June Friedman
June Helene Kobert Friedman died peacefully at home in Tamarac, Florida, at age 96 on Aug. 16, 2023, surrounded by family. Born in the Bronx to Richard and Rose Kobert, she attended Hunter College and obtained a Master of Education from New York University. She married Robert Friedman and they moved to Albuquerque for his Army service. They subsequently relocated to Miami, where Robert attended law school at the University of Miami, and were divorced in 1966.
June raised their three young children and worked full-time as an art teacher at Frank C. Martin Elementary School in Richmond Heights, where she remained on the faculty until retirement at age 65.
She was smart, independent and beautiful, and taught her children to be strong and self-sufficient. An excellent cook, she hosted the family Jewish holiday celebrations. Her interest in art, art history and international culture inspired her to travel worldwide.
June was a very talented artist in multiple media including oil, acrylic, collage, ceramics, sculpture, macrame, batik and photography. She loved theater, literature, music, spending time with her family and anything chocolate. After relocating to King’s Point in Tamarac about 30 years ago, she enjoyed new friendships and was very artistically productive and politically active.
She is survived by her children, Dr. Deborah Friedman (Scott Mackler), Joshua Friedman, Lawrence (Lisa) Friedman; three grandchildren, Richard, Amanda and Jennifer; and two great-grandchildren, Remi and Wesley.
Rabbi Neil Marcus officiated at the Aug. 23 funeral in Miami, Florida.
Please consider a donation in June’s memory to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund or the American Joint Distribution Committee.
Esther Kissner Laufer
Esther Laufer of Dallas passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. She was born in 1921 in Dallas to Harry and Clara Kissner.
She was the widow of Hyman Laufer. They married June 15, 1941, and were together for 59 years until Hyman’s passing on Nov. 4, 2000. They lived in Kilgore, Texas, until 1994, when they moved to Dallas. He was a teacher; she was a very busy volunteer. They were both members of Temple Beth Shalom in Kilgore; Temple Emanu-El in Longview; and Temple Emanu-El in Dallas.
Esther is survived by her children, Madeline Hartman (Jack), Martha McDonald (Richard) and Larry Laufer, M.D. (Rose Lyn). Additionally, she has four grandchildren (Mindy Bloom, David Hartman, Amy Conger and Susan Miller) and six great-grandchildren.
Esther was a substitute teacher and library assistant at Kilgore High School for many years.
She had lived in Presbyterian Village North in Dallas, Texas, since 1994.
Private graveside services for Esther will be held at Shearith Israel Cemetery, Dallas. Contributions in her memory are suggested to the Presbyterian Village North Foundation, Faith Presbyterian Hospice, Temple Emanu-El of Dallas or Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas.
Pamela Pearlman
Pamela Pearlman, of blessed memory, passed away peacefully on Aug. 24, 2023, in Aventura, Florida, at the age of 86. She was surrounded by loved ones at the time of her passing.
Pam was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Dec. 2, 1936, to Solly and Sonia Greenberg. Her parents immigrated to South Africa from Lithuania, where they had Pam and her brother, Sam (affectionately known as “Mookie”).
Pam met her eventual husband of 65 years, Theodore “Tony” Pearlman, of blessed memory, in Greenside, a suburb of Johannesburg, when she was 15 and he was a medical student.
As the story goes, they were walking down the street toward each other, passed one another and both turned around. They fell in love, eventually married in 1957 and afterward moved to Vryheid, South Africa, where they had their son, Trevor, and daughter, Carol.
They later moved to Johannesburg, where they had their youngest daughter, Linda. In South Africa, Pam and Tony were active members of the South African Jewish community. In 1980, they immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Houston. Pam was universally known as the warmest and most loving woman, wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend. She hosted the most beautiful Rosh Hashanah every year in Houston, where she welcomed her family and many members of the budding South African Jewish community in Houston.
She was actively involved in the lives of her eight grandchildren, both in Texas and later in Irvine, California, where she and Tony moved to be with their youngest four grandchildren. She was known as someone who never complained or put herself over anyone. She had an adventurous spirit and a genuine openness to trying new experiences, whether taking a boxing class with her daughter-in-law or traveling with Tony to dozens of foreign countries.
Pam is survived by her children, Trevor (Elaine) Pearlman, Carol (Brian) Kirshon and Linda (Ory) Schwartz; and grandchildren, Layne, Ryan, Samantha, Morgan, Meirah, Sivan, Lille and Yosel.
Her grandchildren were her greatest pride and joy and she was always in attendance at graduations, recitals, extracurricular activities and, of course, birthdays. She loved spending summers in Aspen with the older ones and the precious memories that were made are endless.
Granny Pam, as she was called, was so loved by all. She has left an indelible mark in their lives and in the lives of all who knew her. Her friends meant the world to her and her gentle ways made her so pleasant to be around.
A funeral service was held at South Florida Jewish Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida, on Friday, Aug. 25.
Per Pam’s wishes, donations in her memory may be made to United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston at uosh.org. This is where Pam enjoyed many happy occasions and High Holidays over the years when she and Tony lived in Houston from 1980 to 2007.
