obituaries
her old lover.

With that framework in place, subse-
quent episodes detail the production of
“Echad + Achat,” while Iris and Tomer
wrestle with multiple emotions.

But wait — there’s more drama!
Maya (Agam Rudberg) is cast as the
play’s Iris role, but the real Iris feels
she’s a bad fit, and the self-absorbed,
self-promoting Maya isn’t interested in
the role anyway. She’d rather appear in
Chekhov’s “The Seagull.”
Then there’s Ofer (Itay Turgeman),
who gets the Tomer role. He’s got
demons of his own — he’s a TV actor
disgraced for inadvertent texts of his
genitalia, a problem that resurfaces.

Throw in an ongoing subplot about
ADLER JAMES L.-August 24, 2022 of Ry-
dal, PA. Beloved husband of Jo-
anne (nee Snyder); loving father
of Susan Adler (Peter Jacoby),
Michael Adler (Ruth Adler), Steven
Adler; adoring grandfather of Daryl
Seitchik (Dan Nott), Abby Seitchik,
Rabbi Sydni Rubenstein (Rabbi
Feivel Rubenstein), Jacob Adler,
Jack Adler, and Kate Adler. Jim was
a proud officer of the US Navy. His
success in real estate inspired the
next generation of his family. He
also held a variety of interests in-
cluding music, travel, bridge, play-
ing golf at the Philmont Country
Club, and working on his stamp
collection. He was well-loved and
respected in his community. Me-
morial services and burial were
held August 28. In lieu of flowers,
contributions in his memory may
be made to the Alzheimer’s Asso-
ciation Research Fund (alz.org/
research) or to Congregation Ke-
neseth Israel (kenesethisrael.org).

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com BLOCH
BEVERLY FAYE (nee’ Berg), 87,
from Allentown, Pennsylvania and
Boca Raton, Florida passed away,
peacefully in her sleep, with loved
ones by her side, on August 21,
2022. Beverly, born on August 13,
24 resources being taken away by a rude
Australian director of a competing
production — for example, a couch
on a set is removed in the middle of a
rehearsal — and you have a stew of dis-
content to navigate. Nobody is content
in “Rehearsals.”
While parts of “Rehearsals” are
played for laughs, the show functions
more effectively as a drama thanks to
well-drawn characters and striking per-
formances. Koler, especially, depicts the
conflicts Iris faces as she confronts rela-
tionships, would-be parenting, personal
insecurities, aging and her career.

And some of that pain we see may
be rooted in reality. Koler and Drigues
apparently were a real-life romantic
1935, grew up in Olyphant PA and
moved to Allentown at 19 years
old after marrying Leonard Bloch,
whom she first met on a blind date
at the junior prom in Allentown. Af-
ter raising her three children, Bev-
erly returned to college receiving
a BA in Social Welfare from Cedar
Crest College in 1986. Beverly
was the ultimate volunteer, active-
ly involved at her beloved Temple
Beth El in Allentown and Jewish
Federation of Lehigh Valley. Addi-
tionally, she worked tirelessly for
Hadassah Hospital. Beverly also
provided volunteer social work
services in Allentown to the Center
for Prevention of Child Abuse, the
Lehigh Valley Crippled Children’s
Society, numerous old-age homes,
and Jewish Family Service. Beverly
was known for her loud (sometimes
off key) chanting in synagogue,
warm smile, passion for giving to
others, and her love of life. She
was artistic and enjoyed drawing
and painting, as well as going to
museums, the theater, and the
symphony. She also loved to bake
- often, but not always successful-
ly - and her grandchildren always
loved her mandel bread. Though
she loved to travel the world with
her beloved Lenny and ultimately
moved permanently to Florida, she
was first and foremost a very proud
Allentonian. She loved to bring her
Floridian friends to Allentown and
crow about there being “so much to
do and see in our Valley!” Beverly
is survived by her loving husband
of 67 years, Leonard, her children
Craig and Mary Kay Bloch, Wayne
and Sheree Bloch, Carole and
Steven LeBlanc, and her grand-
children, Alison and Seth Samu-
els, Sam Bloch and fiancee Kayla
Sredni, Ryan Bloch and Jonathan
and Brittany Holder. Donations in
Beverly’s memory can be made
to Temple Beth El of Allentown
(https://www.bethelallentown.org/ SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
couple and actually wrote and per-
formed “Echad + Achat” years ago in
Israel. They, along with Assaf Amir are
billed as the creators of the show.

But wait — there’s even more drama!
The show is not without some real-
life controversy because of its cast.

In February 2021 (just after the show
concluded airing in Israel), a feminist
publication accused Drigues of sexu-
ally harassing multiple women, includ-
ing some who were underage. Drigues
apologized, blaming it on a sex addic-
tion; he said some of Ofer’s storylines
stem from his issues.

Meantime, sexual harassment allega-
tions surfaced against Shmil Ben Ari,
who plays the theater patriarch Shlomo
featured in the show’s first scene; he
has denied allegations that include bul-
lying and inappropriate touching. Still,
there’s a scene early on that hits a little
close to home as he pretends to solicit a
much-younger actress before contend-
ing that he was joking.

So, there’s a lot to unpack for anyone
interested in the show.

And considering that summer’s
about run its course, but the fall TV
season won’t begin in earnest for a cou-
ple of weeks, “Rehearsals” makes for an
ideal transition from the usual light hot
weather fare into a more thought-pro-
voking drama. JE
agotlieb@midatlanticmedia.com SKLAROFF
donate.html), ALYN Hospital in Is-
rael (https://www.alyn.org/Donate),
and Jewish Family & Children Ser-
vice of Philadelphia (www.jfcsphilly.

org/donate). BACHMAN, KULIK & REINSMITH
FUNERAL HOME
www.bachmankulikreinsmith.com/ LEVITAN
KOVACH JACQUELINE L. (nee Cohn) on
August 18, 2022. Beloved wife of
Brian; Loving mother of Joshua
Kovach (Naomi Gray) and Gabriel
Kovach; Adoring grandmother of
Teddy, Olive, Eve, and Rayna. Con-
tributions in her memory may be
made to Reform Cong. Keneseth
Israel, Music Fund Committee,
8339 Old York Rd., Elkins Park, PA
19027. GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
www. jewishexponent.

com CURTIS F. of Plymouth Meeting,
formerly of Phila., devoted hus-
band of Barbara (nee Servetnick)
of Plymouth Meeting, PA, loving
father of Rachael Levitan and Erika
Levy (nee Levitan), son of Abraham
and Rose Levitan (nee Chackman),
brother of Elliot (Elaine) Levitan
and the late Walter Levitan. Be-
loved Poppy to Ayla, Ethan and Eli-
ana. In lieu of flowers, contributions
in Curtis’s memory may be made
to the American Lung Association
(lung.org). JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com POMERANTZ
ARTHUR - August 21, 2022 of St.

Thomas VI and Philadelphia, PA.

Husband of Barbara Pomerantz
(nee Gordon); Father of Lauren
Schulz (Craig); grandfather of
Maya and Miles. Brother of Sandra
Rosen, Paul Pomerantz and the
late David Pomerantz. The family
respectfully request contributions
in lieu of flowers be made to Tem-
ple University c/o Beasley School
of Law for Arthur Pomerantz En-
dowed Scholarship or Congrega-
tion Beth Or M & M Family Fund.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com ROBERT “DR. BOB” B., M.D.,of
Abington, PA, passed away August
14, 2022. Born in 1951 to parents
Roslyn Cohn and David Mann Sk-
laroff, M.D., in Philadelphia, PA, he
followed in his father’s footsteps,
entering medicine after completing
the 5-year program at Penn State
and Thomas Jefferson University in
1974. His internship/residency was
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit,
MI, before his fellowship in medical
oncology/hematology at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center fin-
ished in 1979 and at Hahnemann
University in 1980. He was a clin-
ical assistant Professor at Temple
University from 1980 to 2000. He
founded his own private practice
in 1981, and tirelessly helped sun-
dry patients fight their diseases.

He won various awards from the
American Cancer Society, Ameri-
can Medical Association, American
Heart Association, JFK Memorial
Hospital, Albert Einstein Medical
Center, American Academy of Fam-
ily Practice, and the Pennsylvania
Nurses Association. He had numer-
ous appointments to institutions in
the Philadelphia area, including the
hospitals of Elkins Park, Episcopal,
Albert Einstein Medical Center,
Lawndale, JFK Memorial, Moss
Rehab, North Penn, Northeastern,
Oxford, Philadelphia Geriatric Cen-
ter, and Nazareth. Besides being a
fierce advocate for his patients, he
also succeeded in medical-legal
work and passionate activism, al-
ways laboring hard to try to make
the world a better place. He was a
long-standing anti-tobacco activist,
supported Israel, helped institute
safer designed needles for nurses,
fought medical insurance monop-
olization, and was instrumental in
passing the PA Holocaust educa-
tion bill besides supporting educa-
tion more broadly. He liked to say



that like his childhood Superman’s
show intro, he stood for “truth, jus-
tice, and the American way”. He
had copies of the US Constitution
in his back pocket, in his car, at
his desk, and even a snippet on
a specialty pillow for his bed. He
took great pride in his Sunday New
York Times crossword puzzles, his
family and friends, as well as pas-
sionately talking about and debat-
ing current events. He is survived
by his brother, Harvey, and son,
Michael. Internment was private.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com Jonathan Stolper (Lynn) and step-
mother of Emily Bakaj (Myron) and
Bernard Schaeffer (Nanci); devoted
sister of Arlene Adlin (Victor); loving
grandmother of Ayva, Lila, Alexa,
and Daniel. In lieu of flowers, con-
tributions in her memory may be
made to Jewish National Fund, (jnf.

org) JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com SMOTKIN
HOWARD STERN (61) of St. Louis
died Aug. 9, 2022. He was the hus-
band of Barbi, father of Michael,
Lauren, Emily and Julia; son of
the late Leonard ‘Buddy’ and Mina
Stern Smotkin; and brother of Lee
Smotkin. Funeral services and buri-
al were held in St. Louis. Contribu-
tions in his memory may be made
to Congregation Rodeph Shalom or
Jewish Federation of Greater Phila.

JOSEPH LEVINE & SONS
www.levinefuneral.com STOLPER
JUDITH (née Grossman) - August
10, 2022, of Philadelphia, PA.; be-
loved wife of the late Arthur Stolp-
er and the late Mort Schaeffer;
cherished mother of Brooke Stolp-
er (Brian), Karen Stolper (Kelly),
VICTOR HERBERT of Philadelphia, PA,
passed away at his home in Delray
Beach, FL after a brief illness, a
few weeks short of his 99th birth-
day., Herb was born on September
7th, 1923 to Dora and Meyer Victor
in Philadelphia, PA. and graduat-
ed from West Philadelphia High
School. He served on the front
lines with the 44th Infantry Division
from Normandy to Germany during
WWII. Herb came back to Phila-
delphia and graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania in 1947.

He earned his CPA and opened his
own accounting firm and practiced
for almost 20 years. He then joined
the family electrical construction
business in the 1960s for another
20 years. In the 1980s. he went
into the real estate business and
acquired his own portfolio of prop-
erties in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey, which he managed until the
last few months. He is well known
throughout the business and real
estate communities of Philadelphia
and New Jersey. He was also in-
volved in numerous philanthropic
pursuits for decades and served
as President of the JCC in Wynne-
wood in the 1970s. While attending
Penn, he met the love of his life,
Phyllis Ford. They were married in
1948 after a proposal on a bench
outside Irvine Auditorium. Herb and
Phyllis went on to have two sons,
Mark and Scott. The family grew
with the addition of grandchildren,
Heather, Brett, Kyle, Fiona and
Skye. The next generation brought
him great grandchildren Belle, Mia,
Leila and Bennett. Herb and Phyl-
lis were avid travelers, still going on
cruises into their 90s. They trav-
eled around the world, but there
was no happier place for Herb than
on his balcony at night at 5000
Boardwalk in Ventnor. The sounds
of the Atlantic Ocean lulled Herb
to sleep over countless evenings.

He also became a “snow bird” and
started living in Boca Raton, Florida
over 30 years ago and moved from
one wonderful home to another,
spending most of his time at Tos-
cana in Highland Beach, and most
recently Harbor’s Edge in Delray.

For almost 75 years, theirs was a
romance and marriage for the ages
filled with love and commitment to
each other. Herb is survived by his
wife, Phyllis; his sons Mark and
Scott; his grandchildren Heather,
Brett, Kyle, Fiona, and Skye; and
his great-grandchildren Belle, Mia,
Leila, and Bennett. In lieu of flow-
ers, donations may be sent to JAF-
CO or the Jewish Federation of ei-
ther Greater Philadelphia or South
Palm Beach County.

GOLDSTEINS’ ROSENBERG’S
RAPHAEL-SACKS www.goldsteinsfuneral.com
WEST It’s hard to say that a man who
died at 94 died too soon, but that
certainly is the case with Edward
Charles West who died Saturday,
August 20th, in Boca Raton, Flori-
da. Born in 1928 in Philadelphia, Ed
was a graduate of West Point class
of 1950. He retired from the Army
Corps of Engineers in 1972, a Full-
Bird Colonel. Ed lived an awesome
life that touched the hearts of all who
met him. Along with his wife of 72
years, Marlyn (Marci) née Wenger,
and their two daughters, Becki and
Stephanie, the Wests lived a typi-
cal career army life moving over
40 times. With limited access to
synagogues in some of the smaller
towns, Ed, fluent in Hebrew, would
often assume the role of Rabbi to
lead small congregations that he
would form wherever the family
ended up. A decorated war hero in
Korea with a bronze star for Valor,
Ed spent many years working at
the Pentagon. Ed was a key part-
ner in the composting companies
Agripost and ECW. Ed earned a
masters degree in engineering from
MIT and masters degree in Busi-
ness Administration from George
Washington. He is survived by his
wife Marci, sister Sandra, daugh-
ter Becki and husband Bruce Lev,
daughter Stephanie and husband
Michael Lieberman, grandchildren
Josh, Brynn, Zachary, Erica, BJ,
Bronwyn, Jake, Shannon and Ali.

Great grandchildren Blake, Dylan,
Ari and Julian. In lieu of flowers do-
nations can be made to the char-
ity of your choice or to the Jewish
Chapel Fund at West Point. For
additional information, please visit
shiva.com/edwardwest. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
25