48 | APRIL 8 • 2021 

OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

Science and went on to earn his 
bachelor’s degree from the Baruch 
School of Business at the City 
College of New York in 1964. 
Throughout his life, Joe was a 
charming, hard-working, proud 
and very determined man, who was 
also a softy at heart and who loved 
to provide his caretaking abilities 
and a listening ear to his family and 
friends. His favorite hobby was to 
enjoy the sun and the beach. 
Left to remember his love are 
his cherished wife, Shelley Popa 
Becker; his children, Adam (Jodi) 
Becker and Nancy Becker Bennett, 
both of whom he could (and would) 
boast about for hours on end; his 
five adored grandchildren, Eric, 
Ryan and Ellory Becker, and Sloane 
and Shoshana Bennett. He is also 
survived by his former wife and 
lifelong friend, Ricki Becker; his 
sisters, Valerie (Joel) Frankel and 
Claudia (Pete) Morrow; members 
of the Popa family; many nieces, 
nephews, cousins and close friends. 
Private arrangements are being 
handled by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff 
Funeral Home in Traverse City. 
Contributions in memory of 
Joe may be made to the Juvenile 
Diabetes Research Foundation at 
jdrf.org. Condolences and memories 
may be shared at reynolds-jonkhoff.
com. 

ROBERT “BOB” 
BERMAN, 65, of 
Orchard Lake, died 
March 26, 2021. 
He is survived by 
his beloved wife, Dena 
Berman; son and daughter-in-law, 
Brandon and Natalie Berman; 
daughters and son-in-law, Lindsay 
(David Dagrosa) Berman and 
Lauren Berman; grandchildren, 
Ava, Preston, Leora and Lincoln; 
mother, Bernice Berman; brothers 
and sisters-in-law, Rick and Andrea 
Berman, Ron and Kim Berman, Ken 
and Britney Berman, Andrew and 

continued from page 47

A

aron Zelig Cutler, 96, of 
Ann Arbor, died March 25, 
2021. 
Aaron, known as Zel, was born in 
1924 in Detroit. His parents, Sam 
and Ida Cutler, were part of a group 
of speakers and readers of Yiddish as 
well as the Zionist movement.
As a teen, he joined the newly 
formed group of Habonim, a Zionist 
youth movement that became the 
core of his future life. He helped to 
build Camp Kinneret, the Habonim 
summer camp, in Chelsea, Mich. 
In the 1950s, the camp moved to a 
larger site in Three Rivers, Mich., 
and changed its name to Camp 
Tavor. All of Zel’s grandchildren 
attended the camp. Several of his 
great-grandchildren continue the 
tradition.
 Habonim’s emphasis on aliyah, 
moving to Israel to build the new 
state, led Zel to his interest in 
agriculture. He got a job on a farm 
in Chelsea and worked there for a 
year until he was drafted into the 
U.S. Army. In September 1944, he 
was sent to Europe, where he was 
wounded by a shell in the Battle of 
the Bulge.
 Zel was honorably discharged 
from the Army with a Purple 
Heart. Traveling to Creamridge, 
N.J., to visit his sister Basha, he 
discovered Hechalutz Farm, where 
North American Habonim members 
prepared themselves for life on 
kibbutzim in Israel. There Zel met 
his future wife, Simi Bernstein. They 
were married later that year and 
celebrated 73 years together until 
Simi’s death in 2019.
Zel again delayed aliyah to attend 
Michigan State University, where he 
earned a B.S. in animal husbandry 
and a master’s degree in chemistry. 
Following the birth of Elana and 
Daniel, Zel needed to find work. 
He found employment as a chemist 

in the automotive 
industry, becoming 
a specialist in zinc 
plating. Though Zel 
never realized his 
dream of aliyah, his 
sister, Basha, and her 
family eventually did.
Zel leaves a wonderful legacy of 
life filled with devotion to family, 
friends, Judaism, Israel and hard 
work. He is lovingly remembered 
working in his vegetable gardens, 
biking, ice fishing, cross country 
skiing and doing the Canadian Air 
Force exercises that were part of 
his devotion to health and fitness. 
Heirloom tomato seeds from his 
garden are now grown in gardens 
across the country.
Mr. Cutler is honored and missed 
by his children, Eliana (Ron) 
Sussman and Daniel (Chris) Cutler; 
grandchildren, Mira (Doron) 
Sussman, Ari (Jaimie) Sussman, 
Eitan (Joanna) Sussman, Naomi 
(Grant Barton) Cutler Barton, and 
Sadie Cutler; great-grandchildren, 
Matan, Ishai, Judah Sussman-
Yitzchaki, Sam, Anna and Lucy 
Sussman, Nava and Ilan Sussman, 
and Nora and Phoebe Barton; his 
nephew, Dani Shalev; niece Naomi 
Sharon.
Interment was in Beth Israel 
Memorial Gardens at Arborcrest 
Cemetery. Contributions may be 
made to Jewish Family Services 
of Washtenaw County, 2245 S. 
State St., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 
48104, jfsannarbor.org; Beth Israel 
Congregation of Ann Arbor, 2000 
Washtenaw, Ann Arbor, MI 
48104, bethisrael-aa.org/~about/
donate; Hospice of Michigan, 43097 
Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 
MI 48302, hom.org/donations; or 
to a charity of one’s choice. 
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman 
Chape1. 

A Zionist At Heart

Aaron 
Cutler

