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