Abe ‘Sonny’ Hershman
Abraham “Sonny” Hershman, 97, devoted husband, father and grandfather, passed away Jan. 13, 2025, in Dallas. Sonny was born Sept. 1, 1927, in San Antonio to Leah and Jack Hershman.
He grew up in San Antonio and settled in Dallas after being discharged from the army following the Korean War. He met his beloved wife of almost 70 years, Janet, on a blind date and together they exemplified what a good marriage was. His greatest joy was having his family around him. He took great pride in his children and grandchildren’s accomplishments and loved celebrating them. He enjoyed having everyone gather for Shabbat dinners, Jewish holidays and any other time they could all be together.
Sonny was proud of being Jewish and had great passion for his religion. He will always be remembered for his keen sense of humor. No one could tell a joke better than Sonny — he loved to laugh and he loved to make others laugh. He taught his children the importance of humor and how it helped make hard times better. He loved working in real estate and he loved visiting with his tenants. He treated everyone with respect and they adored him.
Sonny was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Rabbi Morris Hershman and his sisters Mildred Kenter and Helen Kerman.
In addition to his beloved wife, Janet, he is survived by his children Michael (Teri) Hershman, Susan (Steve) Zetley and Laurie (David) Judson; grandchildren Julie Judson (David Galstyan), Scott (Vivien) Judson, Corie Zetley, Jennifer Zetley, Margot Hershman, Jake Hershman and Eric Hershman; and great-grandchildren Jack Judson and Joey Galstyan.
The family thanks Dr. Mark Fleschler for his great care and compassion and constant source of comfort for the entire family as well as Emma, Joyce and Eve, who enriched his final months.
A graveside service was held Jan. 15 at Sparkman-Hillcrest with Rabbi Adam Roffman and Cantor Itzhak Zhrebker officiating.
Sonny would always say that he looked at the obituaries every morning to make sure he was not in there. With broken hearts, it is our time to honor him. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
Helen Rosenberg
Helen Stahl Rosenberg, age 80, was born April 24, 1944, and passed away peacefully on Jan. 15, 2025, in Arlington. Helen attended Hillcrest High School and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English literature. She was a dedicated member of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority. Helen achieved her teaching degree and worked as a high school English teacher at the Alexander School. She later became a case manager at AIDS ARMS, Inc., providing case management to adults living with HIV. Helen volunteered as a docent at the Dallas Holocaust Center and was an avid reader and lifelong learner, studying literature at the Dallas Institute of Humanities.
Helen was loved by all who knew her and was known for her sense of humor, compassion and dedication to her family and friends. She enjoyed travel, literature, opera and spending time with loved ones. For decades, Helen’s home was the heart of the Stahl family. She regularly and joyfully hosted family gatherings for Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving and Passover Seder. She was fascinated by every nuance of her parents’ immigration from Eastern Europe and was the family archivist. She carefully followed her mother’s recipes for honey cake and rugelach and never forgot a birthday.
Helen is survived by her children: Lisa James, son-in-law Richey James, Michelle Levy and Alan Rosenberg. She was “Nanny” to nine grandchildren: Isaac, Seth, Miles, Elliot, Maya, Marin, Landry, Max and Graham. She was preceded in death by her parents, Isadore Louis Stahl and Sarah Cohen Stahl; her three brothers, Don Stahl, Sid Stahl and Harvey Stahl; and her former husband, David Rosenberg. Donations in memory of Helen Rosenberg may be sent to Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas.
Rosalie ‘Lee’ Sylvia Rosenthal
Rosalie (Lee) Sylvia Rosenthal, 85, passed away on Jan, 13, 2025, at The Legacy Willow Bend in Plano. She was born on July 20, 1939 (the 4th of Av, 5699), in Brooklyn, New York, to Max and Minnie Hausman.
Lee grew up in Brooklyn. She graduated from James Madison High School in 1956. After high school, she attended Queens College, where she studied history and education and became an excellent teacher.
After college, Lee traveled to Israel on a large ship, where she met Eliyahu, her husband-to-be. They fell in love and continued to date in Israel. Eli and Lee married in Israel on June 18, 1964. They were happily married for 60 years. While living in Israel, Lee taught English as a Second Language to Israeli children.
In the late 1960s, Lee and Eli moved to Arlington. There she became a highly respected Hebrew teacher and the principal at a Conservative Hebrew school in Dallas. Lee also taught bar and bat mitzvah classes and Jewish studies. Lee had a great love for Israel and the Jewish community, and she devoted her life to it.
Lee had many hobbies. She enjoyed walking and exercising. She liked reading and listening to classical music. She also loved traveling. Throughout her life, she lived in many different places in the United States, including Washington State, California, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Later in life, she returned to Texas.
Lee was preceded in death by her son Omry Martin Rosenthal; her parents, Max and Minnie Hausman; and her beloved grandmother Sabina Wildstein.
She is survived by her husband Eli Rosenthal of Plano; her daughter Michal (Ofer) Azulay of Kfar Vradim, Israel; her brother Leonard (Bonnie) Hausman of Newton, Massachusetts; her grandchildren Yarden, Gal, Ma’ayan and Peleg; her nieces and nephews and other relatives.
A funeral service was held at Shearith Israel Memorial Park on Jan. 15. Shiva was held on the same day at The Legacy Willow Bend Independent Living Sanctuary in Plano. Services entrusted to Dallas Jewish Funerals.
The family requests memorial donations be made to: FIDF (Friends of the Israel Defense Forces), https://www.fidf.org/act-local/our-chapters/north-texas-chapter/, or to the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, https://www.jewishdallas.org/.
Condolences and cards to the family can be sent to Eli Rosenthal, 6101 Ohio Drive, Apt. 3317, Plano, TX 75024.
