Feb 25, 1934 – April 30, 2021
Who was Sylvia? First and foremost, Sylvia was a giver. She gave of herself without limit. Often to the detriment of her own health. She would advocate for those that couldn’t advocate for themselves. Always fought for the underdog. Championed those causes that meant a lot to her. Born in 1934 in Detroit, her mother Vera was from Indiana, and her father who came from Poland was a jeweler, and ardent Zionist. So much that he fought with the Jewish Brigade and marched into Palestine with General Allenby in the First World War. It was her father who instilled in her an early love of Zion. She spoke frequently of family dinners sitting around the table and discussing world events.
At an early age she started going to Farband Camp and later to Habonim Camp Kinneret. It was here that she made many of her closest friends who she remained close with her entire life. At Habonim events Mom learned about Zionism, Socialism and Social Justice. I remember hearing her talk about listening to the UN vote on the partition of Palestine and celebrating when that vote passed in 1947. Her dream was to move to Israel, which she intended to do with her friends from Habonim. Unfortunately her mom became ill with cancer and as a result she stayed in Detroit and watched her friends depart for Israel. She never lost that love or dedication to Israel though, and instilled it in me sending me to Habonim Camp at an early age. After my first summer there, when I came back to Co-op City and announced that I was going to the Mayday Communist March on Washington, Mom was very proud. Dad just rolled his eyes.
Both of mom’s parents were gone by the time she was 23 years old. She moved to NYC where she had two close sets of Aunts and Uncles, Sophie and Levy and Shirley and Sol. Together, they were mom’s surrogate parents. Mom started working and at a book publisher and eventually met my dad and they got married I believe in 1957. My parents split in 1976, and she raised me and Vicki mostly alone. She worked as a secretary at our Temple on Pelham Parkway, and later, after we moved to Coop City, she became very active in the Democratic Party and was elected as District Leader. She began working for Eliot Engel after he was elected to the NY Assembly and ran many campaigns out of our living room. She was a delegate to two Democratic Conventions and when Jackie Onasis came to Co-op City to campaign for Ted Kennedy, Mom showed her around Co-op City. Through her job working for Eliot, she became involved in Mental Health and eventually went to work at the Gateway Counseling Center where she spent 17 years until she retired in 2005.
She sat on the Board of Visitors of Bronx State Psychiatric Center, and served as it’s president for several terms. She also sat on the board of Jacobi Hospital, always trying to improve what was wrong with the world. She became active in MAHANYS and it was her work in Mental Health that inspired her to take up the fight for parity and educating about Mental Health. She tirelessly lobbied to get her bill “The Mental Health Education Act” passed and after years of hard work she saw the governor sign her bill into law, mandating that Mental Health be taught in every public school in NY State.
She loved to cook and bake and her rugalach, strudel and stuffed cabbage were world famous. Whenever I would come back from holidays at home my friends would ask “did you bring rugalach or stuffed cabbage?”
Mom was a lover of old movies, and music, especially folk music loving the Weavers, Pete Seeger Joan Baez and Peter Paul and Mary. On weekends she would load six CDS of folk music and listen for hours. Mom was a loving mother and grandmother. My son Ron, from the day he was born became my mother’s world. She would come visit for holidays and was there for every one of his birthday parties. Family and friends were everything to her. Three years ago, I took her and Ron to Israel and I’m so glad we went when we did. With her declining health, a year later it would not have been possible. The last few years her health really went downhill. I want to thank Pat and Eliot Engel and the whole Engel family for taking such good care of her while I was down in Maryland. I could not have gotten through the last few months without you.
My mother and I have always been very close. I loved her and will miss her very much. Rest in Peace Mom. I take comfort knowing that you are now with your parents and brothers. I love you.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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