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Barbara “Bobbi” Asimow, Former Jewish Federation Women’s Campaign Director, 63

Obituaries
[additional-authors]
August 31, 2006

Barbara “Bobbi” Asimow, former Woman’s Campaign director for The Jewish Federation died Aug. 22 of cancer at 63.

Bobbi was born in Brooklyn in 1943 and came to Los Angeles as a teenager, attending Fairfax High School. She received an masters in psychology from San Francisco State and an MBA from the University of Judaism. For the past 22 years, she worked for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles as a professional fundraiser. She directed the Metropolitan Region and, for the last 12 years, the Women’s Campaign. She was a legend in the Women’s Campaign, raising more than $12 million a year for Jewish causes, supervising a devoted staff and mobilizing an army of dedicated volunteers. She was one of the most respected professionals at The Federation.

In her honor, an endowment will be established, within the Jewish Community Foundation, to fund the Bobbi Asimow Award for the best Jewish communal worker of the year. This award will recognize the person who best exemplifies Bobbi’s spirit, leadership, teamwork, dedication, love of Judaism and deep concern for those in need.

She is survived by her husband, Michael; sons, Ian Lennard, Daniel (LeAnn Bischoff) and Paul (Colette Caggiano); daughters, Hillary (Peter Blum) and Courtney (Craig Broscow) Lennard; sister-in-law, Myra Bennett; brother-in-law, Steven; former husband, Colin Lennard; and seven grandchildren.

In her memory, donations can be sent to the Women’s Campaign of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, 6505 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 750, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

I fell in love with Bobbi Asimow the first time we met. I had just come to Los Angeles from the East Coast, was brand new to our professional field and a stranger here. Bobbi flashed her famous contagious smile and welcomed me with open arms.

It didn’t matter to Bobbi that she was a senior pro and I was young and inexperienced, or that she was a top fundraiser and I was working with college students. That day, for the first time, I knew that I had made the right career choice, because Bobbi became my mentor. In our short exchange, she modeled the Jewish values, which I spent years learning, with astounding beauty, grace and passion.

Over the years that followed I watched Bobbi develop hundreds of community leaders. In her quiet way, she helped shape much of the professional landscape of Jewish Los Angeles.

How many of us went to Bobbi when we needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, or to admit mistakes? How many times did she look deep into our eyes with both love and wisdom and guide us? How often did we then get back on our feet and aspire to be even half as talented a professional as Bobbi?

And finally, how did she make the time to help us all, while living her personal life with immense passion as wife, mother, grandmother, relative and friend.I sat a week ago in awe of what you accomplished, Bobbi, in your 63 years. Your funeral was not an ending, but truly a map for living, loving, leading,and not giving up.

It’s fitting that you left this difficult world at the start of Elul, the opportunity for a new spiritual beginning. Bobbi, your life lessons are guides to better ourselves, one another, and the Jewish community you deeply embraced for so long.

You are with us in our hearts. Shalom dear mentor.

— Rhoda Weisman Uziel, executive director of the Professional Leaders Project at the Jewish Federation.

HENRIETTA ACKERMAN died Aug. 5 at 84. She is survived by her son, Robert (Jan); and grandsons, Adam and Brian. Hillside

DOROTHY BERMAN died Aug. 8 at 79. She is survived by her husband, Wally; daughter, Ellen (Tom); son, Andrew (Erin); and four grandchildren. Hillside

PEGGY BERMAN died Aug. 6 at 69. She is survived by her husband, Donald; son, Ray; daughter, Robbi Barthe; two grandchildren; and sister, Linda Leva. Groman

HERBERT BRASLAW died Aug. 6 at 86. He is survived by his son, Michael; and daughter, Erica Olinick. Malinow and Silverman

FLORETTE CARLSON died Aug. 2 at 84. She is survived by her husband, Robert; stepdaughters, Kristine (Andy) Hetzel, Robin Dickson, Karen Thompson, Debbie (Kippen) Perrot and Sally; stepson, Richard; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Hillside

DANIEL GIBGOT died Aug. 8 at 79. He is survived by his friend, Leeann Donohue. Groman

ALAN GLEITSMAN died May 19 at 76. He is survived by his partner, Cheri Rosche; daughters, Joan Huber, Judy (Jim) Kaplan and Lisa McCloskey; son, Rick; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Hillside

JEANNE GOREN died Aug. 6 at 91. She is survived by her brother, Ben Bernert; and sister, Helen Antler. Groman

GERTRUDE HEICHMAN died Aug. 1 at 81. She is survived by her husband, Julius; daughter, Hollis; son-in-law, Steven Levy; grandchildren, Jennifer (Matt) Jones, Wendy Levy, Robert Levy; and brother, William Strull. Hillside

BENJAMIN JACOB KAMRASS died Aug. 6 at 90. He is survived by brothers, George and Meyer; sister, Etta Tudzin; nieces and nephews. Hillside

BELLE LEWIS died Aug. 7 at 91. She is survived by her sisters, Ida Wolf and Margaret (Jack) Farbstein; and brother, Dan (Helen) Levine. Malinow and Silverman

RAOUL LOWENBERG died Aug. 6 at 81. He is survived by his wife, Hilda; daughter, Dana (Steve) Weinberg; and granddaughter, Rachel Weinberg. Mount Sinai

AARON MAGIDOW died Aug. 7 at 78. He is survived by his wife, Joann; daughter, Karen; sons, Stephen (AnnSofie) and Anthony (Kimberly); stepdaughters, Robin (Leslie) Stevens and Toni Schuster; seven grandchildren; and brother, Norman (Carole). Mount Sinai

ROSE MENDELSOHN died Aug. 7 at 92. She is survived by her nephew, Robert Horowitz; and nieces, Eleanor Horowitz and Myra Lax. Hillside

ELI MIDLER died May 16 at 87. He is survived by his wife, Betty; children, Sheri, Karen, Jackie and David; and eight grandchildren.

POURAN MOGHAVEM died Aug. 8 at 68. She is survived by her husband, Ehsan; and daughters, Catherine Cahen, Roya Hekmat, Ramesh Levi, Nazanine Shamsian, and Chehreh Soleimani. Malinow and Silverman

ABRAHAM CARL PRESSER died Aug. 7 at 84. He is survived by his wife, Kitty; daughters, Bobbi Presser and Jan (Alan) Raphael; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brother-in-law, Andrew Perlmutter. Hillside

PHILIP RAFF died Aug. 8 at 84. He is survived by his friends. Hillside

DEVORA ROSENBLUM died Aug. 3 at 68. She is survived by her husband, Sherman; son, Greg; daughters, Cheryl Honig and Sandra; two granddaughters; sisters, Rose Goldsteen and Sharon Specktor; and brothers, Burton (Shirley) and Philip (Patricia Kenton) Politz. Malinow and Silverman

RONALD ROYS died Aug. 4 at 70. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie; daughters, Mindy Stein and Alissa; two grandchildren; brother, Richard Roys; and sister-in-law, Barbara Mahler. Hillside

IRVING SACKS died Aug. 7 at 88. He is survived by his wife, Jean; son, Neal; daughters, Joy Lynn Rotkin and Pamela Bouganim; and five grandchildren. Groman

MORRIS SCHWARTZ died Aug. 7 at 69. He is survived by his son, Michael (Brandie); and daughter, Jennifer (Joel) Harris. Hillside

LOUIS SEGAL died Aug. 8 at 88. He is survived by his daughters, Anne (Philip) Klahr and Frances (Michael Friedson); and three grandchildren. Mount Sinai

RUTH ELIZABETH SERBER died Aug. 8 at 93. She is survived by her son, Ron (Corliss) Willins; and daughter Barbara Willins. Hillside

ROBERT STEINMAN died Aug. 7, at 88. He is survived by his sons, Gary (Jane), Alan (Dallas Powers), David (Lydia) and Howard (Diedre); six grandchildren; sister, Ruth Blumberg; sister-in-law, Aviva Steinman; companion, Litzie Friedman; and many nieces and nephews. Mount Sinai

MARTHA WALFORD died Aug. 16 at 81. She is survived by her sons, Peter (Bruce Rudy) Walford and Morgan (Michelle); and daughter, Lisa. Mount Sinai

DAVID CARL WEINSTEIN died Aug. 5 at 42. He is survived by his sister, Ellen. Hillside

SARA WINER died Aug. 3 at 89. She is survived by her son, Burton; daughter, Helene; three grandchildren; and great granddaughters, Paige Sexton and Megan Cobble. Hillside

DR. ELIOT WOLK died July 20 at 96. He is survived by sons, Sheldon(Helaine) and Dr. Roger (Marilyn); four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Groman

IRVING SAMUEL ZALMA died Aug. 8 at 69. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia; son, Jacques; daughters, Juliette (Jim) McKenzie, Marlyne and Carolyn; four grandchildren; mother, Sarah; brother, Barry (Thea); sister, Starr (Joe) Rofe. Malinow and Silverman

FREDA ZEGMAN died Aug. 7 at 86. She is survived by brother, Harry Kleiman; and sister, Olive Sugar. Groman

FRADELLE ZOLOT died Aug. 6 at 88. She is survived by her daughters, Carol (Ron) Harris, and Lauren (Rollie) Younger; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and sister, Abigail Cohen. Mount Sinai

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