Elaine Kremens

Elaine Kremens was born on October 18, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York to Morris and Elizabeth (Betty) Glasser. She was an older sister to Jerome (Jerry) Glasser, 10 years her junior, and relished in her chosen role of second mother. Elaine attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. During this time, she worked a part-time job at Gimbel’s selling hats– which fostered a lifelong passion for unique hats. This carried through to Saturday morning Shabbat services, where she was well known for her colorful and unique collection.

Following high school, she attended City College in New York City and worked part-time in the afternoon as a secretary for a non-profit organization. She enjoyed courses in foreign trade and Spanish business language while earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She also met her beloved husband, Bill, in 1946, who had re-enrolled in City College after returning home from serving in the Army during World War II. After each of their dates, they would drive to Coney Island and enjoy Nathan’s hot dogs together.

Bill and Elaine were married in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York at the E. Midwood Jewish Center, coincidentally where Bill had his Bar Mitzvah years earlier. They moved from Queens, NY to Silver Spring, MD in 1968 where they raised their two daughters, Amy and Shelley. Elaine worked hard to curb her long-established New York accent to fit in and assimilate herself as a true “Washingtonian,” which she would later become.

In 1983, Bill and Elaine moved to northwest Washington, DC. There, they played a pivotal role in the conservative Jewish movement locally and in Israel. They attended the Adas Israel Synagogue where both Bill and Elaine held various roles and attended regularly for 25 years.

Professionally, Elaine worked as a case worker for adults with intellectual disabilities and later as a social work administrator serving those with substance abuse issues. Elaine had a lifelong passion for helping others, particularly those who were less fortunate than her. This passion for community service led Elaine and Bill to co-found the Anne Frank House, a non-profit organization that provides adults with long-term supportive housing, who would otherwise be without.

She read the newspaper every moning and had a strong interest in multiple areas of current events, including international affairs, the arts, and sports. As a lifelong baseball fan, she rooted for the Brooklyn Dodgers growing up and would take two buses from her high school to Ebbets Field to attend games. Later, she would become a supporter of the Washington Nationals when the team moved back to Washington, DC. Elaine enjoyed watching games in person at Nationals Park.

Family was of utmost importance to Elaine. She was most proud of her two daughters, Amy and Shelley, who looked up to their mother their whole lives and considered her truly “one of a kind.” Her traits and values are instilled in Amy and Shelley who channel their mother through their respective careers, relationships with their families, and how they treat others.

She also had a special connection with each of her five grandchildren: Noah, Danielle, Scott, Stephanie, and Chase. Bill and Elaine’s passion for baseball carried through to her grandchildren, who cherished the summer “baseball trips” with their grandparents to a different Major League Baseball park each year.

Elaine also had a penchant for the arts, attending countless theatre productions on Broadway and in the DC metro area. She also enjoyed going out to the movies to see the latest films– enjoying every genre except animated movies (“not for me,” she would say wryly). She was also a big fan of jazz and big band music, including Frank Sinatra, who she had the pleasure of seeing perform in person several times.

She was full of energy and had a zest for engaging with others and contributing all she had to offer. She continued working at a credit union until she was in her early 90s, when her family finally convinced her to retire and relax (although, she had other plans to sign up for LinkedIn and apply for jobs).

When asked what makes her happy she would offer a simple answer: “To be with my family,” and the feeling was mutual. Through her final days, she was accompanied by her beloved children and grandchildren, who sang songs and reminisced with her about their most cherished times.

Elaine’s legacy continues to the next generation of family members. Her six great-grandchildren, Zach, Jordyn, Ethan, Ella, Ilan, and Ezra, were honored to have her as their “safta.” Elaine’s values and life lessons are carried through to all members of her family, who miss her dearly, but consider themselves so lucky to have had the pleasure of knowing such an incredible woman.