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Friday February 1, 2008

Deaths

Eileen Horber. In Redwood City, Calif. on Jan. 24. Beloved wife of the late Jack Horber. Loving mother of Alan Horber (Robin) and Sandra Horber (Marc Manion). Devoted grandmother of Michael and Myles Manion. Dear sister of Betty Rabin (Henry) and aunt of Steven, Jill, Judy, Rick, Deborah and Lauren. Pre-deceased by her parents, Louis and Ann Janov, and her brother Edward Janov. A native of Chicago; age 80. Memorial services will be announced later. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Peninsula Temple Beth El. Arrangements by Sinai Memorial Chapel, 650-369-3636.

Moshe M. Sternberg, of Oakland, a biochemist and retired biotechnology executive, died Jan. 25 after a two-year struggle with cancer.

He was born on Sept. 3, 1929 in Soroca, then a provincial center in northeastern Romania. His father, Ghersh (George), was a commodities trader and manufacturer while his mother, Lyuba (Linda) (nee Ghelburt), came from a family of merchants.

The end of WWII found the three in the capital of Romania, having narrowly escaped gulag and Holocaust but now under the boot of the same USSR whose advance they had evaded four years earlier. In 1948, when the newly established state of Israel opened its doors to the remnant of the Jewish people, Moshe applied for permission to leave Romania. His application was approved in 1961, at which time he, his parents, young wife and son joined the exodus.

A boyhood passion for chemistry continued with a PhD and a lifelong career that eventually brought him to Miles (later, Bayer) Biologicals in Berkeley, from which he retired in 1995 as the SVP of R&D. In retirement, he remained active as Bayer’s representative at industry bodies, and as an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, where for 11 years he taught a popular graduate course on biotechnology.

The birth of his four grandchildren further enriched his retirement years, as he in turn enriched their lives in so many ways and for as long as he possibly could.

Moshe Sternberg is survived by his mother; by Ella his devoted wife of 52 years; son Theodore (Robin Soffer); daughter Talia (Edgar Pierluissi); grandchildren Margot and Sarah Pierluissi, Hannah and Joseph Sternberg.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Brandeis Hillel Day School, 655 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco CA 94132.

Tosia Szames (pronounced “shammes”), passed away in San Francisco on Jan. 2 at age 97. A petite, elegant, remarkable grandmother is “a force to be reckoned with,” as daughter Esther described her. Her personal journey is a piece of Jewish history, emblematic of those European Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust. She not only survived, but through hard work, terrific business acumen and impeccable reputation, she thrived. No bitterness, no self-pity, just moving forward and looking to the future.

Tosia was born and raised in a small town in Poland, one of seven siblings, only three of whom, including Tosia, survived World War II. Her family were devotees of Ha Shomer HaTzair, so the base for her support of Israel and its people was set early in life.

By the beginning of WWII, she was married (to her first husband, who did not survive the war) and had a small child. In 1940 they were shipped off to a work camp in Siberia. When they were released — by that time married again to husband Morris (who passed away in 1980), they made their way through Afghanistan, Tashkent, and any number of stops along the way, back to Poland — walking much of the way.

On that journey, in December 1945, in an open cattle train, she gave birth to daughter Esther. When they finally got back to Poland, word was out that it was not a safe place for Jews; that many Poles were eager to finish what Hitler hadn’t and with the Russians ready to take over, it was clear that they had to get to a neutral country. That country ended up being Sweden, and it took six years before the family managed to get to San Francisco where Tosia had an uncle, Abraham Hirschberg, who left Poland at age 11. Uncle Abraham managed to rescue 16 family members and helped them get to the U.S. This family seems to have the DNA code for determination and vision.

In San Francisco, Tosia and Morris started their business life with a small market, working long hard hours. But it didn’t take long before they saw opportunities to invest in other businesses, particularly real estate. With the investments having provided a very comfortable life, Tosia has been a generous donor to many Jewish institutions and charities, particularly when she can honor the memories of the many family members she lost. She commented on how proud she was to participate in the dedication of the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. On her coffee table, she proudly displays a picture of the ambulance donated to Hadassah and on her wall is the framed tribute sent to her by Hadassah.

In her daughter’s words, “If you envision a matriarch, that would be Tosia: full of strength and dedication, someone you can ask for advice and trust that it will be good advice.” When Tosia was asked what advice she had for our members, she said, “It’s important to carry on Jewish tradition.” This is the same advice she gives her two terrific granddaughters who live in Beverly Hills. She wants them to marry “nice Jewish boys,” and Tosia tells them so.

She is survived by her daughter, Esther and husband Robert Berger and her son, Ben Berman; her six grandchildren; her brother Jack and his wife, Sheila Jurkiewicz; as well as her sister, Sabina Pelta.

Tosia, along with her late husband, Morris, were long-standing members of Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco.

Funeral services were held at Sinai Memorial Chapel, S.F. followed by interment at Eternal Home Cemetery, Colma. The family requests contributions in Tosia’s memory to Cong. Adath Israel, 1851 Noriega St., San Francisco CA 94122. Arrangements by Sinai Memorial Chapel.

Unveiling

Unveiling for Max Hamrol, Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., Eternal Home Cemetery, Colma, Calif.

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