Phoebe Elsa was born December 2, 2012, at Kaiser Hospital, Santa Clara, to Dr. Elliott and Stephanie and to big brothers Henry Joseph and Jacob Philip Brill.

Grandparents are Ruth and Victor Brill of Santa Clara and Marcia and Jeffrey Lloyd of Los Angeles. Great-grandparents are the late Henry and the late Frances Gage, the late Frank and the late Dorothy Brill, Harriet Lloyd of San Francisco and the late Lloyd K. Lloyd, and Alegra Brooks of Los Angeles and the late Philip Brooks.

Phoebe Elsa is named after her great-grandmother Frances Gage, who was a Holocaust survivor, great-grandfather Frank Brill, great-grandfather Philip Brooks, great-great-grandmother Ella Degoff and great-great-grandmother Elsie Stern.

We are delighted and joyful to welcome a girl to our family.

Raizel Ruth Zahava, the 4th child for Sarah and Mordechai, arrived at

11:29 p.m. on December 29, 2012.

Raizel Ruth Zahava is named after some of Mordechai’s relatives: Ruth Weisz, born on September 7, 1937 in Znojmo, Czechoslovakia, murdered at age 6 at Auschwitz-Birkenau on or about June 7, 1944 with her older sister Zuzana (Shoshana), mother (Dora), grandparents Zsigismund and Chana Weisz and her aunt Aranka Weisz of Turc, Hungary, holding her on the receiving ramp of selection.

Ruth’s maternal grandparents, Rabbi Dr. Gershom and Sarah Feinberg of Congregation Adas-Isroel, the last Orthodox synagogue of Berlin in Nazi Germany, were murdered by the SS in or on the way to Latvia on or about August 17, 1942. Aranka, Hungarian for Golda, is Zahava in Hebrew. Aranka was 25 and would not abandon her niece Ruth, and so she went to the gas chamber holding her.

Mordechai’s great-aunt Golda (Pelta) Sawicka, age 39, born on July 29, 1903 in Konskie, Poland, was murdered by German police at the Konskie train station on September 26, 1942. She was caught after escaping from the ghetto in Tomaszow Mazowieckie to obtain milk for her sons Mordechai, Isaac, her husband and in-laws.

Grandparents are Ivan and Eva Sarkany, Marilyn Mayo and Jacob Pelta. Uncles and aunts are Alyssa and Dr. Arie E. Pelta, Joseph Tal Mayo and Chana Nelson. Great-grandparents are Gertrude Kaplan Rifkin of Bronx and Helen Farkas (Elena Weisz) of Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, New York.

Hashem Yinkom Damam.

Alana Baer Daughter of Pamela and Lawrence Baer, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.

Maia Campbell Daughter of Marcella and Greg Campbell, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Or Shalom Jewish Community in San Francisco.

Alan Daar Son of Susan Daar and Randolph Daar, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Temple Sinai in Oakland.

Violet Daar Daughter of Susan Daar and Randolph Daar, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Temple Sinai in Oakland.

Mari Ferlin Daughter of Sharon Goldfarb and Brad Glasser, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley.

Jonah Fleishhacker Son of Ellen and William Fleishhacker, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.

William Glasser Son of Eileen Crumm and David Glasser, Thursday, Jan. 17 at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley.

Madeleine Jio Daughter of Marilyn and Craig Jio, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon.

Sophia Kajani Daughter of Lisa and Ted Kajani, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo.

Jacob Meshel Son of Deborah and David Meshel, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon.

Tamara Notowitz Daughter of Rebecca Notowitz and Jacob Notowitz, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City.

Josh Rosen Son of Betsy and Marc Rosen, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame.

Emme Silverman Daughter of Victoria and Lloyd Silverman, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael.

Ariella Zulch Daughter of Estreilla and Larry Zulch, Saturday, Jan. 12 at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette.

• Rabbi Irwin Groner, ex–Rabbinical Assembly leader, dies at 81

• Polish writer Teresa Toranska dies at 69

John Hans Baumann

Nov. 7, 1930–Jan. 3, 2013

John Hans Baumann, known to his family and friends as Hans, passed away with his family by his side on January 3, 2013, at the age of 82.

Dedicated son of the late Edith and Ernst Baumann. Beloved and adoring husband of his truly dedicated wife, Lea, for 57 wonderful years. Loving father of René (Dan) Hart, Yvonne Baumann and Suzanne (Kevin) Rector. Adoring grandfather

of Jason and Lauren Hart, and Stevie and Danielle Rector. Loving brother-in-law to Meinhard and B.J. Knobloch. Dear uncle to many nieces and nephews. Survived by three cousins. Proceeded in death by two cousins.

Hans fled with his parents from Nazi Germany to Shanghai, and after the war immigrated to San Francisco where he met the love of his life, Lea. He worked for Pacific Fruit Express, a division of Southern Pacific Railroad, for 35 years. After Hans retired, he and his loving wife Lea enjoyed traveling, with the highlight of their travels taking them to Israel, a country he loved.

Our beloved Hans will be forever in our hearts, and will be sorely missed by all.

Services were held on Jan. 6 at Salem Memorial Cemetery, Colma.

In lieu of flowers, donation in Hans’ memory may be made to the American Heart Association.

Sinai Memorial Chapel

Leon Weitz

Leon Rockover Weitz died at age 95 years on 1/2/13 at the Rafael Nursing Home in San Rafael, where he received sensitive care. Leon was born in Vienna, Austria, and fled the Nazis in 1938. As a Jewish refugee, Leon won a double victory over Hitler — he helped defeat him on the battlefield, and he died in old age of natural causes.

He joined the U.S. Army shortly after the beginning of World War II and fought in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant and earning the Bronze Star for courage in action. Following the war, he went into the optical supply business, ultimately forming his own successful company, U.S. Optical Specialties. His humor, honesty, warmth and generous nature made him an outstanding salesman and businessman. Many of his customers became lifetime friends.

He loved good food, drink, entertainment and having fun. He was an interpreter at the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley. In 1963, while skiing at Sugar Bowl, he met Barbara Boerike. They married in 1965 and moved to a rustic cottage on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais in Mill Valley, where they lived happily for 47 years. Barbara predeceased Leon by eight months.

He was dedicated to veterans’ causes and the State of Israel, and made 17 working trips to that country in a “Volunteer for Israel” program. Although Barbara and Leon had no children, “Uncle Leon” became the godfather to many of the children of his close friends. Leon was an outstanding, unique and caring person, a “Mensch,” and he leaves a void in the hearts of all who knew him. Funeral arrangements are pending with Mt. Tamalpais Funeral Home, San Rafael.