Febraury 14 • 2019 51
jn

MARGARET BERLIN, 
72, of Farmington Hills, 
died Feb. 6, 2019. 
She is survived by her 
brothers, Arthur (Linda) 
Berlin and Gerald (Marie) 
Berlin; nephews and niec-
es, Jeffrey and Allison Berlin, Jon and 
Leslie Berlin, Jimmy and Amy Berlin, 
Rachel and Rich Handloff, Deborah 
and Justin Kramer, Naomi and Michael 
Hoffman; great-nieces and great-neph-
ews, Ari and Olivia Berlin, Annabel and 
Miles Berlin, Sam and Eddie Berlin, 
Hannah and Sophie Handloff, Lucy and 
Etta Kramer, Mollie and Jonah Hoffman; 
her wonderful caregivers at JARC.
Mrs. Berlin was the cherished daughter 
of the late Harry and the late Sara Berlin. 
Interment was at Adat Shalom 
Memorial Park. Contributions may be 
made to JARC, 30301 Northwestern 
Hwy., Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 
48334, www.jarc.org; or Jewish Hospice 
& Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W
. Maple, 
West Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.
jewishhospice.org. Arrangements by Ira 
Kaufman Chapel.

SANDRA “SANDY” 
MARJORIE GERSH, a 
resident of Las Vegas, Nev., 
passed away peacefully on 
Feb. 2, 2019. She was born 
on March 9, 1941.
Sandy, who worked 
for the city of Detroit, the Oak Park 
Michigan School District and Sanyo 
Fisher Corporation, loved mahjongg, 
seashells, cruises, coupons, movies and 
her family.
She wasn’
t, however, fond of earth-
quakes, wildfires or anyone else driving. 
A legion of friends, loved ones and 
acquaintances describe Sandy as won-
derful, sweet, funny, beautiful, just so 
special. Many stated, “I loved her.
” She’
d 
ask anyone wearing Detroit sporting 
apparel, “
Are you from Michigan?” She 
made incredible salmon patties and could 
carry on four conversations simultane-
ously. Quick to smile, Sandy could light 
up a room. She leaves innumerable warm 
memories for generations to remember. 
Mrs. Gersh is survived by two sons and 
daughters-in-law, Howard and Julie, and 
Andy and Sharyn; grandchildren, Noah, 
Zac and Evan, Owen and Leo; two sib-
lings, Saul Lenhoff and Joyce Torby.
She was preceded in death by her par-
ents, Alice and Aaron Lenhoff; her sister, 

Elaine Goldstein; and devoted husband of 
48 years, Allen Gersh.
The funeral was at Southern Nevada 
Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 
Buchanan Blvd., in Boulder City, Nev. 
Contributions to a charity of one’
s 
choice would be greatly appreciated. 
Arrangements by Kraft-Sussman Funeral 
Services in Las Vegas. 

ROSALIE GREENBERG, 92, passed 
away peacefully on Feb. 4, 2019, at 
Tidewell Hospice in Sarasota, Fla. 
She was born July 11, 1926, in 
Memphis, Tenn. She married Joseph 
Greenberg of Detroit on Oct. 6, 1946. 
In 2010, Rosalie and Joe moved from 
Michigan to Sarasota. 
Rosalie touched the lives of all who 
knew her and will be deeply missed. She 
will be remembered for her keen sense of 
humor, her style and creativity, and her 
warm and loving heart.
Mrs. Greenberg is survived by Joe, 
her loving husband of 72 wonderful 
years; her sons, Cary and his partner, 
Joanne, Mitchell and his wife, Cindy; 
granddaughters of the beloved “Mimi,
” 
Staci Davis Broadwell and her husband, 
Christian, Lissa McGirt and her hus-
band, Chris, Ellery Berinstein and her 
husband, Jeffrey, and Gillian Greenberg; 
great-grandsons, Dylan, Brady, Rylan and 
Mavryk.
Contributions may be made to the 
Sarasota Hospice House, checks payable 
to Tidewell Hospice, 5955 Rand Blvd., 
Sarasota, FL 34238.

DOROTHY KAHN, 100, 
of Farmington Hills, died 
Feb. 6, 2019.
She is survived by her 
son, Bruce (Judy Dalsey) 
Kahn; daughter, Karen 
Kahn; grandson, James 
Kahn; brother, Marshall (Bonnie) Fry; 
nephews and nieces, Ron Fry, Madeline 
Fry, Matthew Fry, Steven (Fran) Cole; 
great-nephew, Eric Fry. 
Mrs. Kahn was the beloved wife of the 
late Robert J. Kahn; the loving sister of 
the late Harold Fry; the dear sister-in-law 
of the late Adele Fry. 
Interment was at Clover Hill Park 
Cemetery. Contributions may be 
made to Hebrew Free Loan, 6735 
Telegraph Road, Suite 300, Bloomfield 
Hills, MI 48301, hfldetroit.org; Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, 
6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 260, P
.O. 

soul

of blessed memory

T

o the many employees and part-
ners of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, 
who died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 
2019, at the age of 67, he was a man of 
vision whose enormous drive to suc-
ceed both facilitated and complicated 
his relentless efforts on behalf of the 
Jewish people.
As head of the International 
Fellowship of Christians and Jews, or 
IFCJ, the New York-born rabbi raised 
more than $360 million in donations 
— mostly from Christians — for 
projects benefiting needy Jews and 
Arabs in Israel and beyond,
To many thousands of ordinary 
Jews and Christians whose lives he 
touched without ever meeting them, 
Eckstein was something of a guardian 
angel, heading a powerful machine that 
offered everyday assistance and was 
able to intervene quickly in emergen-
cies, in creative ways cutting through 
the red tape characteristic of some 
other Jewish aid groups.
The impact left by Eckstein, who 
died of cardiac arrest at his home in 
Jerusalem, was reflected in the glowing 
eulogies that mainstream Jewish groups 
offered within hours of his death.
“He was a tireless worker for the 
Jewish people and for Israel, and he 
made significant contributions by fos-
tering evangelical support for Israel,
” 
wrote Jonathan Greenblatt, national 
director of the ADL.
Eckstein, who grew up in Canada 
and moved to Israel in 1999, began 
his involvement in interfaith dialogue 
with the ADL in 1974 and started the 
International Fellowship of Christians 
and Jews in 1983. Using TV adver-

tising, his tremendous charisma and 
tireless outreach legwork in the United 
States, he made unprecedented head-
way in raising funds for Israel and Jews 
in crisis situations among evangelicals.
Eckstein served as a member of the 
board and executive committee of the 
American Jewish Joint Distribution 
Committee and, in 2014, together with 
IFCJ, received its highest honor, the 
Raoul Wallenberg Award.
He also pushed back against Jewish 
leaders who distrusted evangelical sup-
port of Israel.
“[T]he majority of evangelicals 
are passionately pro-Israel because it 
is part of their theology to love and 
support the Jewish people,
” Eckstein 
wrote in 2002. “I could not accept the 
conditional love of those who expect 
a payback on behalf of my people. I 
could not embark on a relationship 
that would compromise my person-
al integrity and ideals or that of the 
Jewish community I represent. But 
having been the first — and most often 
the only — Jew to build bridges with 
the right-wing Christian community, I 
have a view and understanding of their 
pro-Israel fervor that most people ‘
on 
the outside’
 lack.
”
Isaac Herzog, chairman of the Jewish 
Agency for Israel, wrote on Twitter that 
the Jewish people have lost “a leader 
who worked tirelessly on their behalf.
”
Eckstein was ordained at Yeshiva 
University in New York and held mas-
ter’
s degrees from Yeshiva University 
and Columbia University, where he 
also completed studies for his doctor-
ate.
One of his three daughters, 

continued on page 53

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, 
Interfaith Activist Dies at 67

CNAAN LIPHSHIZ JTA.ORG PHOTOS COURTESY IFCJ

Rabbi Yechiel 

Eckstein 

continued on page 55