52 May 9 • 2019
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rieda Smolinsky Leemon, 98,
was born in Baklarzevo, Poland,
in 1921 and was brought to the
United States as an infant. She died
May 2, 2019.
As the oldest of five daughters, she
had familial responsibilities
from a very early age. She
was the original English
speaker in her extended
family and took care of
many family obligations
usually handled by adults.
She did well in school
and while she only men-
tions her degree from
Wayne, she took a com-
mercial course in high
school and then worked to pay for her
college education. She sold handker-
chiefs at a linen store in downtown
Detroit and rose to office manager
and buyer before she left work after
her marriage. She was very intelligent
and had an outstanding memory.
Frieda lived most of her life in the
Metropolitan Detroit area and gradu-
ated from Northwestern High School
and then from Wayne University. She
also graduated from United Hebrew
School High School Department
at Philadelphia Byron Branch and
received the Gold Medal awarded by
Feigenson (Faygo) brothers as the out-
standing student of her class.
Frieda resumed the study of
Hebrew in later life and was a fluent
Hebrew speaker.
She was actively involved with the
Adat Shalom Sisterhood and served
at one time as president. She was also
a Cub Scout leader for son Mark, and
she was a volunteer at Sinai Hospital.
Frieda said fundraising was easy
because she was presenting a person
who had the ability to donate with the
opportunity to perform a mitzvah.
Her dedication to this aspect of her
work was probably inspired by
the row of pushkes her mother
kept on the window sill.
In 1961, she was elect-
ed president of the Greater
Detroit Council of Pioneer
Women (now Na’
amat). In
1963, she was chairman of the
National Convention held in
Detroit at the Book Cadillac
Hotel. At that time, she was
elected to the national board
and served in many positions mainly
in fundraising.
She received the State of Israel
Award in 1977 at the National
Convention held in Washington, D.C.,
and was elected national president of
Pioneer Women, serving for many
years.
In 1981, for Frieda’
s 60th birthday,
the Leemon family built a three-class
day care center in Ramle, Israel, for
the children of working mothers; it
was named Beit Frieda. Children age
3 months to 5 years are educated and
cared for there.
In 1982, in gratitude for Frieda’
s
service, Na’
amat Israel dedicated the
Frieda Leemon Technological High
School in Lod, a school for students at
risk. In 1991, this school received the
Israel Education Prize for Excellence.
Mrs. Leemon attended most of the
graduation ceremonies at the school
and traveled to Israel 46 times.
She served on the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish
Organizations and attended many
meetings at the White House, State
Department and Pentagon. She was
honored to speak at the Knesset and
was a guest at the signing of the Peace
Treaty between Israel and Egypt and
at the dinner at the White House the
following the evening. She became
friends with Golda Meir and knew all
the presidents and prime ministers of
Israel personally.
Mrs. Leemon was the first per-
son from Michigan to serve on the
Actions Committee and Presidium of
the World Zionist Organization and
attended many World Zionist con-
gresses. She served on the National
Board of the World Jewish Congress,
the Jewish National Fund, State of
Israel Bonds and the United Israel
Appeals. In 1985, she was elected vice
president of the World Movement of
Na’
amat, the largest women’
s organi-
zation in Israel. At this conference,
delegates from 13 countries voted to
accept the name of their sister orga-
nization in Israel, Na’
amat, a Hebrew
acronym for women who work
and volunteer. Pioneer Women did
not lose its pioneering spirit; it just
changed its name to Na’
amat, U.S.A.
At the age of 70, Mrs. Leemon vol-
unteered to serve in the Israeli Army
and was assigned to the Southern
Army Command in Beersheba for a
month.
For 30 years, she served as a chair-
man of the board of the Golda Meir
Child Development Fund, a special
fund for child care centers in develop-
ment towns and poor neighborhoods
as well as advanced pedagogical pro-
grams for child care staff.
At the World Zionist Congress in
2004, she was named an Honorary
Fellow of the World Zionist
Organization, a yakira Yerushalayim,
a beloved of Jerusalem. She was also a
life member of the National Council
of Jewish Women, ORT America and
Brandeis University Women.
Mrs. Leemon was married to the
late Norman I. Leemon. She is sur-
vived by her children, Judith Ann
Holtz, Mark (Sidney Stillerman
Royer) Leemon and Sheldon (Lenore
Waldhorn) Leemon; grandchildren,
Meredith Robin (Adam) Weingarden,
Jason Richard Holtz, Ethan Randall
(Dana Kushkin) Holtz, Elizabeth
Sarah (Michael) Snyder, Joseph
Reuben (Courtney) Leemon, Joseph
P.L. Henry and Sonia Yonit Portney
Leemon; great-grandchildren, Noah
Ryan Weingarden, Emilie Renee
Weingarden, Linley Ava Holtz, Braden
Julius Holtz, Sutton Asher Holtz and
Brooke Lois Snyder.
She was the daughter of the late
Tillie and the late Henry Smolinsky;
sister of the late Pauline (late Dr.
Leonard) Schreiber, late Miriam (late
Sol) Hoberman, Jacqueline (late Paul)
Drucker and Gail (late Dr. Floyd)
Tukel.
Contributions may be made to
Na’
amat USA, 21515 Vanowen St.,
Suite 102, Canoga Park, CA 91303.
Interment was held at Beth Tefilo
Emanuel Cemetery in Ferndale.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel. ■
An International Zionist Leader
soul
of blessed memory
c. 1977
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