obituaries
KEAN LEROY EDWARD - August 12,
2022, of Philadelphia; beloved hus-
band of the late Lois (nee Sitkin);
loving father of Kenneth, Candace
and Kirby (Susan Giraldi) Kean;
brother of Dr. Herbert (Joyce) Kean;
grandfather of Evan Kean. In lieu
of flowers, contributions in Leroy’s
memory may be made to the Union
League Legacy Foundation-Kean
Family Scholarship Fund.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com KITEI
MICHAEL ALAN, December 1, 1950
– August 23, 2021. Married to the
love of his life Mirria (Blumenfeld)
for 43 years. Proud father of Scott
(Helen) and Eric (Heidi), Pop Pop
to Arianna, Caroline, Austin, Henry,
David and Carter. Brother of Dr.

Franklin Kitei (Lynne), and caretak-
er for his faithful beagle Hannah. Mi-
chael never lost his sense of humor
during a 23-year battle with Multiple
Sclerosis, with his devoted friend
and brother for life Alan Trachtman
and his sister-in-law Susan Blu-
menfeld always by his side offering
steadfast love, support, assistance,
and encouragement. Michael loved
to write poetry to Mirria from the day
they met until just before his pass-
ing. When he was no longer able to
write, he would have Alan pen them
for him. Proud graduate of New
Hampshire College and devoted fan
of Philadelphia sports—especially
the Phillies. Professionally, Michael
taught Hebrew school and excelled
in a number of sales jobs, taking
great pride in masterfully training
and mentoring the next generation.

Michael always said that he “Never
had a bad day in my life,” and made
sure that everyone he met heard his
favorite jokes—over and over and
over again! He will be sorely missed
by everyone who knew him, but
has left a legacy of love and laugh-
ter that will continue on through his
friends and family.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
LEVINE Sydelle Levine, better known as “Sim-
mie”, died on August 13, 2022, at age
93, at home in her apartment at the
Green Hill Condominium in Wynne-
26 wood, Pennsylvania, near Philadel-
phia. Loving mother of Linda Olitsky
of Havertown, Pennsylvania (Morris)
and loving stepmother of Karen T.

Levine (Andy Sisson) of Chapel Hill,
North Carolina; Laurie Levine Lowen
(Frank) of Spokane, Washington,
and Barry H. Levine of Spokane,
Washington. Devoted grandmother
of Stacy Olitsky, Elana Salzman
(Noah), Neal Olitsky (Leanna), Tara
Frady Armstrong (Price) and Kaeti
Frady. Beloved great-grandmother
of Rose Weathers, Eden Weathers,
Aviva Olitsky, Shira Salzman, Chaya
Salzman and Talia Olitsky. Sydelle
Levine (nee Sydelle Golden) was the
youngest of three children and was
predeceased by her brother Hen-
ry Golden (Blanche) and her sister
Jeanne Kalinsky (Frank). She mar-
ried Ernest Arons in New York, but
they were soon divorced, leaving
Simmie to raise their daughter Lin-
da as a single mother. But in 1972,
Simmie met her soon-to-be second
husband, Dr. Samuel Levine, and
became stepmother to his three chil-
dren. She and Sam lived in Mount
Vernon, New York and later moved to
the Philadelphia area. Sam passed
away in 2016.In addition to her family
matters, Simmie had an outstanding-
ly successful career as an educator,
teaching in the New York City public
schools and later as a Board of Ed-
ucation official. She also worked on
Madison Avenue in the advertising
business. Simmie was an author,
writing a play that was later produced
and publishing a children’s biography
of Revolutionary War heroine Sybil
Ludington. Simmie was very active in
her community as well, and in 2005
achieved recognition as Woman of
the Year at the Free Synagogue of
Mount Vernon. Among her outstand-
ing qualities was a love of social ac-
tivities. Simmie hosted numerous
large family and friend gatherings, in-
cluding the annual “Singalong” which
drew both near and distant relatives.

She had many devoted friends, and
was a devoted friend to them. Sim-
mie’s hospitality was famous, along
with her expression “mi casa es su
casa” (Spanish for “my house is
your house”). She hosted not just
relatives, but friends of her stepchil-
dren, in some cases for months-long
stays—exhibiting the famous virtue
of Abraham the patriarch and Sarah
the matriarch. Simmie’s upbeat pos-
itive attitude was infectious, and she
enriched the lives of all who knew
her. LINCHUK
Leonard Linchuk passed away sud-
denly on August 16, 2022. He was
the son of the late Betty and Samuel
Linchuk. Born in Philadelphia on Jan-
uary 19, 1936, and former resident of
Allentown, PA, Leonard had called
Cherry Hill, New Jersey home for the
last 30 plus years. Leonard gradu-
ated from South Philadelphia High
School in 1954 and from Drexel Uni-
AUGUST 25, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
versity in 1958, where he received
his Bachelor of Science degree in
Mechanical Engineering. Known for
his sense of humor and positive out-
look on life, Leonard will be deeply
missed by many friends and fam-
ily. In his youth, his nickname was
Chuckles because of his great smile
and was known as Len or Lenny to
his close friends. Leonard had many
careers in his lifetime and with each
one, he had a strong and dedicated
work ethic. In the beginning of his
career, he worked as a mechanical
engineer with New York Ship Build-
ing Corporation at Camden where
he was assigned to work on the
Savannah, the first nuclear freight-
er. He then moved to Allentown, PA
where he became general manager
of the Cata Garment Company. He
helped organize the Lehigh Valley
Needles Trades Association in 1963.

In the early 1980s, he ran Dave
Shores Restaurant in Philadelphia
before starting his own wholesale
women’s clothing business named
LL Fashions. Following that, he had
a small clothing boutique called the
Front Room for many years, before
working for Yellow Book, where his
personality and dedication made
him a top salesman. Later years, he
continued working part-time as card
dealer for multiple charity events. He
enjoyed meeting interesting people
and loved to learn about them. Leon-
ard was a proud father and grandfa-
ther. He is survived by his daughter,
Vicki Linchuk, son, Steve Linchuk
(Carolyn) and two granddaughters
that he adored, Olivia Hally (Andrew)
and Bridget Linchuk. He is prede-
ceased by two brothers, Theodore
and Edward Linchuk. His wife, Leslie
Fraenkel passed away in 2015. Do-
nations in his memory can be made
to his favorite charity, the Make a
Wish Foundation, or the American
Heart Association.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
ing nieces, nephews, and cousins
who will treasure her memory. She
is survived by her devoted daughter,
Belinda Glijansky (Alex), two cher-
ished grandchildren, Gheña (Jeffrey)
and Avi (Angela), and three adored
great-grandchildren, Natalie, Tobias,
and Asher. Contributions in her mem-
ory may be made to Beth Sholom
Congregation 8231 Old York Rd.,
Elkins Park, PA 19027 or Abramson
Senior Care 5 Sentry Parkway East,
Suite 100, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
NEFF JOYCE (nee Brown) - August 13,
2022, of New York, formerly of Phila.;
beloved wife of the late Alan M. Neff;
loving mother of Andrew Neff (Nan-
cy) and Lauren Neff; devoted sister
of Sheldon Brown; also survived by
4 grandchildren and 16 great-grand-
children. In lieu of flowers, contri-
butions in Joyce’s memory may be
made to the American Association
for Cancer Research (aacr.org).

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com SAVITT
Judith (nee Cooper), August 15,
2022, of Philadelphia, PA. Beloved
wife of the late Judge David N. Sav-
itt; loving mother of William (Nazak)
Savitt and James (Venus) Savitt;
cherished grandmother of Megan,
Eli, Bernardo, Jacob, Samuel and
Atessa; devoted sister of Dianne
Zimmerman. In lieu of flowers, con-
tributions in Judith’s memory may
be made to Jumpstart for Young
Children (jstart.org).

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com TOOLE
RUTHELLEN, 1933-2022 - On Au-
gust 3, Ruthellen Toole, devoted wife,
mother and grandmother; beloved
sister; trailblazer for women in busi-
ness; arts lover; activist in Jewish
causes; and philanthropist, died of
complications due to Alzheimer’s dis-
ease in San Diego. She was 89. She
was born Ruthellen Dietz in Philadel-
phia, the first child of Sylvia and Si and
older sister to Carl, Bob and Suzi. As
a single mom to three children, she
started her career in the late 1960s
at the onset of what became a revo-
lution in computing and data process-
ing. In 1967, she began working for
Honeywell as a self-taught computer
programmer and quickly proved in-
valuable as a teacher to new em-
ployees. After her boys went off to
college, Ruthellen journeyed west
with her young daughter, where they
settled in the Bay Area. In 1991 she
married Monte Toole, the love of her
life. Together they became active in
Bay Area and Israeli Jewish charities
after Monte’s successful semicon-
ductor manufacturing company went
public. She is survived by her three
children, Larry Tollin, Mike Tollin and
Cindy Tollin, and five adoring grand-
children: Samantha, Georgia, Lucas,
Adam and Rebecca and by her broth-
er Bob Dietz and sister Suzi Dietz. In
lieu of flowers, the family suggests a
contribution to either the Alzheimer’s
Association or the Osher Marin JCC.

MATYAS ADELA (nee Ghelman), 95, of Mont-
gomery County, Pa., formerly of Ca-
racas, Venezuela, died peacefully on
8/13/2022. She was the beloved wife
of the late Tibor Matyas-Schmidt.

She was the devoted daughter of
Abraham and Clara Ghelman and
the loving sister of the late Jaime
Ghelman. Born in Bessarabia,
Romania, she grew up in Maracai-
bo, Venezuela. After marrying, she
moved to Caracas where she and her
husband raised their daughter. Adela
was active in the Caracas Jewish
Community and, along with her hus-
band, supported the State of Israel
and traveled the world. In later years,
they moved to Montgomery County,
PA, where they became members of
Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins
Park. A retired attorney who enjoyed
practicing her profession, she was
most dedicated to her family, includ-
SHECTER DIANE (nee Levins) On August 16,
2022. Beloved mother of Jonathan
(WeiYun) Shecter and Jane (Bent-
ley) Saul; Dear sister of the late
Wendy Feller; Adoring grandmother
of Thomas, Valerie, and Maxwell.

Funeral services are private. Contri-
butions in her memory may be made
to The Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia www.jewishphilly.com.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
YAARY AMIRAM on August 14, 2022. Be-
loved husband of Rina (nee Kohn)
Loving father of Michael Yaary (Al-
yson), Ron Yaary, and Eric Yaary
(Sharon); Dear brother of Baruch
Waldman. Contributions in his
memory may be made to any Jew-
ish charity of the donor’s choice.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com



synagogue spotlight
What’s happening at ... Temple Har Zion
Temple Har Zion Hires
New Rabbi Adam Lautman
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
G rowing up in a Conservative
synagogue in Livingston,
New Jersey, Adam Lautman
felt invisible. It was the early 2000s, and
Jewish culture seemed all about “nice
Jewish boys meeting nice Jewish girls
and having nice Jewish babies,” he said.

For a gay teen, the situation was
“challenging.” But at the same time,
Lautman felt a connection with
Judaism. He even looked in a Jewish
Theological Seminary catalog at one
point to see if he could become a
cantor. But then he read that JTS was
not accepting homosexuals for that
program. It was not until the early 2010s, while
a student at Rutgers University, that
Lautman found his place: Nehirim,
a Jewish spirituality community for
LGBTQ people. During retreats and
other gatherings, Lautman grew to love
reading, studying and discussing the
Torah. He also realized that a gay man
could be out of the closet as a Jew.

Today, Lautman, 33, is not just an out
and proud Jew. He’s a rabbi, ordained in
2020 at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic
Studies in Los Angeles.

And after serving in a variety of rab-
binical jobs for the past two years, he’s
taking over his first senior rabbi role
at Temple Har Zion in Mount Holly,
New Jersey. The 50-family congrega-
tion gathers in its white, architecturally
striking domed sanctuary at 255 High
St., just steps away from Mount Holly’s
downtown. Inside, it has a small but
cozy social hall and a hallway of offices.

But after two pandemic years that
forced congregants to worship from
home, it feels quiet inside. Lautman
is the synagogue’s only full-time
employee and the first rabbi on the
payroll since Cynthia Kravitz left in
January of 2021. And while a solid 20
or so people attend Shabbat services
weekly, the temple no longer offers a
religious school like it did before 2020.

The rabbi who once felt invisible in
his Jewish community is taking over
the leadership of a congregation look-
ing to increase its visibility.

“I have a story of sort of having to find
my way into the Jewish community and
forming that relationship with God and
my relationship with the Jewish com-
munity, as opposed to always having
it be spread out before me and easy,”
Lautman said. “That makes it helpful
and easy to connect with people who
are struggling with their Judaism, who
aren’t as connected and to empathize
and to be there for people.”
But while Lautman understands the
challenge of revitalizing the synagogue,
his mindset is not growth, growth,
growth. For now, he just wants to get to
know the congregation’s devoted mem-
bers, most of whom are older.

Even if the temple grows in the long
run, the rabbi hopes to remain focused
on making deep connections with
members. That’s why right now the first
step is to come back together in person
“a lot more,” he explained.

“So many people of all ages are
craving connection,” the rabbi added.

“There’s a wonderful opportunity
here to provide those opportunities
for people.”
Temple Har Zion is 85 years old.

From 1985 to 2017, Rabbi Richard
Simon led the congregation. Then
Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum replaced
Simon for two years from 2017 to 2019.

After Berenbaum, Kravitz served from
January 2020 to January 2021 before
stepping away into a semi-retirement.

Kravitz, though, was part-time. But
before hiring Lautman, the synagogue’s
board of trustees decided to bring on a
full-time spiritual leader again.

Laura Markowitz, a board member
and the chair of the search committee,
said they felt it was important for Har
Zion and the rabbi to commit to each
other. The shul had always run on a
full-time clergy model with volunteers
handling all of the other synagogue
duties, and it could so again, the trust-
ees believed.

Over the past year-and-a-half,
Hazzan Evlyn Gould, who lives on the
West Coast, served as a sort of rent-a-
Rabbi Adam Lautman in his office at Temple Har Zion in Mount Holly, New Jersey,
on Aug. 18
Photos by Jarrad Saffren
Temple Har Zion at 255 High St. in Mount Holly
rabbi when Har Zion needed someone
to come in, like on the High Holidays.

With the temple reopening, it was time
for the board to find its leader again.

“It was important to have some-
body full-time and in the area,”
Markowitz said. “The board feels that
it’s important, and it’s important to
the members.”
And then Lautman came for his
in-person interview/try-out. As he led
a service from the bimah, Markowitz
had a moment.

“I sat there and looked at him and
said, ‘It’s a match,’” she recalled. “It just
hit me. I didn’t think it. I felt it.”
Lautman moved to Cherry Hill on
July 25 with his cat Buffy. JE
jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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