Valerie Weitz

Valerie Weitz (nee Pollak) beloved wife of E. Richard Weitz (deceased 2002), mother of Shelley (Mark) Schloss, Dr. Bruce (Dr. Marie Albano) Weitz, grandmother of Matthew Schloss, Carrie (Rick Kelly) Schloss and Dr. Emily (Tim Centers) Weitz, and great-grandmother of Noa Kelley-Schloss, aunt of Dr. Jim Lieberman and Dr. Belinda Yen-Lieberman and many other nieces and nephews, passed away on Friday, October 13, 2023. Valerie was born on November 10, 1930 in Trebisov, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) to Ella (nee Wintner) and Dr. Alex Pollak.

Valerie was nine years old when the Nazis invaded Slovakia. At age 10, she helped other Jews flee to safety across the Hungarian border while her father distracted the border guards. She snuck into jails to feed Jewish prisoners. Her father, a doctor, trained her in first aid, and she carried a first aid backpack so she could help others. She and her family stayed hidden in farms, attics, and underground cellars. After her family went into hiding, her father Alex was captured and imprisoned in Dachau. At age thirteen, she guided her mother through the night hiding in ditches along the way to find help and a new place to hide. She turned fourteen in an underground cellar where she and her mother made lace by candlelight and didn't see daylight for four months. She was the only school-aged Jewish child from her town to survive the Holocaust. Late in life, with her daughter Shelley, she shared her story with school groups and through Face-to-Face - a Holocaust remembrance and education program.

After the war, Ella, Alex, and Valerie came to America and were reunited with family in Cleveland. She attended Shaker Heights High School, learned english, joined a sorority, and studied art at Western Reserve Art Institute. She met Richard in 1952 and they married a few months later. Being a young immigrant woman did not restrain her ambitions. She bought a car alone, after many car dealerships turned her away because she was not accompanied by her husband. She was a medical assistant and office manager for her father's medical practice for many years. She continued her interest and talent in art by creating beautiful needlepoint works, including a panel for the ark of The Tempie Tifereth Israel.

She was a founding member for the Cleveland ORT chapter. Valerie was married to Richard for nearly fifty years; they enjoyed winters in Florida and trips to Europe and Asia.

Valerie was willing to try anything - nothing was too much for her to handle. She baked all the holiday meals and Hungarian pastries from scratch. She hosted big family dinners and invited everyone to have a seat at the table. She was an avid card player, a doting and attentive grandmother, and a devoted friend to many.

Even in her last years, while struggling with health problems, she continued to play cards, bake food, and create art with her friends and family. She had a tough spirit and a warm heart.

Donations can be made to Face-to-Face at Kol Israel Foundation https://www.kifcle.org/donate

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bkbmc.com for the Weitz family.