May Their Memory Be for a Blessing

Three men who made their mark on Jewish life and culture passed from this world in the last week.

Simon Alperovitch (Simonas Alperavičius), who served as executive director of the Lithuanian Jewish Community in 1989, and later, as chairman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community Council and of the Vilnius Jewish Community, was a native of Vilna, and a descendant of the famous Strashun family. A Holocaust survivor, he was a tireless fighter against distortion of the history of the Holocaust. Read his obituary.

Felix Fibich was a dancer and one of the few professional choreographers who worked in the Yiddish theater. Together with his wife and partner Judith Berg (1905-1992)  he collaborated with well-known Yiddish theater figures in Poland, such as the comedy team Dzigan and Shumacher and the composer Henekh Kon. They performed in Russia during World War II and then came to the United States. The couple drew from Jewish sources for inspiration for their dance pieces. Read Masha Leon’s memoir in the Forward.

Noyekh (Norman) Miller, founder of Mendele, the listserv dedicated to Yiddish language and culture, and a former professor of sociology at Trinity College. Read a profile of Miller here.