Obituaries

GERALD MARVIN BAZAR

VIRGINIA BEACH—Gerald Marvin Bazar passed away peacefully at home on August 7, 2021, at the age of 77.

He was born in Providence, Rhode Island to his parents Meyer (Mickey) and Bella (Barbara) Bazar, both of blessed memory. At the age of three, his parents moved the family to Norfolk. They lived in the Ghent area and he attended Taylor Elementary School. The family later moved to the Wards Corner area where he graduated from Granby High School. Jerry continued his education at Old Dominion University and graduated with a degree in business from Bryant College in Providence.

During his last two years at Bryant, Jerry married Ronda Goldberg of Norfolk. They started their life together, completing their education, skiing, and spending time with the extremely close knit Bazar family in Providence. After graduation, they moved back to Norfolk where Jerry joined the family business, Bazar, Inc., a company representing manufacturers to the U.S. military exchanges. He later started his company, World Wide Sales, Inc., where he worked until retirement at age 58.

Shortly after moving back to Norfolk with Ronda, Jerry started a hobby that would last his entire life, showing and breeding Afghan hounds. While traveling around the world for business and pleasure, he met people with Afghans. He began breeding and showing his dogs all over the U.S., gaining much recognition for his knowledge of the breed and showing multiple champion dogs. His greatest joy was showing his champion Casbar Sugar-N-Spice at the Westminster Kennel Club Show in New York. Jerry belonged to many organizations involving his dogs. He was a member of the American Kennel Club, Tidewater Afghan Hound Club and the Tidewater Kennel Club.

Jerry and Ronda were blessed with two wonderful sons, Jason Samuel Bazar and Darin Jacob Bazar. He loved teaching them to ski and traveling with them, sharing with them exciting places and experiences. Such joy filled his heart when the boys each got married and when Jason and his wife, Dee Ann Dorsey, gave him his grandson, Evan Dorsey Bazar. They could not have enriched his life more.

Family and friends were important to Jerry and he always looked for an opportunity to entertain and enjoy the home he and Ronda lived in together for 48 years. Jerry leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Ronda, his son Darin, his son Jason and his wife Dee Ann, and grandson Evan. Jerry also leaves behind his dear sister Ellen Harris and her husband Jonathan, and nieces and nephews that all gave him much joy.

Many thanks to all his friends and family who helped him deal with cancer this last year and a half. Words cannot be expressed to our dear and treasured friend, Tracee Elwess, for always being there for Jerry. They have spent many years not only as friends but as partners in showing and owning Afghans. Special thanks also to Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater for their great assistance.

Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or another charity of choice.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery with Rabbi Roz Mandelberg and Cantor Jen Rueben officiating. A live stream of this service can be viewed by visiting Gerald Bazar’s obituary at altmeyerfh.com.

GLORIA MAUTNER BLUM

BOCA RATON, FLA.—Gloria Mautner Blum, of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of Norfolk, passed away on August 2, 2021.

She was born on May 31, 1938 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Joseph and Sylvia Mautner. Gloria came to Norfolk when she was 18 years old and was one of the first Traffic Court Docket Clerks. Shortly after, she would meet the love of her life, Sheldon, on a blind date.

Gloria was a part time Special Education Teacher’s Aid, and full time mother of three. She loved traveling with Sheldon and they went all over the world throughout their 61 years of marriage. She loved to shop, spend time at the Casino, play golf, and enjoy good food with her Country Club friends, but most of all, she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

She is survived by sisters, Jackie Morse and Audrey Kline; daughter, Susan Blum Geers of Boca Raton, Fla.; son, Barry Blum of Virginia Beach; daughter Marcie Blum Doolin (Wayne) of Virginia Beach; grandchildren, Megan and Ian Geers, Samantha Doolin, and great grandchildren, Xavier and Harper, as well as many other family members.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Sheldon Blum, and her parents.

A graveside funeral service was held for Gloria at Forest Lawn Cemetery. A livestream of the services is available on Altmeyer Funeral Home’s website, where online condolences may also be expressed.

The family requests memorial contributions be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

MORTON BRESENOFF

RALEIGH, N.C.—Morton Bresenoff, BBA, JD, ML&T, CPA, CFP, born January 10, 1929, left us peacefully on July 5, 2021 surrounded by his loving children.

Ever the gentleman, he grew up in Manhattan, the son of an immigrant corner grocery store owner. After earning a BBA in accounting from the City College of New York, followed by a law degree from Brooklyn Law School, he was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, serving on a destroyer based out of Norfolk, Virginia where he stayed with his wife Harriet of 69 years and raised his family. As a CPA, he joined and then owned a mid-sized CPA firm, expanding and renaming it Bresenoff and Associates. Active for many years in the Tidewater and Norfolk Jewish communities, he retired first to Florida and then to Raleigh, N.C. to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

All who met him walked away uplifted, happy, and inspired. Mort treated everyone he met with dignity, respect, and warmth and was a real mensch in the truest sense of the word and always prioritized his family first. A CPA through and through, he was organized to the end and taught his grandchildren the power of compounding!

Worldly and well-traveled, he kept up with current events, had the New York Times delivered daily, enjoyed playing pool and poker with his buddies, teaching the grandkids, and always taking great pride in the accomplishments of his extended family. Mort left this world having lived a fulfilling and meaningful life and gifted this world with an incredible legacy.

He is survived by his wife Harriet; children Lisa (Steven) Feierstein and Marc Bresenoff; grandchildren Alison Bresenoff (fiancée Carla), Aaron (Sarah) Feierstein and Joshua (Mollie) Feierstein; and great grandsons Ethan and Theodore who will all strive to follow in his footsteps as a beacon of light and love to those around them.

BESSIE SILVER FINDER

NORFOLK—Bessie Silver Finder, 99, died peacefully on July 21, 2021.

A longtime resident of Norfolk, Bessie was born in Lakewood, N.J. to the late Anna and Harry Silver. After nursing school, she joined the Army Corp of Nursing as a 2nd Lieutenant stationed at Fort Dix, N.J. It was here she met the man of her dreams, Theodor, where he was recovering from WWII injuries received overseas. They were happily married for 54 years until his death in 2000.

Bessie was the last survivor of a family with six blended children. Also preceding her death was daughter, Roberta Finder Schiff and son, David Milton Finder. She is survived by daughter, Andrea Finder Zarge and daughter-in-law, Terry Finder. Bessie is also survived by grandchildren, Jeffrey Zarge and Roni Robinson (Blake), Kevin Finder (Tiffany) and Ryan Finder, Carrie Noriega and Stacey Thiel (John) and five great grandchildren. As well as survived by sister-in-law, Cecelia Reiss, many loving and caring nieces, nephews and friends, especially Agnes Aranyi and the Ivan Schiff family.

Bessie was an extraordinary woman, a longtime member of Temple Israel, where she was very active for many years. She worked with Jewish refugees resettling in this area. She was on the building committee for the Beth Sholom Home. For almost 20 years, Bessie was a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House as the “Head Volunteer.”

Graveside services were held at Forest Lawn, officiated by Rabbi Michael Panitz.

Arrangements by Altmeyer Funeral Homes.

Donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk.

OBITUARIES

JANE SUSAN GLASSER FRANK

NEWPORT NEWS—Jane Susan Glasser Frank, 74, passed away Thursday, July 22, 2021 with her children by her side at Riverside Regional Medical Center.

She was born in Norfolk, Va., the daughter of Rose Frances and Bernard Glasser, of blessed memory. She was the wife of 47 years and survived by Joe S. Frank, former Mayor of Newport News and their children: Shelly Ann Currin (Doug) of Newport News, Melissa “Missy” Clagg of Las Vegas, Nev., and Jason G. Frank (Jennifer) of Newport News; seven grandchildren, Justin and Jessica Currin, Brooks, Madison, and Bryce Clagg and Sydney and Carson Frank; three brothers, Stuart Glasser (Sarah), Richard Glasser of blessed memory, Michael Glasser (Lori); brother-in-law, Robert P. Frank (Leslie) and a huge family of cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Jane Susan led an exceptional life as a leader both in the Jewish community and the community at large and was widely respected, admired, and appreciated by many. She was president of Rodef Sholom Temple, the Jewish Community Center of the Virginia Peninsula, the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula, a member of the Board of Visitors at Christopher Newport University, and served on many other boards and committees too numerous to mention. Above all else, she was deeply devoted to her family and considered that one of her greatest accomplishments.

She earned a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and loved helping people bring life into their homes and hearts through her gift for interior design and had a successful career with Virginia Commonwealth Realty for over 32 years. She loved to cook, travel (which she and Joe did frequently), never passed up dessert or a dance floor, but most of all to help others in any way she could. She never met a stranger—her warmth, kindness, compassion, and zest for life touched everyone she met in meaningful ways.

A private graveside service for family was followed by a memorial reception at Christopher Newport University Ferguson Center for the Arts. Contributions in her memory can be made to Rodef Sholom Temple, the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula, or another charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.

LEONARD “LENNY” D. LEVINE

VIRGINIA BEACH—Leonard “Lenny” D. Levine, Esquire, 84, passed away on Saturday, July 17, 2021.

He was born in Norfolk, Virginia to Michael and Francis (Coleman) Levine. Leonard was pre-deceased by his parents, his beloved brother, Bobby, and his first wife of 52 years, Merle Sue (Kaplan) Levine.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lyna; devoted brother, Paul; and his sons, Steve and Mark. Lenny also fostered loving relationships with his extended family including John “Buddy” and Taryn Raschdorf, Chelsey and Brian Jude, Jake Raschdorf, and 10 grandchildren.

For over three years, Lenny, his mother, and his brother awaited his father’s return from World War II.

He attended JEB Stuart School, Maury High School, and Mr. Rekonty’s Hebrew Classes, before graduating from Granby High School in 1954. Lenny became an accomplished clarinetist and contributed to the high school sports column of The Virginian-Pilot as a teenager. His love of sports and music remained with him throughout his life.

Lenny cherished his time at the University of Virginia where he was a member of the band, tutored student athletes, and was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. In 1958, he received a BA. Lenny went on to earn a law degree from UVA in 1962.

Lenny was already in the United States Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island upon receiving the notification he had passed the bar exam. He would go on to reach the rank of Lieutenant Commander in JAG Corp. Following his

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OBITUARIES

continued from page 45 time in the US Navy, Lenny and his bride returned to Norfolk, residing in Norfolk and Virginia Beach for the remainder of their lives.

Leonard practiced law in Tidewater for 57 years. He was an accomplished litigator and counsel of record in multiple published cases. Lenny mentored countless attorneys, who still view him as the “gold standard” of lawyers. His practice was enhanced by his efficient and trusted legal assistant of 49 years, Marian Ballas.

Lenny was truly a sailor; he enjoyed diving and teaching diving. Some of his best memories were of sailing his own sailboat. He was talented as a painter and loved to cook. He enjoyed travel and learning cultures and languages. He took great joy in playing recreational softball as an adult with the other members of his law firm, as well as a neighborhood team.

Lenny spent a lifetime increasing his knowledge and joy of Judaism. He continued to study with his rabbi until he went away to college. He took great pleasure in learning, study, and teaching at Ohef Sholom Temple. He was on the temple board and served as the treasurer at Temple Israel, where he could always be counted on for a witty and thoughtful Davar Torah (sermon).

Lenny had extensive knowledge and interest in American history. Specifically, he enjoyed studying and sharing about the Civil War and World War II.

Lenny led a full and fruitful life. He will be missed for his wit and his wisdom. He was blessed to have 84 years. He will be missed for his knowledge and his charm. He blessed those in his life. He will be remembered for his integrity and his loyalty, and he was blessed by those that he loved. He will be remembered for his fairness and his faithfulness. He was a man with the heart of a lion. He will be ever appreciated for his intelligence and his artistic prowess.

A funeral service was held at the Norfolk Chapel of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating. Interment followed at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Lenny’s name may be made to a favorite charity. Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.

JACKIE MASON WAS A JEWISH AMERICAN COMEDY ICON

Philissa Cramer (JTA)—Jackie Mason, who died Saturday, July 24 at 93, didn’t always set out to be a comedian. In fact, it wasn’t until he was 30 that he left behind the Orthodox rabbinate for irreverent open-mic nights.

Mason, born Yacov Moshe Maza to Orthodox parents, was one of the last survivors of the Borscht Belt comedy circuit that propelled a host of Jewish funnymen, including Jerry Stiller and Rodney Dangerfield, from the Catskills resorts that catered to Jewish vacationers into the American popular imagination.

His comedy, delivered in a distinctive cadence inflected with the Yiddish of his childhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, offered a window into the American Jewish psyche for non-Jews and, for Jews, held up a mirror that reflected their complicated relationship with their Americanness.

“The only persecution that I ever suffered from in my career was from Jews that are embarrassed that I am so Jewish,” he said in one routine in which he lamented that American Jews say they are proud to be Jewish but also change their names and noses to obscure their Jewishness.

Mason was a complicated figure. Many of his jokes treated women crudely, and he characterized himself as a womanizer; he refused to acknowledge a child born from one of his relationships. He also spoke derogatorily on multiple occasions over the years about Black politicians, including by using a Yiddish epithet to describe President Barack Obama in 2009. “I’m an old Jew. I was raised in a Jewish family” where that epithet was used, he said in his defense at the time. For many years, he supported Meir Kahane, who as the founder of the Jewish Defense League, organized violent efforts to combat antisemitism and lobbied to expel Arabs from Israel.

Mason also supported Donald Trump during his first presidential run.

Here are four examples that showcase Mason’s wit turned on his own people.

Mocking American Jews to Israelis

In a performance in Israel, Mason makes fun of American Jews who he says desperately seek to assimilate despite proclaiming pride in their heritage. “Jews in the United States move into neighborhoods where there are no Jews allowed,” he jokes. “There’s nothing but Jews there. Each one thinks he’s the only one.”

Jews at restaurants

The joke about Jewish diners complaining about the food and portion sizes wasn’t Mason’s, but it might as well have been. In this skit, he characterizes Jewish diners as domineering and picky, contrasting them with non-Jews who he said accepted whatever seats and food they were given.

The World According to Me

One of Mason’s most memorable acts was a standup routine based on his own life called “The World According to Me.” Within the first minute, he references his Jewishness. “It disturbs a lot of people,” he said. “A lot of people say, who is a Jew to be making such a comfortable living?”

Rabbi Krustofski on The Simpsons

Mason was a regular on The Simpsons as the voice of Rabbi Krustofski, Krusty the Klown’s father. In one scene, he voices the character telling his son that comedy is an inappropriate career for someone in an observant Jewish community who comes from a distinguished line of rabbis—someone much like Mason himself.

RABBI RICHARD HIRSCH, EULOGIZED MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND HELPED GUIDE THE REFORM MOVEMENT TO ZIONISM

Rabbi Richard Hirsch spent the 1960s bringing Jews and Blacks closer in advancing civil rights in the United States. He spent the rest of his life bringing Reform Jews closer to Israel in advancing Zionism.

Hirsch died Monday, August 16 in Boca Raton, Florida, his family said. He was 95.

The Cleveland native became the first director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, serving from 1962 to 1973. Under Hirsch, the center became a lobbying powerhouse in Washington, D.C. Its Dupont Circle office became a locus for civil rights organizing: The 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act were drafted in large part in its conference room. Hirsch personally lobbied President Lyndon Baines Johnson on voting rights.

Hirsch was close to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and delivered the Jewish portion of the assassinated civil rights leader’s eulogy in 1968.

At the RAC, Hirsch was an outspokenly pro-Israel Reform rabbi—a relative rarity in the movement before 1967. He was close to the Israeli Embassy and to AIPAC, the prominent Israel lobbying group.

In 1973, Hirsch assumed the leadership of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, where one of his first acts was to move its offices to Jerusalem from London. The Reform movement dubbed the move “Reform Judaism’s most significant decision of the 20th century.”

He became the leading advocate for Reform Zionism, affiliating the movement with the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. During his more than 25 years at the World Union for Progressive Judaism, he helped found ARZA, the Reform movement’s Zionist affiliate (his son Ammiel, also a rabbi, led ARZA from 1992 to 2004), and spurred the founding of two kibbutzes in Israel. In 2010 he was the first Reform rabbi to light the torch during Israel Independence Day celebrations. His 2011 memoir was titled, For the Sake of Zion.

Yet Hirsch, a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, remained an advocate of a Diaspora Jewish voice in Israeli policies, particularly as the policies impinged on the rights of non-Orthodox Jews.

“If Diaspora Jews have the right to speak out in internal policies affecting the fate of Argentinian Jews and Soviet Jews, do they not have the right to speak on issues affecting the Jews of the Jewish state?” he said at a Reform conference in 1983.

Hirsch’s wife, Bella, a Russian speaker who helped him establish a Reform presence in the former Soviet Union, died in 2019. His children—a daughter and three sons, including Ammiel, now the senior rabbi at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York—say they plan to bury their parents in Israel once the pandemic abates.

“For the past few years, our parents resided in Florida, so that they would be closer to us,” they said. “It was a form of exile for our father.”

His children alluded to the great 12th-century Jewish thinker and poet Judah Halevi: “While he lived in the West, his heart remained in the East.” (JTA)