Obituaries

To view the recording of the service please click here.

Joseph B. Shrago, 90, of Boca Raton, passed away on December 12, 2021. Beloved husband of Sandra (Flanzbaum) Shrago. Devoted father to son Scott and his wife, Debbie, and daughter Halise and her departed partner Martha. Dear grandfather (Zayde) of Allison Spencer and Matthew Shrago. Proud great-grandfather (great Zayde) of Theodore Joseph. Also an uncle to many nieces and nephews. In his marriage to Sandra he extended his love to her children as his own. Devoted father to Michael and his wife Karen Margulis, Mindy Schreidell, and Lisa and her husband, Seth Grossman. Dear grandfather (Zayde) of Corey Margulis, Caitlin Bowman, Carly and Jordan Schreidell and Aiden Grossman, and  great-grandfather of Greta, Jamie, Caleb, and Polly Margulis and Nora and Maya Bowman. Joseph is predeceased by his first wife, Eileen Shrago, his parents, Samuel Shrago and Bessie Shrago and his brothers Irving “Lenny,” Daniel and Robert Shrago.

A graveside service will be held at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 10:45 am.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph’s name may be made to Trustbridge Hospice of Palm Beach County or Cancer research for brain cancer.

Jeffrey G. Blau-Of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, formerly of Sharon, on December 10,2021. Beloved son of Sumner and his late wife Barbara. Devoted step-son to Emily Blau. Dear brother of Curtis, Richard and Andrew Blau. Dear step-brother of Joshua Rattet and Jennifer Schulman. Services are private. Remembrances in his memory may be made to Aids Action Committee, 75 Armory St., Boston, MA 02119.

KAUFMAN, Ruth, age 100, of Brookline, on December 9, 2021. Wife of the late George Kaufman. Mother of Susan Kaufman and her husband Ron Gluck, Peter Kaufman and his wife Carla Klaasens, and Paul Kaufman. Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA, on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 11:45 am. Donations in Ruth’s memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

May 27th, 1949 – December 8th, 2021

Arthur Jay Rodman, age 72, of Natick, MA, passed away peacefully on December 8, 2021.

Arthur was born to Isadore and Sybil Rodman on May 27, 1949, in Quincy, MA. After graduating North Quincy High School in 1967, he went on to build his career in the food industry, starting out at Stop & Shop and later joining his late brother, Barry and sister-in-law Barbara at Barry’s Village Deli of Waban, MA. For over 40 years, he passionately served the Newton community traditional Jewish delicatessen cuisine and was loved by his customers and employees.

Arthur loved spending time with his family and friends, had a passion for animals and attending sporting events for his favorite teams, the New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics. Arthur had a bright and energetic personality and was known for his sense of humor. He touched many lives with his generosity and passion for life.

Arthur is remembered by his wife Lisa, his daughter Sharyn and her husband Ted, his granddaughter, Brooke and his stepchildren Jennifer, Peter and Maria.

Communications can be sent to Lisa Rodman at Barry’s Village Deli, 6 Windsor Road, Waban, MA 02468. There will also be a guest book at the deli for messages to the family. Due to the health pandemic, a small, private service was held on Sunday, December 12, 2021. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Benjamin Gluck, of Newton, at 91 years, passed away on December 8, 2021.  Son of the late Menasha and Frimmet (Fogel) Gluck.   Loving brother to Betty Gluck and the late Sidney Goode, Marcus Gluck, Arthur Gluck, Bertha-Beth Snyder, Hyman Gluck and Millie Barron. Loving uncle to Mark Boyle and his wife Leah and great- uncle to Steven Boyle. He is also survived by many cherished nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Private service was held at Temple Emanuel.   Shiva will be private.   Donations in his memory may be made to the Salvation Army, 1500 Washington St., Boston, MA 02118.

Adele Hoffman died peacefully at home on December 5, 2021.  She was 97.  Adele made lifelong friends with her diverse range of activities and interests. She attended the Brookline Public School system, participating in sports and social groups. She graduated Brookline High in 1942.   Adele’s first year of college was at Hood College in Fredrick Maryland before transferring closer to home to Norton and Wheaton College where she “came into her own” as a proud member of the class of 1946, majoring in psychology.

Adele’s early career before marriage focused on psychological testing at a number of university-affiliated clinics at Yale, Harvard, Tufts and Suffolk and at Mass Mental Health.

An early member of ADA (Americans for Democratic Action), Adele stayed active in liberal politics and social justice causes throughout her life, as a pollworker, committee person, delegate and campaigner.

She met the love of her life, Michael ‘Mike’ Hoffman on the golf course through a mutual friend. Together, Adele and Mike raised two daughters (Sue and Nancy), enjoyed annual fishing vacations and family time together and cherished the community of her Newton neighborhood.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Adele worked at the (then) Beethoven Elementary School as a part-time Special Education teacher.  She leaves many friends from her experiences there.  When her husband Michael passed away in 1975 Adele knew she needed a full-time job and found what became her career in the Needham Public School System – as a Special Education Case Manager for 20 years – fiercely advocating for the rights and services of the special needs services in the entire Needham Public School system.  Adele’s advocacy for her students reflected her advocacy for social justice causes in general.

Upon her retirement from Needham in 1995, Adele pursued a degree in Gerontology and spent the next 25 years advocating for local seniors involved with the Newton Senior Center, Newton Council on Aging and Springwell, most recently working as an Ombudsperson at a local nursing home.

Adele enjoyed arts and culture, traveling, staying busy, being social, sharing experiences with new and old friends and always voicing her political opinions.  She was a leader, community-builder and friend. She was also a proud mother and grandmother.

If Adele was near, her energy reverberated around the room. She will be deeply missed by those she touched and who touched her.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Adele’s memory may be made to The Jimmy Fund, P.O. 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or to Springwell, Inc., 307 Waverley Oaks Rd., Suite 205, Waltham, MA 02452 or to Tikkun Olam Chavurah, c/o Maggie Trotzky, Treasurer, 27 Saxham Way, Wynnewood, PA 19096.

Rosalie Chad, age 98, passed away Sunday, December 5, 2021 at The Falls at Cordingly Dam in Newton, MA. For 63 years, Rosalie was the beloved wife of the late Morris Chad (who died in 2013 at age 92). She was a  loving mother of David and his wife Rita, and Ruth and her husband Mark Friedman. Cherished grandmother of Rebecca Chad; Emma, Avi and Simone Chad-Friedman. She was a dear sister to the late Harriet Hurwitz and her husband Milton and fond aunt of Eliot and his wife Magdalena Hurwitz, and Alan Hurwitz. Rosalie is also survived by loving cousins and friends. Rosalie was born in Brooklyn, NY, daughter of the late Ruth (nee Stang) and Simon Levowitz. Rosalie often spoke of her parents and cousins and the summer days they enjoyed in their Long Beach bungalow; and the beautiful “perfect beach days” when they spent time together while savoring the surf and sand. She went to public schools in Newark and the Bronx; and spent her later teen age years and young adult life in Manhattan, attending NYU where she received a BA with a major in English. Rosalie’s first job was as copy writer for Macy’s, and with a gift for expression she enjoyed the creative process of short story writing for the rest of her life. She was also a lover of books and was a devoted participant of book group at her assisted living facility in Newton. Rosalie met Morris (a Canadian from Montreal) in 1948 at Green Mansions, a rustic resort in the Adirondacks with an emphasis on musical performance and theater, shared experiences they continued to enjoy over the course of their lives. They married the next year and settled in Montreal where Rosalie devoted herself to her children and her home, yet found time to take continuing education courses in writing skills; and in her later 50s and 60s to pursue training in social work at the local community center. In 2005 Rosalie and Morris moved from their home of 50 years in Cote St Luc, Montreal to a nearby assisted living community, Castel Royale. For several years before he passed away in 2013, Rosalie was a devoted and loving caregiver to Morris. In 2016, after more than 60 years of living in Montreal, Rosalie bravely moved to Massachusetts to be close to David and Ruth and their families and settled into assisted living. For two years she was a cherished resident of Avery Crossing in Needham and since January 2018 has been a beloved member of the Falls community at Cordingly Dam in Newton, mustering the energy to participate in activities and programs. She has coped gracefully and courageously during the pandemic, despite severely limited social connections before her 7-day April 2020 hospitalization for COVID; and after discharge, as she strived to recover her strength and raison d’etre. Her family, friends and staff members were inspired by Rosalie’s resilience and determination to prevail despite adversity. Only recently did her strength diminish, and we witnessed the dimming of her ardent fortitude. The memory of her passions and the challenges she so bravely met during her long and fruitful life will stay with us forever. Rosalie’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Deb Foster, executive director of the Falls for the support and care she and her staff provided to Rosalie over the four years she lived at the Falls. A memorial service will be held at the Burke and Blackington Funeral Home, 1479 Washington St., Newton, MA on Sunday, December 12th at 12 Noon.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Rosalie’s name may be sent to the Falls at Cordingly Dam, (arts and activities fund), 2300 Washington St, Newton MA, 02462, or Continuum Care Hospice, 500 West Cummings Park, Suite 6300, Woburn, MA 01801, www.continuumhospice.com

Marsha Michelson-Of Westwood, MA,  on December 4, 2021. Private services were held.

Susan Trachtenberg-Of Norton, on December 4, 2021.Beloved wife of Malcolm. Devoted mother of Jon Trachtenberg and Loren Vecchiarelli and her husband Domenic. Cherished grandmother of Amanda and Justin Vecchiarelli. Dear sister of Gerald Kurtis and his wife Patti. Services will be private. Family and friends are invited to her late residence Wednesday 5-9pm.In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to a charity of your choice.

Marcelle Jabbawy of Brookline, passed away peacefully at age 100, at the home she loved, on December 4, 2021. She was the beloved wife of Zaki Jabbawy (deceased) and cherished mother of Samuel Jabbawy and his wife Carole Jabbawy, Souad Spivack and Bruce Spivack, Samira Jabbawy and Saul Jabbawy. She was the beloved grandmother of Nathaniel Jabbawy and his wife Selena, Michael Jabbawy and his wife Lindsay, Benjamin Jabbawy and his wife Emily, Daniel Spivack and his wife Dorian, Nadia Spivack and her husband Jonathan Milikowsky, Adam Spivack and his wife Elana, and Talya Giordano and her husband Samuel. Marcelle adored her 18 great-grandchildren and was the beloved sister of Aungel Mukammel of Ramat Gan, Israel.

Marcelle was born in Basra, Iraq, to the tight knit Horesh family.  She was the 5th child in a family of 9 brothers and sisters.  She remained close to her family despite years of separation.  As a child, she went to the Jewish school, “Alliance Francaise”.  She married Zaki Jabbawy in 1946 and was a member of the remaining Jewish community in Basra.  Her generosity, strength and quiet wisdom made her a leader in that small community.  Marcelle moved to Israel in 1970 and was reunited with her brothers and sisters. To bring together her own family, she and her beloved husband Zaki moved to the United States in 1978, first to Plymouth and finally settling in Brookline. In Brookline, Marcelle and Zaki were among the founding members of Beth Abraham – Sephardic Synagogue of Brookline where she was a devoted member for over 40 years. Committed to the state of Israel, the Jewish people, her faith, and her Sephardic tradition, she believed that our faith lies in our heart, deeds, respect for our traditions, and hope for a better tomorrow.

Marcelle’s inner strength and courage helped save her son’s life in Iraq. Her vision, and bravery guided her in planning her family’s risky but unavoidable escape from Iraq.  Even though Marcelle was a woman of few words, her support, encouragement, hopefulness, and faith helped guide her family and all those close to her.  Marcelle imparted her commitment to education and focus on excellence to her daughters, sons, and grandchildren. She sacrificed much to provide her children with the best education, care, and life. Speaking four languages and continually interested in the larger world around her, she imparted a love of the world to her family.

In her golden years, despite health difficulties, her resilience, her love of life and family, and a desire to explore the world were evident in her continued interest in travel and meeting new people. Most importantly, she insisted on attending all family events, no matter the distance and logistical challenges.

Her strength, love, quiet wisdom, generosity, and a tenacious belief in a better tomorrow will be missed by her family and all those who knew and loved her.

A graveside service will take place at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, MA on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 1:45 pm. Shiva will be held at Congregation Beth Abraham of Brookline, 18 Williston Rd, Brookline, MA, from 5-7 pm Tuesday Dec. 7, Wednesday Dec. 8, and Thursday Dec 9. Contributions may be made to Congregation Beth Avraham of Brookline.