Posted on 10/07/18
Jerusalem, Israel - Oct. 6, 2018 - Sarah (Susie) Shane, a'h, was born in Baltimore in 1919, to Gussie (Schwartz) and Raphael Poliakoff. In February, at the age of 98, Sarah Shane z"l died peacefully in Jerusalem, Israel, and was buried on Har HaMenuchot, in her beloved Eretz Yisrael. On Thursday, כ"ה תשרי, family and friends gathered in Jerusalem to remember her life and accomplishments.
Rabbi Yaakov Haber spoke for the extended family at a memorial service held at the AMIT Beit Hayeled in Gilo.
Sarah Shane received a degree from Towson Teacher's College, and her first job was teaching kindergarten at the Talmudical Academy. Shane was devoted to the Baltimore Jewish community and as daughter Ruth mentioned, supported all the Jewish small business owners as much as possible.
From her home in Baltimore, Sarah Shane served as National President of Mizrachi Women, now AMIT, from 1975 to 1979. Shane was the first woman outside of New York to take this important educational leadership position.
Former Director General of AMIT Ami Zeevi spoke of his years working with Shane, who hired him to lead the a network of 9 schools, which grew to 55 under their leadership. AMIT Yoshevet Rosh Randi Gelman spoke for AMIT, which today has a network of 110 schools.
In 1998, Shane fulfilled her lifelong dream of moving to Israel, but, not to retire. Sarah Shane stayed active in AMIT and working for AMIT schools. Until age 95, she was also a volunteer for AACI, the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, helping new olim adjust to their new country. From Telz Stone, she would travel an hour by bus to continue her volunteer work.
AACI National Director of Klitah Services Josie Arbel spoke fondly of her former volunteer.
Daughter Ruth Shane, spoke of her mother as an eishet chayil, and presented a shiur using the poem of the same name.
The program was organized by Frieda Horowitz, moderated by KC Littner, and concluded with Rabbi William Altshul sharing memories of his mother's friendship with Sarah and their association with AMIT, and read Chapter 15 pf Tehillim in honor of Sarah's memory.
Of the friends and family who attended the evening, special mention and mazel tovs were given to Baltimore native, Dr. Maxine Miller who is celebrating her 100th birthday.
Sarah Shane is survived by daughters Betty Ginsburg (Albert Ginsburg) and Ruth Shane of Baltimore, MD; son Frank Shane of Fort Myers, FL; daughter Nancy Fleischman (Yossi Fleischman) of Telz Stone, Israel, 15 grandchildren, and 24 great grandchildren.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Amit (https://amitchildren.org/).
