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IN MEMORY
THE JEWISH STATE
October 16, 2009

FISCH. Mrs. Francine Fisch died Oct. 10, 2009, at Peggy Colonel's House at Hope Village, Scotch Plains. She was 85.

Born in Newark, Mrs. Fisch graduated from Weequahic High School. She then lived in Hillside before moving to Springfield in 1972. She was a bookkeeper for David Queller & Associates, Kenilworth, for 26 years, retiring in June. She was a member of Deborah. She was predeceased by her husband, Leon, and her sisters, Rose Borinsky and Sadie Greenfield.

Mrs. Fisch is survived by her daughters, Wendy Satsky and Nancy Morrison; grandchildren, Danielle, Ben, Zach, Greg and Dylan; and great-grandchildren, Maddie and Sadie. Interment at Beth David Cemetery, Kenilworth. Arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Memorial donations may be made to the Center for Hope Hospice, 1900 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076, or to the National Stroke Association, 9707 E. Easter Lane, Centennial, Colo. 80112.

GOTTLIEB. Mr. Elias S. Gottlieb died Oct. 7, 2009. He was 88.

Born in Newark, Mr. Gottlieb grew up in the Bronx, graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, and City College of New York. He met his wife, Carolyn, at a dance in 1949. After several years at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Eli had a 30-plus year career in management at R.H. Macy & Co. He retired in 1987, as vice president, corporate research. Eli and Carolyn raised their three children in Livingston, where they lived for 41 years before moving to the Concordia development, Monroe. His loving and quiet presence will be greatly missed.

Mr. Gottlieb is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Carolyn; daughters, Doris and Nancy; son, Robert; grandchildren, Dana and Hannah; and sister, Roslyn. Interment at Mount Ararat Cemetery, Farmingdale, N.Y. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to Cranbury Center, Homestead Unit, 292 Applegarth Rd., Monroe Township, N.J. 08831, or the Alzheimer's Association, 196 Princeton-Hightstown Road, No. 11, Princeton Junction, N.J. 08550.

KAUFMAN. Mrs. Irene (nee Benedik) Kaufman died Oct. 7, 2009, at home. She was 98.

Born in New Brunswick, Mrs. Kaufman had been a lifelong Highland Park area resident. She had been employed for many years as an elementary school teacher by the North Brunswick board of education, working primarily at the Livingston Park school. A devoted community leader, she had been a translator during the 1950s at Camp Kilmer, Edison for the Hungarian refugees. She worked tirelessly for many years as a volunteer for United Cerebral Palsy, Middlesex County Chapter; as a hospice volunteer at JFK Medical Center, working with AIDS patients; and as an active member of the Highland Park Conservative Temple/Congregation Anshe Emeth, Highland Park, spending countless hours helping to organize the temple's bazaar.

A gourmet baker, she sold her baked goods and donated the earnings to the Central N.J. Jewish Home for the Aged in Somerset. She made more than 40 trips to Israel with the Volunteers for Israel Organization, working in the Department of Antiquities in Jerusalem for the Israeli Government. Her husband of 71 years, I. Robert, died in 2004.

Mrs. Kaufman is survived by her children and children-in-law, Martha K. Hoff and Craig Kamsler of North Brunswick, Bert Bueno of Highland Park, Ruth Ellen and Mike Hill of Frisco, Texas; brother, Joseph Benedik of California; granddaughters, Jennifer Hoff, Jessica Gottschalk, Stephanie Mack, and Rachel Field; and great-grandchildren, Zachary McCann, Sarah and Jacob Hoff, Julia and Daniel Gottschalk, Leah, Skyler and Keanu Mack. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, New Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bob and Irene Kaufman Fund at the Highland Park Conservative Temple, corner of Third Ave. and Benner St., Highland Park, N.J. 08904, which helps to feed the hungry, or to the Hyacinth Foundation, 317 George St., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901.

KOPPEL. Mr. Stanley A. Koppel died Oct. 9, 2009, at home. He was 67.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Koppel lived in Edison before moving to Monroe 22 years ago. He was an accountant with Collier Houston, Somerset, for the past 10 years.

Mr. Koppel is survived by his wife of 44 years, Nanette Silverstein Koppel; daughter and son-in-law, Elysa and Matthew Filiault of Monroe; son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Jillian of East Windsor; sister and brother-in-law, Gladys and Artie Wasserberger of Hewlett, N.Y.; grandchildren, Morgan and Lara Koppel, and Ilana and Casey Filiault; niece, Florri Krefsky; nephew, Scott Wasserberger; and their children.

Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society , 2600 Route 1, North Brunswick, N.J. 08902.

KURTZ. Mrs. Faye Kurtz (nee Zinn) died Oct. 4, 2009, at home. She was 88.

Born in Newark, Mrs. Kurtz lived in Hillside most of her life. A homemaker, she was a member of Sinai Torah Chaim Congregation of Hillside and Hadassah. Her husband, Martin, died in 1998. She was also predeceased by her daughters, Linda Wiedemann and Patti Cress.

Mrs. Kurtz is survived by her brother, Richard Zinn; grandchildren, Russell, Daniel and Lisa Cress, and Jennifer Wiedemann; and great-grandchildren, Madeline, Michael, and Andrew. Interment at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Iselin. Arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union.

LAVY. Norman W. Lavy, M.D., died Oct. 7, 2009, at the Potomac Homes Assisted Living, Green Brook. He was 78.

A graduate of Johns Hopkins, Dr. Lavy earned a medical degree from the University of Maryland. He served in the Air Force as a flight surgeon from 1957 to 1958, with the rank of major. He did post-doctoral work in hematology and genetics, and was a professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick. He was the vice president and director of drug regulatory affairs at E.R. Squibb & Sons from 1966 to 1987. He was a member and officer of many professional organizations, and was a consultant to the U.S. Congress on federal drug approval issues and many start-up biotechnical companies.

He was a major supporter of Hillel and founder of the Lavy Colloquium of the Jewish Studies Department of Johns Hopkins, and was a supporter of Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, where he was a loyal participant of the Shabbat minyan. He also supported the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Congregation, and was a supporter and eager participant in the Summer Institute Program. He was an avid sailor who loved spending summers at Martha's Vineyard. He was predeceased by his son, Roger Lavy.

Dr. Lavy is survived by his wife, Marion (nee Hirsch), and brother, Dr. Richard Lavy. Interment at King Solomon Cemetery, Clifton. Arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Donations in his memory may be made to Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, Johns Hopkins Hillel, or to the Jewish Studies Program at Johns Hopkins.

MELNICK. Mrs. Helen Melnick died Oct. 10, 2009, at the Green Knoll Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Bridgewater. She was 75.

Born in Keasby, Mrs. Melnick lived in Woodbridge for many years before moving to Basking Ridge. She was a retired school teacher from Woodbridge. She was a former member of the Congregation Adath Israel of Woodbridge.

Mrs. Melnick is survived by her husband, Robert; sons, Eric Melnick of Pelham Manor, N.Y., and David Melnick of Katonah, N.Y.; and grandchildren, Justin, Alexa, Nicole, and Zachery. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Leon J. Gerity Funeral Home, Woodbridge.

SUSSER. Mrs. Esther Frances (nee Clark) Susser died Oct. 7, 2009, at Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Md. She was 90.

Born in Brooklyn, Mrs. Susser lived in Highland Park for many years. In her earlier years, she was a manager and editor with Globe Book Company. She was an active member of the Highland Park Conservative Temple, Hadassah and the Sisterhood. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Myron.

Mrs. Susser is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Marc and Millie, and Peter and Jodi; grandchildren, Scott and his wife Yael, Laurie and her husband Zev, Sandy, Jeffrey, Evan and Adam; sister and brother-in-law, Beatrice and Sam Miller; and brother and sister-in-law, Matthew and Judith Clark. Interment at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Iselin. Arrangements by Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, New Brunswick.