private U.S.
plane to Palestine. He met with a small
group planning the new State of Israel.
Among them were two fraternity brothers
CHARLES ACKERMAN, 92, of Northville,
died May 16, 2009. He was a real estate
investor and had a law degree.
Mr. Ackerman is survived by his daugh-
ter, DeAnn Fierman of Northville; son,
Gerald Ackerman; grandchildren, Adam
and Yasmeen Wengrow, Shari and Fred
Adair, Candice Ackerman; great-grand-
children, Cole and Kennedy Adair, Erin
and Benjamin Wengrow.
He was the beloved husband of the late
Freda Ackerman; loving brother of the late
Irving Ackerman and the late Molly Littky;
dear brother-in-law of the late Feige
Ackerman.
Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to
the Alzheimer's Association, Detroit
Area Chapter, 20300 Civic Center Drive,
Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48076, www.
alzgmc.org; Jewish National Fund,
27600 Farmington Road, Suite 204,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334, www.jnf.
org/Midwestern; or Shriners International
Headquarters, 2900 Rocky Point Drive,
Tampa, FL 33607. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
who became signers of
to the United States.
the Israeli Declaration
His friend Ben Thatch
of Independence. Kuba
suggested he visit
was honored to be
Detroit, described
a guest in the home
to him as a vibrant
of the first Israeli
Jewish community.
president, Chaim
Kuba met again with
Weizmann.
Joe Holtzman and
After liberation,
his business partner
Kuba was employed
Nathan Silverman,
by the U.S. Army to
builders who offered
return displaced per-
him a job with their
sons to their respective
firm.
countries. He covertly
Up until a few
helped smuggle survi-
months ago, he
vors from Munich to
continued to go to
Marseilles, where they
his Holtzman and
boarded ships headed
Silverman office,
to Israeli ports.
where
he worked for
Jakob 'Kuba' Liwazer
"Each time I was
56 years. His loyalty
going back and
extended to the work he loved
fetching another transport:' he said on
and to his ability to strengthen the finan-
his videotaped testimonial for Steven
cial might of Jewish organizations and
Spielberg's Shoah Foundation,
the State of Israel. Together with
"we took 1,200 people, 1,500,
Joe Holtzman, Kuba helped pro-
2,000, 1,000 ... each time ...
vide a fully equipped ambulance
tens of thousands I helped bring
for Israel's emergency medical
to Israel." It was this contribution
service, Magen David Adorn.
to history — the ingathering of
Kuba's many interests included
the Jewish people to the land of
Israeli
politics, science research
usT
Su
O R
Israel — which he considered
and economics. He supported
to be among his greatest accom-
and was involved with many
plishments.
Jewish organizations and felt privileged to
Kuba followed his younger sister Liza
serve as president for the Michigan chap-
and husband, Paul Shklar, who was on the ter of the American Friends of Hebrew
Death March with him, and immigrated
University for four years.
Although experiencing the Holocaust
informed him, Kuba's resiliency, opti-
mism and intense faith in God made
him more of a victor than survivor — a
man who peopled his life with a new
family, dear friends and a strong com-
munity.
"What do I consider as his greatest
achievement?" asked daughter Elizabeth
Liwazer, a speaker at the funeral.
"Besides retaining his intense faith and
bitachon, trust in God, he always strived
to be a mentsh — whether he was sur-
rounded by inhumanity or in a kinder
place."
Jakob Liwazer leaves his loving wife
of 46 years, Esther; children, Marci (Dr.
David) Beneson, Anita (Dr. Dennis)
Blender, Elizabeth J. Liwazer; grandchil-
dren, Avi and Steffie (Dorfman) Beneson,
Jeana (Beneson) and Gadi Rivkin,
Victoria Beneson, Katie Blender, Abbey
Blender; great-grandson, Zev Beneson;
extended family in Metropolitan Detroit
and in Israel.
Cherished brother of the late Liza
Shklar, the late Dyna Weintal, Kuba sur-
vived his father, Ben-Tzion, and siblings,
Frania, Fela, Edzia, Adasz, Yulek, Mietek,
who perished in the Holocaust.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park. Contributions may
be made to Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills
or any Jewish charity. Arrangements by
Ira Kaufman Chapel.
HY ANKERMAN, 83, of Columbus, Ohio,
formerly of Detroit, died May 9, 2009.
He is survived by his wife, Sybil; son,
Marc (Judy) Ankerman; daughters, Nancy
(Mark) Shapiro and Linda (Richard)
Kuppe; grandchildren, Jordan, Kelsey,
Cody, Stacey, Bradley, Amanda and
Matthew.
Funeral services and interment held
privately. Contributions may be made
to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N.
Michigan Ave., floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
Arrangements by Epstein Memorial
Chapel, (614) 235-3232. Online guestbook
at www.epsteinmemorial.com .
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
American Diabetes Association, 30200
Telegraph Road, Suite 105, Bingham
Farms, MI 48025, (248) 433-3830,
www.diabetes.orgisecure/donation/
Donate.do?action=Memory; or Kidney
Foundation of Michigan, 1169 Oak Valley
Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, (734) 222-
9800, www.nkfm.org . Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
LARRY JACOB BINKE, 82, of East
Lansing, died May 12, 2009.
He is survived by his sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Stewart Binke and Christine
Nichols of East Lansing, David and Kathy
Binke of Illinois; sister, Fannie Wiernik of
Southfield; grandchildren, Bailey Binke,
Olivia Binke, Hannah Binke, Jessica Binke;
many loving nieces and nephews.
Mr. Binke was the beloved husband of
the late Anne Binke; loving brother of the
late Aaron Binke, the late Herschel Binke,
the late Sol Binke, the late Goldie Binke.
Contributions may be made to American
Diabetes Association, 30300 Telegraph
Road, Ste. 105, Bingham Farms, MI 48025.
Interment at Hebrew Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
ELAINE RAE CARNICK, 84, of Auburn
Hills, died May 17, 2009.
She was active with the Allied Jewish
Campaign and the American Cancer
Foundation.
Mrs. Carnick is survived by daughters
and sons-in-law, Andrea and Michael
Werber of Bloomfield Hills, Dana and Avi
Memran of West Bloomfield and Michele
and Steven Kirsch of West Bloomfield; son
and daughter-in-law, Robert and Andrea
Carnick; grandchildren, Jonathan Werber,
Glen and Michael Bassirpour, Henry and
Cole Carnick, Elizabeth Kirsch; sister, Lois
Weiss.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Harry Carnick; the cherished sister-in-law
of the late Dr. Jack Weiss.
Interment at Clover Hill Park
❑
THOMAS CHERNIAK, 70, of Royal Oak,
died May 16, 2009.
He is survived by his daughters, Victoria
(Debbie) Cherniak of Seattle, Wash.,
Jennifer and Jonathan Hood of Rochester;
brother and sister-in-law, Edward and
Susan Cherniak of West Bloomfield;
grandchildren, Zella Cherniak and Gabriel
Hood; devoted friend, Samuel Wolf.
Interment at the Adat Shalom Memorial
Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions
may be made to a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
Obituaries on page C74
May 21 2009
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