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IN MEMORY

THE JEWISH STATE
June 18, 2010

AVERBACH. Mr. Steve Averbach died June 3, 2010 in his sleep in Israel. He was 44.

Steve had been quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down) since May 18, 2003 when he attempted to stop a Hamas homicide bomber on the number 6 bus in Jerusalem. The bomber prematurely exploded his bomb, and a ball bearing lodged in Steve's neck crushing his spinal cord. He saved countless lives as the bomber wanted to wait until the bus was full, and was declared a national hero. Raised in West Long Branch, he moved to Israel at age 16 to finish school and returned there to live at 18. He served in the Israeli Special Forces for three years then joined the Jerusalem police anti-terrorist force. He became a weapons and self defense instructor where he again gained national recognition. He was on his way to work in the early morning of May 18, 2003 when his life was drastically changed. The doctors and nurses at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem worked day and night to save his life. After 11 months of rehabilitation he returned to his home near Tel Aviv, cared for by his wife and aides around the clock. He came to New Jersey twice to raise funds for "Tikvot", an Israeli organization to help rehabilitate terror victims and their families through sports.

Steve is survived by his wife, Julie; four sons ages 10 to 20; parents, Dr. and Mrs. David Averbach of West Long Branch; brother, Michael of Eatontown; and sister, Eileen Sapadin of Englewood. Interment on a mountaintop overlooking his beloved Jerusalem.

GUBERMAN. Mrs. Rita Guberman died June 5, 2010 at the Medical Center in Princeton. She was 82.

Born in Bayonne, Mrs. Guberman lived there before moving to Monroe 22 years ago. She was a congregant of Temple Beth Am, Bayonne, and a life member of Deborah Heart and Lung Center. Her husband, Sam, died in 2009.

Mrs. Guberman is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Martin Kamin of Coral Springs, Fla., and Joy and Robert Feldman of Dayton; son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Lita of East Brunswick; grandchildren, Amanda, Allison, Corie, Jessica, Ira, and Melissa; and a great-grandson, Chance. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick.

KLEIN. Mr. Herbert Klein died June 4, 2010 at Regency Heritage Nursing Home, Somerset. He was 85.

Born in Vienna, Austria, he lived in West Orange for 40 years before moving to Monroe 14 years ago. Before retiring in 1993, he owned Klein's Electrician Service, Newark, for many years.

Mr. Klein is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Gloria; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Barry and Susan Klein of Agoura Hills, Calif.; daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Rabbi Shlomo Zaslow of Brooklyn; sister, Fritzi Natko of Cliffside Park; brother-in-law, Manuel Leifer of Phoenix; and grandchildren, Eric, Kimberly, Elizabeth, Sara, Rivka, Moshe, and Rochel. Interment at Old Montefiore Cemetery, St. Albans, N.Y. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick.

LIPPER. Mrs. Toni Lipper died June 13, 2010 at Care One, East Brunswick, after a brief illness. She was 97.

Born in Leipzig, Germany, Mrs. Lipper fled Nazi Germany with her husband, Max, and settled in the New York area. She lived in Ridgefield Park for many years until her retirement in 1976 from Sears in Hackensack, where she worked as a sales clerk. She moved to "The Villages" in Howell, where she lived for more than 30 years. At "The Villages", she actively participated in and led exercise and yoga classes until her early 90s, for which she received press coverage. Her husband, Max, died in 1993.

Mrs. Lipper is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Edward and Lucretia of East Brunswick; grandchildren, Erica of Chicago, and Gregory of Washington, D.C.; niece, Sary Fox; and nephew, Isidore Fleischer. Interment at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. Memorial donations may be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, P.O. Box 90988, Washington, D.C. 20090-0988, or the Daniel Pearl Education Center of Temple B'nai Shalom, P.O. Box 957, East Brunswick, N.J. 08816.

PLOTKIN. Mr. William Plotkin died June 12, 2010. He was 90.

Born in Roselle, Mr. Plotkin lived in Elizabeth most of his life. He was a carpenter for the Elizabeth board of education, where he worked for 22 years before retiring in 1980. Prior to that, he worked as a member of Carpenters Union Local 715 of Elizabeth. He was a member of the board of directors of Gomel Chesed Cemetery in Newark and the Woodstream Rod and Gun Club of Highland Park. An Army veteran of World War II, he was a member of American Legion Argonne Post 6, the Jewish War Veterans Post 63, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Betsytown Post 1862, all of Elizabeth, as well as AMVETS. He was very active with the Boy Scouts of America and was a scoutmaster with Troop 14 of the Union Council as well as a member of the Flintlocks of the Patriots' Path Council. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence Sternfeld Plotkin.

Mr. Plotkin is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Freda and Norman Rosenshein; sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Lawrence and Linda, and Dr. Elliott and Nancy; grandchildren, Esther and Belle Rosenshein, and Lowell, Kyle, Alex and Ashley Plotkin; and great-granddaughter, Flora. Interment at Gomel Cemetery, Newark. Arrangements by Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, Westfield.

PORT. Mr. Morris Harold Port died June 6, 2010 at Van Dyke Hospice at Community Hospital, Toms River. He was 91.

Born in Bayonne, Mr. Port lived in Newark, Brooklyn, and Elmont, N.Y. before he retired to Toms River in 1994. As a teenager, he helped his father in the family butcher shop in Newark, and after his father died when Morris was 17, he enlisted in the Army and served 1941-1946 during World War II. He married his beloved Ruth in 1947 and worked for Amalgamated Meat Cutters #342 until the mid-1980s, and worked as a dental equipment repairman until 1992, shortly before moving to Lake Ridge. He was a past member of the Knights of Pythias. Morris was a loving, caring, outgoing, and creative person. He enjoyed making pottery, stained glass, and friends, and he beat cancer twice.

Mr. Port is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Ruth; son, Dr. Ira S. Port of Toms River; daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl P. and Fred Kuster of Plainview, N.Y.; sister, Rik Simon of California; and grandchildren, Dr. Ava, Dr. Ariel, Dr. Alexander, and Austin Port, and Max Kuster. Interment at B'nai Israel Memorial, Toms River. Arrangements by Belkoff-Goldstein Funeral Chapel, Lakewood. Memorial donations may be made to Congregation B'nai Israel or to a charity of one's choice.

REDMAN. Mr. George Redman died June 8, 2010, at home. He was 92.

Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Redman lived in Brooklyn and the Bronx before moving to North Brunswick in 1953, then Montville in 2007. Before retiring in 1980, he was employed for more than 38 years by the Boy Scouts of America at their North Brunswick headquarters. He was a longtime Scout leader and was very interested and involved in all aspects and activities concerning scouting. He was a member of the Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick, and had been a member and past president of the North Brunswick Senior Citizens. During World War II, he served with the Army in the European Theater of Operations. His son, Steven, died in 1992.

Mr. Redman is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Stephanie (Mazer); daughter and son-in-law, Marlene and John Donnelly of Butler; and granddaughters, Shannon and Erin Donnelly. Interment at Washington Cemetery, Deans. Arrangements by Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, New Brunswick.

SPERLING. Mr. Martin Sperling died June 11, 2010 at St. Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick. He was 81.

Born in Manhattan, Mr. Sperling lived in the Bronx and Yonkers for 30 years before retiring to Monroe in 1998. Prior to retiring in 1995, he was a buyer for IRS, Manhattan, where he worked for 40 years. He was active and past president of Dress Buyers Association, New York. For many years, he was involved in community youth sporting leagues, acting as a coach and a commissioner. He was an avid golfer and diehard Yankees fan.

Mr. Sperling is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lee Reiner Sperling; son and daughter-in-law, Neil and Lynn of Cherry Hill; daughter and son-in-law, Alyse and Gary Gleitman of Marlboro; four grandchildren; and a sister, Leila Lituchy of Scarsdale, N.Y. Interment at Beth Abraham Cemetery, East Brunswick. Arrangements by Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick.