obituaries
Obituaries from page 85
PATRICIA "PATTY" SHOOK, 70, of
West Bloomfield, died Nov. 6, 2013.
She is survived by her beloved hus-
band, Larry Shook; aunt, Eleanor Peitz;
many loving nieces, nephews, other
family members and a world of devoted
friends.
Mrs. Shook was the mother of the
Shook c. 2000
late Emily Shook; sister of the late
Michael Weinstein; daughter of the late General William
and the late Evelyn Weinstein; daughter-in-law of the late
Ralph and the late Gloria Shook.
Contributions may be made to Congregation Beth Ahm
or to Hadassah. Interment took place at the Machpelah
Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
ESTHER WEISBERG, 95, of
Southfield, died Nov. 9, 2013.
She is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, Fred and Nona
Weisberg of Royal Oak; daughter and
son-in-law, Cheryl and David Gutow of
Franklin; grandchildren, Jennifer and
Mark Rosen, Lisa and Garry Berman,
Weisberg
Ryan and Susan Weisberg; great-grand-
children, Jack Rosen, Isabella Rosen, Zachary Weisberg,
Liam Berman; loving niece, Michelle Geller.
Mrs. Weisberg was the beloved wife of the late Nathan
Weisberg.
Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.
Services and interment were held at Workmen's Circle
Cemetery, Turover Section. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
Saul Kagan, Claims Conference founder and chief, dies at 91
(JTA)
Germany and the newly created Conference on Jewish
Material Claims Against Germany sat down to hammer out a
aul Kagan, the founder and a longtime chief of
reparations agreement for the crimes of Nazi Germany.
the Claims Conference, died Saturday at age 91.
The document signed that year established payments from
Kagan helped found the organization in 1951 to be
West Germany to the Claims Conference and Israel.
the main vehicle for negotiating with Germany over restitu-
"For the first time in the history of the Jewish people,
tion for Holocaust survivors.
oppressed and plundered for hundreds of years ... the
In a statement announcing his death, the Claims
oppressor and plunderer has had to hand back some of the
Conference credited Kagan with securing tens of bil-
spoil and pay collective compensation for part of
lions in restitution payments during his 47 years at
the material losses:' Israeli Prime Minister David
the helm of the organization.
Ben-Gurion wrote in a 1952 letter to the Claims
"Saul always made his work about the mission
Conference's first president, Nahum Goldmann
and never about himself a representative from the
The early years of restitution were quite conten-
Claims Conference said. "He was the very embodi-
tious among survivors and the Jewish community.
ment of humility, decency, integrity and wisdom:
The Knesset saw violent confrontations over
Kagan was himself a survivor of sorts. A native
whether and how Israel should accept money from
of Vilna, Lithuania, he fled the country in 1940 on
Saul Kagan
Germany, and Kagan was threatened by survivors
a journey that took him to Vladivostok and Japan
and had to hire a bodyguard.
before reaching Hawaii. He eventually made his way to New
Through the Claims Conference, Kagan helped estab-
York. His father survived the war in the Soviet Union, but his
lish the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum in
mother, brother and grandparents were killed by the Nazis.
Jerusalem and the program to honor righteous gentiles —
Kagan found himself back in Europe before the war's end
non-Jews who helped save Jews during the Holocaust.
as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. After the war,
Kagan's name was back in the news this year when it
Kagan, who spoke six languages, coordinated property resti-
emerged that he was among those CC'd on correspondence
tution in Germany for the U.S. Army.
in 2001 about allegations of fraud at the Claims Conference.
According to the Claims Conference, he was involved in
Investigations that year by Claims Conference leaders failed
the creation of U.S. Government military order No. 59, which
to detect a massive fraud scheme was underway since 1993.
allowed Holocaust survivors and victims' families to file
Kagan is survived by his wife, Eleanor; a daughter, Julia;
claims for property confiscated by the Nazis.
and stepchildren Jonathan and Emily Lobatto ❑
In 1952, Kagan played a key role in the landmark
Luxembourg Agreements, when representatives of Israel,
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86
November 14 • 2013
Obituaries