obituaries >>

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BEATRICE "BEA"
ZERKEL, 96, of Oak
Park, died Nov. 1, 2015.
She is survived by
her sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, David
and Marlene Zerkel,
Steven Zerkel, Paul and
Zerkel
Helene Phillips; sister,
Dororthy Horowitz;
grandchildren, Rochelle
(Barry) Meyer, Michael (Emma) Zerkel,
Marc Zerkel, Joshua Zerkel, Erika
(David) Maglio, Elana Goldenberg;
great-grandchildren, Madison, Ian,
Harleigh, Leah, Jack; many other loving
family members and friends.
Contributions may be made to
Trees in Israel or Variety Detroit.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

President Remembered

privilege to be with you and live with you
for 20 years.
ormer Israeli president Yitzhak
"I had the privilege and saw the great,
Navon, who died Nov. 6, 2015,
true love the people of this country gave
at age 94, was remembered as a
you," she said.
beloved and influential
Navon said her husband
figure in a funeral two days to:
always strove for equality
later attended by current
and fought racism, discrim-
and former leaders of the E
ination, xenophobia and
nation.
all expressions of violence.
Navon's body lay in
"You were a real democrat,
state in the morning at the
a liberal, a feminist and a
President's Residence in
fighter for justice she said.
Jerusalem. At 11:30, the
Daughter Na'ama said,
formal ceremony began at
"My public father represents
the burial site on Mount
the Israeli story, the genera-
Herzl, with speeches by
tion that fought and built.
President Reuven Rivlin,
He belonged to the leader-
Yitzhak Navo n last year at
Prime Minister Benjamin
ship that believed in provid-
his office in Je rusalem.
Netanyahu, former
ing solutions, a leadership
President Shimon Peres,
that demanded of itself to
cabinet members, and family and friends
do the best for coming generations."
of Israel's fifth president.
President Reuven Rivlin, addressing
Navon's widow, Miri, expressed grati-
Navon, said that he always "shared with
tude at the funeral for "having won the
you the love for Jerusalem." He incanted

Times of Israel

F

a prayer in Ladino, an ancient Hebrew-
Spanish dialect, at the end of his eulogy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
attended the funeral shortly before tak-
ing off to the United States to meet with
President Barack Obama for the first time
in more than a year.
"Yitzhak Navon was a gem among the
stones of Jerusalem our capital; Jerusalem
played the strings of his soul," he said.
The prime minister said his son Avner
once played in Spanish Grove, a play writ-
ten by Navon. "Yitzhak Navon knew well
my father's research on the expulsion
of Jews from Spain. We talked about it
several times:' Netanyahu said, referring
to Navon's lineage, going back to a family
that came to live in Jerusalem in 1620.
Former president Shimon Peres said
Navon "was a president of the people,
not just the state. He was beloved by his
people because he remained loyal to his
path — a path of respect and education
for love of the land.
"Like our great teacher [former prime
minister] David Ben-Gurion, he studied
not only what the people wanted but also
what was necessary for the people Peres
said. *

FUNERALS ON THE WEB FOR
WHEN YOU'D LIKE TO BE THERE,
BUT CAN'T

"You guys are fabulous. I was
unable to attend a funeral
yesterday due to bronchial
problems. But I saw the whole
thing on your web site, without
having to ask the family for a
password."

I ;•

THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL

18325 W. Nine Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075
248.569.0020 • IraKaufman.com

1990390

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November 12 2015

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