Nehama Babin

Born in , IL, she was the daughter of the late Rabbi Moshe and Helen (Klein) Babin. After her family moved to California when her father took a new pulpit, Nehama attended Birmingham High School in Encino, California, graduating in 1967. She went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1971 with a degree in history. After graduation, she joined her family in Fall River, Massachusetts, and went on to earn a masters degree from Brown University in sociology.

After moving to the Washington, D.C. area in the mid-1970s, Nehama began her career at the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and later completed her Ph.D. in sociology, graduating from the University of Maryland just months after giving birth to her daughter Sarah. Nehama then went on to work at the University of Maryland before returning to the Army Research Institute where she finished her career as a senior research social scientist.

In retirement, Nehama was able to explore her many passions and interests. She was active in the Adat Shalom Congregation community, volunteered at an elementary school, and went back to school to improve her Hebrew. Most importantly, she loved spending time with her grandchildren, who were her greatest joy.

She is survived by her son, Daniel Rosenthal, and his wife, Elizabeth Shaw; her daughter, Sarah Rosenthal and her husband, Erik Laby; her grandchildren, Emma and Sam Rosenthal-Shaw; her sister, Dena Babin Levine and brother-in-law Stuart Levine; her sister-in-law Barbara Adler and her husband, Martin Adler; her nieces and nephews, Abigail Levine and her husband, Kevin Dillener, Rebecca Levine and her husband, Daniel Heller, Nathaniel Levine and his wife Sarah Bakst, Lauren Rosenfeld and her husband Jeffrey Rosenfeld; and great-nephews, Ethan Heller, Ezekiel Heller, Max Bakst-Levine, Levi Rosenfeld, and Ezra Rosenfeld.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, November 8 at 12:30 PM at Adat Shalom Congregation, 7727 Persimmon Tree Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817, with burial at Garden of Remembrance, 14321 Comus Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Nehama’s memory may be made to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger or the Jewish Theological Seminary Development Fund.

Shiva details:

The family will be sitting Shiva at the Rosenthal-Shaw residence.

Visiting hours:

Sunday, November 8th:

5:30-7:30 (Maariv at 7 PM)

Monday, November 9 through Thursday, November 12:

12 - 2 PM and 4:30 - 7:30 PM (Mincha at 4:30 PM, Maariv at 7 PM)

Friday, November 13:

12-2 PM