obituaries
Obituaries from page 76
Chef Won Hearts Of J SL Residents
Mir's Beloved Rosh Yeshivah
new manner of doing things. He loved it."
Cecilia Friedenzohn of West Bloomfield,
a longtime friend of the family, said Marlan
is family wondered how Marlan Smith, picked up some Yiddish words working at JSL.
"All the people loved him there,' she said,"espe-
a gentile, would fare as the head
cially for his humor and kindness."
kosher chef for a multitude of poten-
Another family friend, Helen Gale of
tial senior-citizen "food critics" at Fleischman
Southfield, said Marian would cook meals for her
Residence and Hechtman Apartments.
when she was recovering from an illness. "He was
"He quickly won over everyone's hearts," said
the most beloved young man:' she
his father, Bruce Smith.
said. "He made everyone think they
"If the food was not to some-
were a special person:'
one's liking, he'd immediately take
A fond memory of Marlan's
it back and tell the lady, 'Darling,
parents, Bruce Smith and Linda
let me make it right for you. After
Snedden-Smith — both violinists
a day or two on the job, they all
with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
loved him. He always fussed over
— is when the couple played a con-
the ladies to make sure everything
cert at Fleischman while their son
was all right with them."
provided the catering.
Marian Smith, 40, an employee of
Mr. Smith is survived by his wife,
Morrison Senior Dining and execu-
Marian Smith
Jackie, his parents and his siblings,
tive chef and production manager at
Erik, Cameron and Andrea.
the Jewish Senior Life residences in
There will be an informal gathering in cel-
West Bloomfield, died Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, of a
blood clot that traveled to his heart. Mr. Smith, who ebration of Marlan's life at 5 p.m. Tuesday,
had been on the job for more than a year, had been Nov. 22, at Pi Banquet Hall (behind the for-
mer Excalibur Restaurant) on Northwestern
hospitalized since the previous Monday.
"Marian learned how to cook glatt kosher," said Highway south of 12 Mile in Southfield. Friends
and especially JSL residents are invited to
his father. "He said it was exciting to learn a dif-
attend.
ferent way to prepare food. It opened up a whole
ity for an American-born rabbi
to make such a mark in Israel's
insular ultra-Orthodox world.
At his funeral at the yeshi-
merican-born Rabbi
vah's main campus in northern
Nosson Finkel, head
Jerusalem, family members and
of Mir Yeshiva in
yeshivah rabbis spoke of Rabbi
Jerusalem, said to be the world's
largest, died in Jerusalem on Nov. Finkel's devotion to his school and
students. According to Hamodia,
8, 2011, at age 68.
an Orthodox news-
Rabbi Finkel,
paper, Rabbi Refoel
whose funeral
Shmulevitz said
drew an estimated
Rabbi Finkel's "con-
100,000 people, was
cern for and dedica-
praised throughout
tion to each and
Orthodox commu-
every individual ...
nities for building
has produced what
Mir into a major
we
see today, this
institution with
great
yeshivah, where
multiple branches,
each
person
feels
for encouraging
Rabbi Noss on Finkel
that
the
other
is his
thousands to learn
brother."
in yeshivahs and
Many noted Rabbi Finkel's
adult kollels, and for his personal
efforts
despite his debilitat-
warmth and generosity.
ing
Parkinson's
disease and his
Rabbi Finkel was born in
reported unwillingness to take
Chicago and was named after
medication, as it might limit his
his paternal great-grandfather,
mental capacity and reduce his
founder of Lithuania's Slabodka
Torah study.
yeshivah. It is considered a rar-
David Sachs
Senior Copy Editor
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78
November 17 • 2011
Obituaries
Alan D. Abbey
JTA
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