Harry (Hershey) Berman passed away at the age of 96 on July 17, 2019, at the Margaret Teitz Nursing Home, in his adopted and beloved hometown of New York City. Harry was born in 1923 in the town of Mukachevo (Munkacs), Ukraine. He was raised in a close-knit Jewish household with his three sisters. Harry’s parents perished during World War II at Auschwitz, during which time he spent in hiding and in labor camps in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. He met his wife Julie after the war, and settled in Trutnov, Czechoslovakia, where they raised their daughter Miriam, while Harry worked as a train engineer. The family was granted political asylum in the United States in 1964, and bought a home in Briarwood, Queens.
Harry loved New York City and his neighborhood, and formed a community with his neighbors and fellow congregants at Young Israel of Briarwood. He later enjoyed traveling (especially cruises), and spending time in Boca Raton, Florida with his companion Judy, daughter, and granddaughter. Harry co-owned a successful jewelry manufacturing business in Manhattan for many years, and made it his goal to know everything he could about gold and the jewelry industry. His family and friends always enjoyed wearable gifts from him. Harry was a caring, generous man who loved to get to know new people, and treated every new friend like they were his own family. Uncle Hersi will be missed greatly by his beloved friends and family from near and far. He is preceded in death by his sisters Sara and Frida, his wife Julie, and his parents Esther Malka and Yosef. He is survived by his companion Judy, daughter Miriam, granddaughter Gabriela, and sister Bella. Donations in Harry's name can be made to HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) or the United States Holocaust Museum.
The funeral will be held at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapel on Friday, July 19, 2019.
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