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Herbert L. Emers, 85 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Herbert L. Emers died Aug. 14. He was the husband of Jill Brody. Born in Providence, the son of the late Charles and Nathalie (Hirsch) Emers, he was a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, a Korean War veteran and President of Herbert L. Emers Inc., an insurance agency which he ran with thoughtful humanity. Deeply rooted in Providence, it gave him great pleasure to live within walking distance of the Emers Building, which was built by his grandfather in Wayland Square. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, Michael (Joan Hornig) Emers of Fairbanks, Ark., Dara (Manfred) Emerson of Vienna, Austria, Charles (Anne McPherson) Emers of East Hardwick, Vt.; his stepchildren, Jhennah Sinclaire of Los Angeles, Nola (Torrance) Kopfer of Milton, Mass., and David (Luna) Riedel of New York City; and his grandchildren, Gibran (Lakshme), Ram, Ellen, Madolyn, Natalie, Alex, Cassia and Annelise. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Star Island Scholarship Fund, 30 Middle
OBITUARIES | WORLD St., Portsmouth, N.H. 03801.
Pauline Feinstein, 86 WESTPORT, MASS. – Pauline (Liss) Feinstein died Aug. 16. She was the wife of Elliott Feinstein for 64 years. Born in New Bedford, a daughter of the late Joseph and Bella (Davidow) Liss, she had been a resident of Westport for 25 years. A graduate of Flora Stone Mather College at Western Reserve University, she had been a teacher for children with learning disabilities and later became the head of the learning disabilities department for the New Bedford school system. After retiring from the school system, she joined her husband at the long running family business, the former Tropical Tea & Coffee Co. A member of Tifereth Israel Congregation, she enjoyed a long life centered on family, cousins, friends and community. Besides her husband, she is survived by her children, Jonathan Feinstein and Elissa Fein-
stein, both of Westport; nieces and nephews, Jeffrey and Debbie Mann, Edward and Jeryl Mann, and Susan and Robert Bain; and several great nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Florence Mann. Contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.
Sarah Y. Greenfield, 93 DELRAY BEACH, FLA. – Sarah Y. Greenfield died July 21. She was the daughter of the late Rose and Morris Presel. She was formerly from Cranston and Newport. Sarah was pre-deceased by her husband, Daniel Greenfield, and sisters Ruth and Helen Presel. She is survived by her brother, Donald Presel, sister-in-law Arlene Presel of Delray Beach, Fla., her sister, Marilyn Factor, brotherin-law Alfred Factor, nieces Robyn Forte and her husband William and great-niece, Jaime of Cranston and Ronna Haynes and her husband Lawrence; great-nephews, Jared and Mitchell of Trumbull, Conn., nephews Jeffrey Factor and his wife Susan and great-nieces, Rebecca, Alyssa and Lauren of Avon, Conn., and Alan Presel of Charlotte, N.C. She worked for Quonsett Point Naval Shipyard in Rhod
Island until her position was phased out. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island and taught English as a second language. She enjoyed traveling and attending shows. She was devoted to her family. She helped her nieces and nephews in their youth and her help continued to her great-nieces and great-nephews. She will be greatly missed by all of her relatives and friends.
Pauline Penn
DELRAY BEACH, FLA. – Pauline Penn died Aug. 15 surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her husband Julius Penn and was the companion of Leon Sloane. She was born in Providence, the daughter of the late Elizabeth and Samuel Bernstein, and relocated to Florida in 2001. Devoted mother to Craig and Wayne Penn and his wife Karen. Dear sister of the late Jack, Milton and Jeanette Bernstein and Mildred Stern. Loving grandmother to Geoffrey and Brian Penn and aunt to many nieces and nephews. Contributions in her memory may be made to your favorite charity or to the American Heart Association.
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Sophie Waitsman, 92
PROVIDENCE. R.I. – Sophie Wa i t s m a n passed away Aug. 6. She was the wife of the late Morris Waitsman. Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Frank and Celia (Rifkin) Levin, she was a lifelong resident of Providence and a part-time resident of Fla. She was a former owner of Adam’s Furniture. She was a member of Temple Beth-El, Haddassah and the R.I. Bridge Club and a former member of the Ledgemont Country Club. She was a loving mother of Kenneth Waitsman and his wife Sharon, Carol Stanger and her husband Dr. Jeffrey, and Diane Waitsman Zophin; devoted grandmother and of Brad, Montana, Cerissa and Lauren and dear great-grandmother of Joshua, Kai, Olivia and Julia. Contributions in her memory may be made to Home and Hospice of R.I., 1085 N. Main St, Providence, R.I. 02906 or to the Alzheimer’s Association of R.I., 245 Waterman St # 306, Providence, R.I. 02906.
Lithuania’s chief rabbi fired amid dispute over construction on former cemetery JTA – The Jewish community of Lithuania fired the country’s chief rabbi amid his objections to the government’s plan to build on an area that used to be a Jewish cemetery The dismissal of Rabbi Chaim Burshtein, an Israeli who has served as Lithuania’s chief rabbi for 11 years, was announced Aug. 14 by Shmuel Levin, chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community, which is a part of the Jewish Community of Lithuania under Community President Faina Kukliansky. “The Vilnius Jewish Religious Community resolved that after the current contract with Chaim
Rabbi Chaim Burshtein Burshtein ends, it will not be extended, and that Shmuel Yatom
is to perform the function of rabbi temporarily, until a new rabbi is found,” Levin said in a statement, which did not specify the reason for the discontinuation of Burshtein’s contract. Yatom is the community’s cantor, according to Dovid Katz, a scholar of Yiddish and owner of the defendinghistory.com news and commentary site on Lithuanian Jewry. Burshtein told JTA he would no longer be chief rabbi as of September. His dismissal follows his public criticism in February of Kukliansky, a former state prosecutor and police officer. Burshtein accused her of resorting to
authoritarian tactics in running the community. She denied the claims and said she had no conflict with Burshtein but added that the community’s board was considering firing him. Earlier this month, Burshtein announced that he would form a new organization, Beyachad. He also suggested that Kukliansky was using her contacts with officials to have him deported,
though she denied this. Burshtein said Kukliansky had approved, over his objection, a government-led plan to build a conference center atop a dilapidated building that Soviet authorities constructed over what used to be a large Jewish cemetery. Kukliansky defended the plan, saying it did not disturb any human remains of Jews.