Zipora Saraf

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin and friend, who spent her life devoted to taking care of others, died Friday, July 10 @8:10pm in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Zipora was the daughter of Max Witt of Brandenberg, Germany and Ida Brenig of Vienna, Austria, two Jewish refugees who fled Hitler but found each other in Shanghai, China where she was born. The young family immigrated to Israel soon after it was established. Her parents later had a son and a daughter in Israel.

Shevach and Zipora met at a bus stop in Givatayim, Israel in 1964. She was on her way to work like usual and he was on his way to buy his first car. By pure coincidence, Shevach was at that bus stop only to go buy a car, but found his soulmate instead (and a car too, but he had to go to a different bus stop).

She was the love of her husband’s life, the only woman he ever loved and ever kissed. They devoted their lives to each other and exchanged kisses and “I love you” tens of thousands of times in their 60 year marriage. Zipora wore a necklace that said in Hebrew “I am the soulmate of my soulmate.” “Ani ledodi vedodi li” described their love perfectly.

Zipora was a wonderful cook and homemaker. She raised the children and ran the household while her husband built his career that led to the whole family immigrating in 1975 when he was transferred to Michigan from Israel. They lived in five states in the first ten years in this country and after staying in Connecticut for a decade, the couple moved to Florida in 1993. When her kids were small she volunteered in the elementary school library and the Sunday School of every synagogue they belonged to.

Zipora is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Shevach Saraf of West Palm Beach, Floridan; her sons, Tal Saraf (Irene) of Seattle, WA, Saguee of West Palm Beach, her sister Vivi Frenkl (David) of Shoham, Israel, her brother Rafi Witt (Gabi) of Jerusalem, Israel, and her grandchildren Hannah and Max, of Seattle as well as several nieces and nephews and many cousins.

Zipora suffered from Parkinson's and dementia and was in agonizing pain for the past few years and she was nonverbal by the very end. She was admitted to the hospital on July 4th because of high sodium levels. On Friday afternoon, she developed breathing problems and passed away peacefully within hours. She is reunited with her parents, grandparents, and other loved ones.

Our hearts are broken, but we know her pain is over and that she is once again with loved ones of blessed memory that we will meet again when our time comes.

The funeral will be held today, Tuesday, July 14 at 2:30pm at IJ Morris at Star of David Cemetery of the Palm Beaches 9321 Memorial Park Rd Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412