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LESLIE AIGNER JEROME ROBERT NUDELMAN DORIS ORGEL
Leslie Aigner, z”l, passed away Aug. 18, Jerome Robert Nudelman, z”l, died Aug. Doris Orgel, z”l, a prolific children’s au-
2021, at the age of 92. He is survived by his 18, 2021, at the age of 89. He is survived thor, died on Aug. 4, 2021, at age 92. She
wife, Eva; daughter, Sue; son, Rob; grand- by his wife of 67 years, Shirley; his daugh- is survived by two sons, Paul and Jeremy
children; and great-grandchildren. ters, Sheila Casimo (Matt), Sharon Morell Orgel; a daughter, Laura Orgel; 10 grand-
He was a be- (Dean) and son children; and four great-grandchildren.
loved member Jeff (Anne); She moved from New York to Portland in
of the Oregon grandchildren, 2019 and lived at Cedar Sinai Park so her
Jewish Muse- Kaitlyn Ca- daughter could help care for her during her
um community simo, Blake last years.
from the muse- Morell, Josh Born Feb. 15,
um’s very be- Nudelman and 1929, in Vienna,
ginning. Born Sol Nudelman; Austria, Doris,
in Czechoslo- and his brother along with her
vakia June 3, Phil (Sandra), sister (Lotte
1929, the same his Aunt Julie Lichtblau, a
year as Anne Donin, loving painter, d. 2013),
Frank, Leslie cousins and and her parents,
survived years in a slave labor camp, the adoring nieces Ernst and Erna
Budapest Ghetto, and the death camps of and nephews. Adelberg, es-
Auschwitz and Dachau. He was born in Portland on June 22, 1932. caped Hitler’s
Leslie was liberated in Dachau by Amer- His parents were Al and Sonia (Donin) regime, arriving
ican troops on April 29, 1945, a date he Nudelman. Jerry attended Alameda Grade in New York City in 1940. Her childhood
always referred to as his second birthday. School, Grant High School (Class of ’50) experiences form the basis of her 1978
After liberation, he returned to his home and the University of Oregon (Class of novel, The Devil in Vienna, later filmed by
in Hungary to find that most of his family ’54), where he was a member of Sigma Al- Disney as “A Friendship in Vienna.”
members had been murdered. pha Mu Fraternity. She graduated from Hunter High School
After marrying his beautiful wife, Eva, in On Aug. 15, 1954, he married Shirley as valedictorian and entered Radcliffe Col-
1956, they escaped from Communist Hun- Soble. Jerry then began his military service lege. There she met Shelley Orgel, (1928-
gary. They settled in Portland and became in the Army Counterintelligence Corps in 2018), who became a prominent psychoan-
the proud parents of Sue and Rob and were Baltimore and St. Louis, where he grad- alyst. She graduated from Barnard College,
eventually blessed with grandchildren and uated number three in his class. After the and they were married in 1949.
great-grandchildren. military, he returned to Portland. Follow- Her friend, the artist Maurice Sendak,
Leslie and Eva began sharing their sto- ing a stint with Fisher Price Toys, he went encouraged her to try writing for children
ries when local Holocaust deniers became to work for EKCO Housewares Company, and illustrated her first three books – trans-
vocal in the late 1980s. As members of the where he won several national sales awards lations of 19th century fairytales. Through-
Holocaust Speaker’s Bureau, they spoke to and was promoted to a regional manager. out her career, Doris continued to translate
thousands of students and adults across the He was recruited to return to the toy in- German books.
Pacific Northwest. One of Leslie’s proud- dustry and was named vice president of Her first original book was Sarah’s Room
est moments came with the creation of the View-Master International and stayed in (1963), written in verse and illustrated by
Oregon Holocaust Memorial, which was that position until he “retired,” which con- Sendak, the first of many for younger read-
dedicated in Washington Park in 2004. sisted of several consulting endeavors for ers published in the 1960s and ’70s. Some
Donations in Leslie’s memory may be toy companies. (Grandma’s Holidays, The Goodbyes of
made to the Oregon Jewish Museum and When he was not working, which was Magnus Marmalade and Phoebe and the
Center for Holocaust Education and direct- rare, Jerry loved working in his yard, trav- Prince) featured whimsically rhyming
ed to the Oregon Holocaust Memorial and eling to their home in Maui and taking texts. Others such as Cindy’s Snowdrops,
Education Endowment. walks on the beach in Seaside with his poo- In a Forgotten Place and Whose Turtle had
A tribute from OJMCHE says, “We have dle, Holly. themes of nature and children growing up.
lost a dear friend who was also a model of Jerry also spent long hours volunteering
valor and a paragon of dignity. Les never as the Cub Master for Pack 811, as a Lit- Moving back to Manhattan, where she
complained, always greeted us with a smile, tle League coach and later as president of lived from 1979 to 2018, Doris was a staff
and, to the very end, embodied for us the the League, as well as being a Mason, a writer at the Bank Street Writer’s Lab,
deepest meanings of the word ‘survivor.’ Shriner, a Cycle Clown and president of where she wrote and co-wrote a series of
May his memory endure as a blessing.” the Pot and Kettle Club. During those ac- books for beginning readers. In later years,
tive years, while traveling enough to be a her deep interest in Greek and Roman
RUTH HARTZMAN member of the United Million Mile Club, mythology led her to write We Goddesses
Ruth Hartzman, z”l, passed away on Aug. he never missed dance or piano recitals of (Athena, Aphrodite, Hera) and three related
12, 2021. She was the mother of Steven his daughters or sporting events of his son. books: The Princess and the God, Ariadne
Hartzman (Debbie), Craig Hartzman (Jim) Later on, he was a fixture at events of his Awake and My Mother’s Daughter.
and Fred Hartzman (Andrea); grandmother grandchildren. An outgoing, energetic woman who loved
of Daniel (Samantha), Randi, Emmarose The funeral service was held on Aug. 19, swimming, tennis, travel, music (especially
(Gabe), Ethan, Alexandra and Nathan; and 2021. opera), cooking and social occasions, Doris
great-grandmother of Asher. Donations may be made to Cedar Sinai was loved by her many friends and family
The service was Aug. 16 in Santa Barbara, Park, Friends of Robison or the Sonia for her affectionate, good-natured person-
Calif. Congregation Beth Israel offers con- Nudelman Floral Fund at Congregation ality, quick sense of humor, great enthusi-
dolences to the entire Hartzman family. Neveh Shalom. asm and warmth.
Jewish Review Sept. 1, 2021 15