Lala Fishman

Lala Fishman:

Holocaust survivor Lala, nee Weintraub, Fishman, age 88, passed away on Friday, October 28, 2011. She was the beloved wife for 59 years of the late Rabbi Morris Fishman and loving mother of Eli Fishman, Ora (Danny) Munter and Abbey (Daron) Romanek. Lala was the cherished grandma of Lisa, Rebecca and Jonathan Fishman, Jeremy Munter, and Josh, Mikey and Ricky Romanek.

Born in 1922, Lala Weintraub grew up in a musical family in Lvov, Poland. Her plans to go to art school in Paris were horribly interrupted by the Holocaust.

Lala wrote an account of her survival in “Lala’s Story: A Memoir of the Holocaust.” The book vividly describes her experiences as a young Jewish girl in Poland between 1939 and 1945, illuminating her struggle to resist Nazi round-ups and persecution by successfully passing as a young Catholic woman. Lala’s defiant spirit gave her the strength and courage to survive amidst the horror around her. She met Rabbi Morris Fishman at a displaced persons camp in newly liberated Poland where Rabbi Fishman served as a Chaplain attached to the U.S. Army. Calling her “a rose among the thorns,” Morris and Lala married in Germany in 1947. They settled in the Chicago area, and after spending many years as a balabusta, Lala finally entered art and design school and developed a successful career as an interior designer.

Lala was a member of the Speaker’s Bureau at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education center. She often spoke publicly of her experiences, emphasizing the lesson to Never Forget. Her testimony was recorded by the Shoah Visual History Foundation Institute.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Lala’s memory may be made to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie, IL 60077. 847-967-4800, www.ilholocaustmuseum.org

Please sign the guestbook at www.weinsteinfuneralhomes.com