This piece is also accessible in the form of a weekly bulletin named “Life Stories,” which commemorates individuals who have had a significant impact on the Jewish community or have contributed to making their community a better or more intriguing place.
Esther Coopersmith, 94, the Washington socialite who facilitated peace negotiations in the Middle East
Esther Coopersmith, a native of Wisconsin born to Jewish immigrant parents, rose to fame as one of the most prominent hostesses and citizen diplomats in Washington, D.C. She is recognized for bringing together the wives of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, potentially paving the way for the Camp David Accords mediated by President Jimmy Carter.
“I had the privilege of knowing both women, Aliza Begin and Jehan Sadat,” . “I felt it was the right time to unite them. They didn’t require an intermediary to converse; they could communicate directly. And so they did, with successful outcomes.”
This was just one of the many highlights in her career, described by the late Sen. William Proxmire as “the ultimate Democratic political fundraiser.” Married to the affluent real estate attorney Jack Coopersmith, she played a significant role in raising millions of dollars for Democratic candidates, including a then-unknown candidate named Joe Biden.
“When Esther was committed to a cause – or an individual – she would go to great lengths to demonstrate her support. I witnessed this firsthand as a 29-year-old Senate candidate,” . “Esther was one of my initial supporters, and her faith in me was invaluable. Our interactions over the years inspired, challenged, delighted, and motivated me.”
She transformed her residences in Washington into hubs for diplomatic gatherings from around the globe and served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations, a representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, and a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.
She passed away at the age of 94.
Sami Michael, 97, Israeli advocate for Mizrahi Jews and civil liberties
Sami Michael, an Israeli writer and the president of The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, May 5, 2004. (Flash90)
Sami Michael was born in Iraq in 1926, fled to Iran as a Communist, and eventually arrived in Israel in 1949, where he emerged as a prominent voice highlighting the struggles and marginalization experienced by Mizrahi Jewish immigrants from Arab nations. Transitioning from a career in journalism and hydrology, Michael embarked on a distinguished literary journey encompassing children’s literature, novels, and plays, often set in his beloved cities of Baghdad and Haifa.
A dedicated social advocate, Michael led the Association for Civil Rights in Israel for over two decades until recently. , he expressed both his pride in the State of Israel and his disappointment in its inability to resolve its “most pressing issues”:
Israel stands out as the sole nation established post-World War II that swiftly emerged as a remarkable success story. It could have served as a blueprint for the numerous countries liberated from colonial rule that are yet to realize their aspirations. How is it then that this very Israel finds itself entangled in an intractable external conflict and internally fractured to the brink of paralysis within a few decades? I believe the answer lies in Israel’s reluctance to directly address three fundamental challenges that have persisted since its inception: its position in the Arab world, social and ethnic disparities, and the divide between secularism and religion.
Helma Bliss Goldmark, 98, a Jewish orphan who fought in the resistance
Helma Bliss Goldmark, pictured in 2012, faced orphanhood at 16 following her father’s death in a concentration camp. (Kurt Huber/Verein für Gedenkkultur in Graz)
Helma Bliss Goldmark, an Austrian Jew by birth, whose tale of survival and defiance against the Nazis was detailed in the 2010 memoir “Crossing Mandelbaum Gate” by her son-in-law Kai Bird, .
After her father fell victim to a concentration camp, the teenage orphan joined a resistance cell in Nazi-occupied Rome that provided forged documents and ration cards to Jews, all while assuming a false identity and working as a clerical assistant at a Luftwaffe command center.
Post-war, she resided in New York before relocating to the Washington area in 1991. She aided fellow immigrants in legal settings by translating documents across at least five languages fluently. she shared her mother-in-law’s narrative to bridge the gap between Israelis and Palestinians, enabling them to comprehend each other’s experiences of suffering.