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Obituaries

Saul Alpern

Saul (Jonas) Alpern of Winnipeg passed away peacefully on October 26, 2022, with his beloved wife Ida at his side.
Saul was born in 1930 in the Bukovina region of Romania. During the Holocaust, as recounted in his memoir No One Awaiting Me, he lost his parents, Isaac and Rosa Alpern, and his two older siblings, Shimon and Molly. Facing incredible hardships, including forced labour camps, death marches, hunger and cold, Saul was forced to beg and steal so that he and his younger brother, Avrum, could survive.
After the war, Avrum relocated to British-controlled Palestine, where he fell in the new State of Israel’s War of Independence. Saul also planned to move to Palestine and join the struggle to establish a Jewish state, but what began as a detour to Canada in 1948 turned into a permanent move.
Beginning in the early 1950s Saul built a successful career as a cattle dealer. In 1963 he married Ida (née Reiss), and they built a happy life together.
In 2001 Saul published his memoir, which won provincial and national awards and was translated to Hebrew by Yad Vashem. It is not only a gripping personal account of survival against all odds, but also a work of great historical importance, being one of the first books documenting the Nazi genocide in the Transnistria region.
Despite the enormous travails and personal loss that he had endured, Saul had a charming and jovial personality. He was loved by all who knew him. It gave him particular pleasure to help others, and to honour the memory of his parents and siblings, through very generous contributions to charities in Winnipeg and in Israel.
The funeral was held at the Rosh Pina Cemetery on October 28, 2022. Pallbearers were nephews Alan, Ken and Cary Reiss; great-nephews Noah and Charlie Reiss; and friend Nathan Wiseman.
Donations in memory of Saul may be made to the Ida and Saul Alpern Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba or to the Jewish National Fund.

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Obituaries

BARBARA GOSZER April 15, 1930 – October 6, 2024

It is with profound sadness along with gratitude for her long and purposeful life that we announce the passing of Barbara Goszer. Left with cherished recollections are her children Sharon (Steven Tritt), Elliott (Jennifer Schulz), her grandchildren Sam (Justine), Joseph (Shaun), Nicholas, Sarah, Jack and Max, and her great-grandchildren Carson and Callie. She also leaves to mourn her passing nieces Hilda (Len), Debbie (Jack), Libby (Doug) and their families who loved their “Aunty” dearly. She was predeceased by “the love of her life”, Adam, to whom she was married for almost 60 years and by a daughter, Yonah.

Barbara was born in Lwow, Poland where she often said she had an idyllic childhood until 9 years of age, when the Second World War and the Holocaust started. She was the sole survivor of her family, having been hidden by a courageous woman whom she had honoured as The Righteous Among the Nations and whose descendants sought her out in 2013, forming a warm connection over the past decade.

Barbara was a petite but strong, opinionated, principled woman with an extraordinary sense of social justice, a remarkable work ethic, and the deepest of loyalty. She lived with intention. As a living witness to a time in history when inhumanity was at its height, she spent decades dedicated to educating school aged children and their teachers throughout Manitoba and other parts of Canada about the dangers of discrimination and intolerance of diversity. She advocated standing up for others and taking action despite fear. She also encouraged appreciation for freedom and having a roof over one’s head. Her legacy will inspire her family members as well as generations of children to make a difference in bettering the world we live in. She dreamed of a world free of hatred and of a bright future.

Thank you to Dr. Sheila Domke, her primary care physician, to the entire health care team on 4 North at Grace Hospital, and to her many caregivers in the past couple of years who treated her with the utmost of dignity and respect.

Funeral services were held graveside at Rosh Pina Memorial Park on October 8, 2024. Those wishing to honour her memory can do so by making a donation to the “Barbara and Adam Goszer Holocaust Education Centre Endowment Fund” at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

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Obituaries

BARBARA RUTH HOCHMAN June 7, 1952 – September 16, 2024

t is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Barbara Hochman on Monday, September 16, 2024.

Barbara was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the first child born to Clarice and Jack Rubin. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Danny, mother Clarice, sister Jackie (Akman), brother Ron (Rubin), brother-in-law Mickey Hochman (Dorine), nephew Jared Akman (Leanne), niece Jamie Berman (Skyler) and great-nieces and nephew, Lowan, Julie, Shea and Hannah. Barb was predeceased by her father Jack Rubin and brother-in-law Richard Akman.

Barbara grew up in River Heights, attending Grant Park High School, then continued her studies at the University of Manitoba. On her first day of university she met Danny and they were married two years later. Barbara began working as a secretary at the law firm Aikins, MacAulay and Thorvaldson, and then advanced to become a corporate and commercial paralegal. She returned to law school while working at AM&T, and eventually became a partner at the firm.

Barbara excelled at everything she put her mind to. She was beautiful, stylish and fiercely intelligent. Barb courageously fought her first battle with cancer over 30 years ago. Since then she enjoyed life to the fullest. Barb was a loving and devoted wife, an amazing sister and an extremely generous aunt and great-aunt. She and Danny moved from Winnipeg to Kelowna 15 years ago where they escaped Winnipeg winters and saw their golf games flourish.

Barbara will be greatly missed.

Funeral services were held to celebrate Barbara’s life on September 20, at the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jared Akman, Jamie Berman, Skyler Berman, Brent Knazan, David Rubin and Danny Rubin.

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Obituaries

AVISHY SHUMELEY

It is with profound sadness I announce the passing of my beloved husband Avi. A graveside service was held on Sept 29, 2024. A Celebration of Life will be held

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