Marcia Applebaum Chamovitz

October 25, 2018, 12:20 pm 0 Edit

CHAMOVITZ: Marcia Applebaum Chamovitz, 88, formerly of Aliquippa, died peacefully on October 24, 2018, in her home in Jerusalem, Israel. Mrs. Chamovitz was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and moved to Aliquippa in 1956 with her husband, the late Dr. David L. Chamovitz. In her years in Aliquippa, Mrs. Chamovitz became one of the pillars of both the local and larger Jewish community. Among other endeavors, she opened Aliquippa’s first preschool program in town’s synagogue, was active in the American Association of University Women and in the burgeoning civil rights movement in Aliquippa in the 1960s, and very active in the Aliquippa synagogue. She was a lifelong member of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, serving, among other positions, as the president of Western Pennsylvania Region, and as a member of the national board. She fulfilled her life’s dream and moved to Israel in 1984, where she filled her days walking on the beach with David, taking care of her grandchildren and stray cats, and finding ways of touching everyone’s life. She made it a mission to expose their many visitors to as much of Israel and Zionism as possible. Their home was known to be open to all Pittsburgh Young Judaea year course participants. She was preceded in death by her daughter Amy Chamovitz, and her husband of 59 years. She is survived by her children, Dr. Raina Rosengberg and professor Daniel Chamovitz, their spouses, five grandchildren and their partners and one great-grandson, all of whom live in Israel. May her memory be blessed. Donations can be made in her memory to the Pittsburgh Chapter of Hadassah.