CHACHKIN
SYLVIA (nee Smilovitz) on January 18,
2023. Beloved wife of the late Harvey;
Loving mother of Susan Silverstein
(Robert) and Margie Chachkin; Cherished
Grandmother of
Candice (Bryan
Beauchamp); “Aunt Sylvia” to numerous
nieces and nephews, great and great-
great nieces and nephews. Known for her
lovingkindness, grace, understated ele-
gance, excellent memory, and abundance
of common sense, she brought family tra-
ditions to life through her cooking and bak-
ing. Sylvia will be missed for the love she
shared and for the strength she instilled in
others. Contributions in her memory may
be made to Beth Or (www.bethor.org).

FIELDS YETTA (nee Metcoff), January 14,
2023, of Bala Cynwyd, PA. Beloved
wife of the late Dr. Max Fields (2008);
loving mother of Jack Fields (Iris) and
Phyllis Chapell (fi ancé Steve Jewett).

She was buried at Montefi ore Cemetery
on January 16th. Due to Covid re-
strictions, the burial was private and
shiva was not held. Contributions to
the Alzheimer’s Association in Yetta’s
memory would be greatly appreciated.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com FORMAN
BURTON - January 18, 2023 of
Philadelphia, PA. Beloved husband of
the Bernice (nee Blinderman) and the
late Kay (nee Borbas); loving father of
Howard Forman (Barbara) and Tami
Brauer and step-father of Joyce, Yvette,
and Ben; adoring grandfather to Brooke
(Rad), Colby (Brandon), Chad, Brandon
(Colleen), Devyn (Sean), Jordan, Zach,
Allie, Samantha, Emily and great-grandfa-
ther of Charlie, Penny, Katriella. Burt was
a well-known and loved science and math
teacher at Fels Junior High. His love of
teaching continued into adulthood where
he ran the successful Burt’s Brain Games
program at the Klein Life JCC. In lieu of
fl owers, contributions in Burt’s memory
may be made to Klein Life Branch Senior
Programming (kleinlife.org).

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com GREES
FRANCES nee Kaplan January 18,
2023. Wife of the late Morris. Mother
of Arleen (late Steven) Weinstein and
Marcia (Don) Rutberg. Contributions
in her memory may be made to the
Breathing Room Foundation, 8310
Brookside Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
Film HIMELSTEIN
MORGAN Y. on January 17, 2023. Born
on a farm in Lebanon CT, Himelstein
was educated in Hartford public
schools before attending Wesleyan
University. There he earned his B.A.

with Honors and High Distinction in
French literature and was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa. Moving to New York,
he received an M.A. from Columbia
University and then started teaching
English Literature at the University of
Rochester. His education and career
were interrupted by service with the
United States Army in Korea during the
height of the Korean War, after which
he fi nished his Ph.D. at Columbia with
Eric Bentley as his mentor. He joined
the faculty of Adelphi University on
Long Island and began a writing career
with the book “Drama Was a Weapon,”
an account of the Communist Party’s
failed attempt to use the Broadway
stage during the Great Depression
as “a weapon in the class struggle.”
The book stayed in print for 25 years.

Himelstein’s writing also included
English translations of three operettas
by Offenbach and one by Strauss,
which were carried by Mapleson
Music Library and performed na-
tionwide. A New York production of
“Orpheus in the Underworld” was
praised by the New York Times critic
Alan Kozinn as “amusing and nicely
fl owing.” Morgan Himelstein was mar-
ried for 40 years to Libby Rosenfeld,
who predeceased him. He leaves two
sons Dr. Andrew (Dr. Rima) and Dr.

Bruce (Lisa Simons), grandchildren
Danny, Robyn, Rebecca, Jeffrey, and
Miriam, and great-grandson Rylan.

Contributions in his memory may be
made to MAZON https://mazon.org or
the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee www.jdc.org.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
KELMAN JONAH “SONNY” on January 17,
2023. Beloved husband of Linda
(nee Laveson); Loving father of Dr.

Michael Kelman (Randi); Dear brother
of Jean Kinney; Devoted grandfather
of Jennifer (Edward) and Amanda.

Contributions in his memory may be
made to Delaware Valley Veteran’s
Home, 2701 Southampton Rd., Phila.,
PA 19154, www.dmva.pa.gov
GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
LEVIN LLOYD S. - January 15, 2023 of
North Wales, Pa. Beloved husband
of Paula (nee Ginsburg). Devoted fa-
ther of Rachelle Levin, Eileen Levine-
Buchholtz (Gary) and Andrea Lerman
(Larry). Proud grandfather of Jamie
and Ilana. The family requests that
contributions in his memory be made
to Wounded Warrior Foundation or a
charity of the donor’s choice.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com Continued from page 20
MARKS EDWARD I., January 14, 2023, of
Phila. PA; beloved husband of 76
blessed years to Elizabeth (nee
Sabreen); loving father of Bruce Marks
(Bonnie-Kay), Karen Levy (Nadav),
and Ronald Marks (Susan); cherished
grandfather of Micah Kagan (Amy),
Haddas Cohen (Hannan), Shelah
Mashat (Sharon), Aaron Marks (Emily),
Limor Knafo (Chaim), Hannah Marks
(David Charny), Emily Marks (fi an-
cée Michael Foley), Philip Marks and
the late Bryan Marks; also survived
by 12 adoring great-grandchildren (7
in Israel, 5 in US). He was the dedi-
cated son of the late Irma and Philip
Marks. Edward was a proud veteran
of WWII from 1942-1945 and in the
Naval Reserves from 1947-1960. He
was the past President of Beth Chaim
Synagogue, Feasterville, PA and en-
joyed more than 40 trips to Israel. He
was a graduate of Central class 178
(1942) and Drexel (electrical engineer
1948). His joy was his grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. Edward also
volunteered at various Israeli Defense
Forces bases and hospitals for many
years. In lieu of fl owers, contributions
in Edward’s memory may be made
to The Lone Soldier Center (lonesol-
diercenter.com), or a charity of the do-
nor’s choice.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com MELES
MARLENE (nee Nosnik), passed on
January 9th, 2023. Beloved wife of
Sonny Meles; loving mother of Audrey,
Sharon (Dr. Debra Braverman),
and Susan (Robin Eisenberg).

Adoring grandmother of Ari and Mira.

Contributions in her memory may be
made to Temple Beth Ami, 9201 Old
Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
19115 or Magen David Adom https://
afmda.org/donate/. GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
WEISS NETTIE LEVITT, wife of Abe Levitt
(dec) and Harold Weiss(dec) passed
away on 1/15/23 at age 106. She was
the beloved mother of Jerry, Harvey
Richard, and Joel (dec) Levitt and sis-
ter Frances Schleifer. She is also sur-
vived by her 10 grandchildren and 17
great grandchildren.

Joseph Levine & Sons
www.levinefuneral.com ended hers, when I learned that my mother too had ended her
life, and that deep down I felt the same predisposition to despair
and death. I thought to myself: Either I kill myself, too, or I create
something really crazy and extraordinary.”
For the next two years, Salomon did just that, creating
some 1,300 paintings about her life in exile. She accompanied
these paintings with text and musical cues that included Bach,
Schubert, Mahler and the German anthem “Deutschlandlied,”
creating an entire multimedia body of work.

As the Nazi grip tightened in France, Salomon realized the
danger she faced and brought a box containing all her paintings
to a friend, the town’s doctor. The fi lm recounts what she tells
him: “Take care of it. This is my whole life.” Just weeks later,
Salomon, fi ve months pregnant, was sent to Auschwitz, where
she died on Oct. 10, 1943.

‘A strong belief in art and love’
While Salomon’s work includes depictions of Nazis, antisemi-
tism and persecution, the majority of “Life? or Theatre?” — and
therefore, the fi lm — is dedicated to the explosive inner life and
autobiography of its creator. She explores suicide, Freudian lust,
psychological distress, music, philosophy and her own artistic
impulses. Yet “Life? or Theatre?” is unmistakably a product of its time, and
as such, the fi lm includes historical images of Hitler’s rise. Though
the French fi lmmakers don’t identify as Jewish themselves,
Delphine said that she and her sister have some Jewish family,
and she noted the fi lm’s content is more relevant than ever.

“Antisemitism never did end, but now in France and in Europe,
it is stronger and stronger than ever since 1945,” she said. “We
really see it, and we talk to it nearly each day. We can’t ignore it.”
“With all these strange times we’re living in, Charlotte gives
you strength because she really crossed the times with a strong
belief in art and love,” she added.

The fi lm ends with astonishing footage from the early 1960s
of Salomon’s father and stepmother, who survived hiding in
the Netherlands, looking through their daughter’s paintings as
they are interviewed about her. “I was surprised when I discov-
ered her work,” says her father Albert Salomon. He had known
nothing of his late daughter’s project until the couple visited
Villefranche-sur-Mer after the war, hoping to fi nd some traces
of Charlotte’s life.

“The work is very, very vivid — very expressive of life in all
its aspects,” said Delphine of Salomon’s art — and the Coulin
sisters, in turn, were inspired to bring the work to a broader
audience. In 2019, Muriel directed her fi rst theater piece,
“Charlotte,” a rendition of Salomon’s work for the stage that
played in Paris at the Théâtre du Rond Point. When the COVID-
19 pandemic shut down the production, the Coulins transposed
their medium to fi lm.

Delphine added that they were also drawn to what she called
the “poignant story” of Salomon’s brief life, now immortalized by
her singular creative impulse in the face of adversity.

“In diffi cult times — and her times were probably the most
diffi cult times ever — she really believed in art,” she said. “How
art makes you survive. How it can give you a piece of eternity.

We wouldn’t speak about her this way if she had not been able
to make this wonderful work.” ■
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