In each issue of the newsletter, we will publish several memorials from our Book of Memories in a column called “Of Blessed Memory.” Rabbi Kelman conceived of the Netivot Shalom Members Memorial Book in 2017 as a way to honor the memory of our deceased congregants. Diane Bernbaum writes the stories and Lee Bearson designs the pages. The book is accessible on our website under the Lifecycle tab and the actual book, now in 2 volumes, is on an adjustable shelf made by John Curl in the anteroom to the main sanctuary.
May their memories continue to bless our congregation.
Janet Cohen Fischer
Yaffah Leah bat Leib Hersh Hacohen v’Sarah Beilly
April 15, 1939 / 26 Nisan 5699 – December 22, 2008 / 25 Kislev 5769
A native of Chicago, Jan graduated from University of Chicago with a BA in mathematics, and later earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Holy Names College. She and Don met at the University of Chicago, and began married life on a US Navy base, far from communal Jewish life. Jan and Don became active at Congregation Beth Israel in the 1960s. In the 1970s, she was also an active Hadassah member and bulletin editor.
Jan served as a volunteer teacher of math enrichment at Head-Royce School and a computer instructor at Tehiyah Day School. Her mathematical mind was always at work when she worked on her quilts. She joined the Berkeley Jewish Women’s Quilt Group, and often traveled to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to participate in a gathering of Jewish quilters. Her mathematical abilities were also put to use in her crochet work in creating new designs for kippot.
Being able to create Netivot Shalom as a place where they could worship together was the dream of a lifetime for both Don and Jan Fischer. Jan became the consummate teacher of Torah and haftarah trope and many in the Netivot community learned to leyn from Jan. A founding member of Netivot Shalom, Jan led much of the congregation’s davening. She enjoyed Bible classes lead by Ken Cohen and Nitzia Shaked. Jan’s knowledge of hazzanut was vast and she enjoyed attending Cantors’ Assembly meetings. In the early years of Netivot Shalom, Jan single-handedly made hamentaschen in her kitchen to deliver to each member. In memory of her husband, Cantor Don Fischer, she crafted the beautiful white Torah covers we use for the Yomim Noraim.
Jan was survived by her daughters, Rebecca, Rachel and Sheila, her granddaughters Kathleen and Sareta Gladson, her sisters Toby Cohen Litin and Bethaviva Cohen Silve, and her brother Rabbi Burton Cohen.
Helen Schneider
Chaya Bat Mordechai v’ Sossi
June 8, 1933/ 14 Sivan 5693 – February 20, 2021/ 8 Adar 5781
Helen was the third of four children born to Max Slavin and Sophie Goldman Slavin, immigrants from Russia who met and married in San Francisco. She grew up in the Western Addition neighborhood where her mother’s seven sisters and their families all lived within six blocks of Helen’s home. Her father was a grocer in the days before supermarkets, operating a fruit and vegetable stall in the old Bay City Market and Helen and her siblings were responsible for adding up each day’s receipts.
Helen graduated from Washington High School in 1951 and married Sanford Schneider in 1953. Within a month of their wedding Sandy was sent to Germany with the US Army and Helen remained in San Francisco for six months to wrap up their Bay Area life before joining him in Europe where Sandy served as a chaplain’s assistant to the Jewish troops. When they returned, they opened the Record City music store on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. Sandy provided the musical knowledge, but it was Helen who had the administrative sense to keep the business going. From 1956-1973, Record City was a welcoming home to music lovers, including student activists of that historic era.
Helen served on the staff of the Berkeley Art Center in the 1970s, the California School of Professional Psychology in the 1980s, and the Oakland Men’s Project in the 1990s. When Sandy died suddenly in 1999, Helen continued to run his business, Contractor’s License Courses of Oakland, a test preparation center for the state exam for five years after his death. In retirement she searched carefully for organizations she would find meaningful and then became a long-time volunteer, first at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center and then at Long Life Medical Care.
Helen and Sandy were founding members of Congregation Netivot Shalom, with planning meetings frequently held the Schneider home on Marin Ave. Helen was considered Netivot Shalom’s unsung hero and the consummate volunteer. Her smiling face usually greeted people at the door as they entered the shul on Shabbat morning. She spent hours each week in the office, doing whatever task needed doing. For years she coordinated the publication of the Yom Kippur yartzheit booklet and she edited each of the 82 entries in this memorial book written up to the time of her death. Helen never wanted thanks, recognition or a job title, only to help the synagogue wherever was needed.
Helen was predeceased by her husband Sandy and her son Matthew as well as her three siblings. Thelma Proweller, Jerry Slavin, and Bernie Slavin. She was survived by her daughter and son-in-law Lauren and Matt Bryant, their children Karli, Meagan, and Max; her son Matthew’s children Eric, Sophia, and Andrew, Andrew’s wife Nicole, and their son Dominic.
Michael Meltzer
Mordechai ben Heshel v’Chaya
December 19, 1946 / 26 Kislev 5707- February 8, 2015 / 20 Sh’vat 5775
Michael grew up in Fresh Meadows, N.Y. He had a zest for life, a child’s enthusiasm for learning, and a tremendous love for family and friends. From the moment 4-year-old “Mikey” gazed up in wonder at the stars during his first planetarium trip, to when he was licensed at 9 years old as Long Island’s youngest ham radio operator, to his winning first place 40 years later in a national Writers of the Future contest, Michael never stopped growing, wondering, exploring and deeply inspiring every person he knew.
Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U.C. Berkeley and his doctorate in environmental engineering from UCLA. As a socially conscious scientist, Michael started the pollution prevention program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he worked for 15 years and collaborated on several patents. He published books about solar heating and commercial fishing, wrote three space science books for NASA, and created many wondrous stories, books and screenplays. He combined a scientist’s technical knowledge with the ability to write historically for lay audiences.
Michael was a very active member of Netivot Shalom. At the time of his unexpected death he was editing a book of High Holiday drashot written by Netivot Shalom members. He was very involved in the congregation’s men’s group and organized film nights for V’zot Yisrael. Michael was a wonderful Israeli folk dancer and singer and wrote memorable drashot.
Michael was survived by his wife, Norma Kaufman; daughter, Jordana Meltzer, his brother Jonathan, sister, Deborah and his father, Harold Meltzer.