Funeral service for last of 11 lives lost at Tree of Life synagogue to be held Friday

PITTSBURGH — The last of the 11 victims of Saturday's Tree of Life synagogue shooting will be laid to rest Friday.

Rose Mallinger, 97, will be remembered during services Friday afternoon.

PHOTOS: Victims of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue

The first funeral services were held Tuesday for Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal, and Daniel Stein.

Services for Joyce Fienberg, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger were held Wednesday.

Husband and wife Bernice and Sylvan Simon, as well as Richard Gottfried, were laid to rest Thursday.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the victims and those affected by the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. CLICK HERE to donate.

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Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh on Forbes Avenue. He will be buried in Homewood Cemetery.

A line stretched around the block as mourners -- some in white medical coats, some wearing yarmulkes, black hats or head scarves -- passed beneath the blue Romanesque arches into the brick building, an American flag nearby fluttering at half-staff.

STORY: Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz remembered by patients as anything but typical

Rabinowitz was killed when he ran to see if anyone needed a doctor, his nephew said.

“One message I think Uncle Jerry would have wanted us to learn from this, it would be a message of love, unity, and the strength and resilience of the Jewish people,” Rabinowitz’s nephew posted on Facebook.

Funeral services were held at noon Tuesday at Rodef Shalom Temple, with visitation from 10 a.m. to noon. The brothers will be buried at Tree of Life Memorial Park.

People who knew the brothers said they loved life and each other.

STORY: Brothers killed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting remembered as kind, loving

Their former rabbi said Cecil was a greeter at Tree of Life synagogue and he was always the first person seen upon entering.

David was the quieter of the two and was never far from his brother, whom he was very protective of.

“When you lose two extremely wonderful, kind, selfless people, it impacts you in ways you can only imagine,” said Chris Schopf, a vice president of Achieva, an organization with which the brothers were associated.

Courtesy photo submitted by family

Private funeral and burial services were held Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

Stein was a father and new grandfather.

“He has just finished coming from synagogue, which he loved, and then got to play with his grandson which he loved even more,” his son wrote on Facebook.

Daniel Stein was a visible member of Pittsburgh's Jewish community, where he was a leader in the New Light Congregation and his wife, Sharyn, is the membership vice president of the area's Hadassah chapter.

“Their Judaism is very important to them, and to him,” said chapter co-president Nancy Shuman. “Both of them were very passionate about the community and Israel.”

Services for Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland, were held at the Beth Shalom Synagogue in Squirrel Hill Wednesday morning. She will be buried at Tree of Life Memorial Park.

Her family, friends and co-workers came to pay their respects and honor a woman who loved her community and deeply cherished her Jewish faith. Her friends told Channel 11 she was just so selfless. Constantly giving back to her community and doing volunteer work.

Fienberg worked as a research specialist in the Education Department at the University of Pittsburgh.

“Helping us support underrepresented students who we were trying to give opportunities in the field,” said Christopher Genovese. “She went out of her way to help someone who was having difficulty and it wasn’t her job to do. She just did it because she cared.”

She retired in 2008 and worked on several projects including studying the practices of highly effective teachers.

Her husband, Stephen, died in 2016 after a battle with cancer. He was a renowned professor of statistics and social science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Services were Wednesday at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Yet through the pain and sadness, friends of Melvin Wax couldn't help but smile.

“He had a terrible sense of humor. He told jokes that were so bad," said Hugh Casper, who remembers Mel as a kind friend who always had a smile on his face.

Wax, a retired accountant, was a member of the New Light Congregation in Squirrel Hill, which rented space in the lower level of the Tree of Life Synagogue.

“He was such a kind, kind person,” said Myron Snider, chairman of the congregation's cemetery committee. “When my daughters were younger, they would go to him, and he would help them with their federal income tax every year. Never charged them.”

Snider said Wax, who was slightly hard of hearing, was a pillar of the congregation, filling just about every role except cantor.

“I am so much better off for having known him. That little bit of joy is going to be carried on," said Kara Keane, a friend.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at Rodef Shalom Temple. He will be buried at Shaare Torah Cemetery.

Younger was a greeter at the synagogue and had been attending for the past 10 years.

“You learned about somebody who was kind, was caring and just had his first grandchild," said Rep. Dan Frankel, who remembers Younger as a kind, smart man who had no problem asking tough questions. “I was always invited by Irv to speak to a current events class of seniors at the JCC every other month. With 30 seniors he held court there.”

Funeral services were held at noon Thursday at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. The couple was be buried at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

Bernice and Sylvan Simon were married 62 years

“Our hearts are broken,” said Pam Glaser, who lived next door to the couple for decades. “They were so likable and cared about other people.”

Sylvan, 86, was a retired accountant with a good sense of humor -- the kind of person his former rabbi felt comfortable joking with after Sylvan broke his arm a couple of weeks ago. (The rabbi emeritus, Alvin Berkun, quipped that Sylvan had to get better so he could once again lift the Torah, the Jewish holy scripture.)

Bernice, 84, a former nurse, loved classical music and devoted time to charitable work, according to neighbors Jo Stepaniak and neighbor Inez Miller.

Source: NBC News

Services were held Thursday at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., and Gottfried was buried at New Light Cemetery.

Richard Gottfiried was a dentist and business partner with his wife, Dr. Peg Durachko. Both are University of Pittsburgh alumni.

STORY: 'He was such a genuinely nice guy.' Friends remember Dr. Richard Gottfried

Gottfried volunteered for Catholic Charities Free Dental Clinic. According to the clinic's website he enjoyed playing golf, reading and had completed the City of Pittsburgh Great Race 28 times.

Gottfried was preparing to retire in the next few months.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Rodef Shalom Temple, with visitation starting at 11 a.m.

Mallinger never missed a Saturday, according to Mickie Diamond, whose husband Chuck once served as Rabbi at Tree of Life synagogue.

Her daughter, Andrea Wedner, 61, was among the wounded.

“Andrea would sit next to her mom, I mean for years this was their routine,” Diamond said. “The thought of her and this violent action it’s just ... inconceivable.”

Mallinger was 97, but you'd never know it, Brain Schreiber, the president of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and a member of Tree of Life, said.

“She just had spring in her step,” Schreiber said. So much so that when congregants at the synagogue were told to stand if they were able, there was no question: Mallinger stood, even while some seniors younger than she stayed seated.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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