November 2, 2012 - The Jewish Transcript

24 lifecycles JtNews . www.JtNews.Net . friday, November 2, 2012
Al Sanft
May 12, 1932–October 7, 2012
Born in Seattle, Washington to Louie and Ada Sanft on May 12,
1932. Al passed away on October 7, 2012 in Seattle after a
four-year battle with Amyloid heart disease. Al was a loving man
who cared deeply for his family and his friends.
Al attended Garfield High School, graduating in 1950. During the
Korean War, he served in the United States Navy in Korea and
Japan as an officer on the USS Dixie.
Al worked in his family business, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage,
a company that his father founded in 1916. For 60 years he had
made it into a thriving business, expanding its operations from
Washington and Oregon to Alaska and all over the Northwestern
U.S., and Canada. As well, Al had a successful real estate company, A&B Properties, developing
properties around the region. His children continue managing these businesses.
Al married the love of his life, Ruth Marie Buske, on August 14, 1959. They were inseparable. Al
and Ruth raised four loving children; and later had five grandchildren who adored them. Al and
Ruth built an extraordinary life together. They enjoyed traveling with friends all over the world,
fishing in Westport, and going to Hawaii with their entire family every year. He went on an annual
trip to Las Vegas for his birthday with friends every May. Al and Ruth were lucky enough to
celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2009.
Al’s favorite pastime was to go fishing whenever he could, especially in Westport, Washington,
(the salmon capital of the world). He fished often, mainly with his brother and his children, and an
endless number of friends that would dare to ride the rough waters.
Courtesy elazar bogomilsky
Bill hogan, director of athletics for seattle university, left, sean Michaels, a DJ at 106.9
FM, center, and Kiro-7 news anchor angela russell cut the ribbon at the start of the
Friendship Circle’s first Walk with Friendship at Mercerdale Park on Mercer island on oct.
21. The organization raised $56,000 to go toward its programs, which matches teens from
throughout the community with children with special needs.
“A master of Sephardic song”
—NEW YORK TIMES
Gerard Edery Trio
townhallseattle.org
In 1982, Al and Ruth built their dream home in Westport, right on the beach. He loved fishing on
his private boat Barrels, and owned a charter fishing boat named Firecracker that was well known
in Westport. Al and Ruth hosted a family reunion every July 4th, with fireworks and fun on the
beach that everyone looked forward to.
Al’s other hobbies included making kosher dill pickles. He and Ruth were famous for their smoked
salmon. Al loved all sports including the Huskies, the Cougars, Seahawks, Sonics, and the
Mariners. He attended games right till the end, including the infamous Seahawks Monday night
football game against the Packers.
Al had a giant heart. He was tall, dark, and handsome; had a twinkle in his eyes; and was tan at
most times. Most people called him “Big Al.” He loved Elvis, dancing, his Cadillacs, and especially
he loved spending time with all his special friends and relatives.
Al was a proud member of the Masonic temple, a 32nd-degree Mason, a member of the Nile Shrine
temple, and member of the Elks, all for 50 years. He was a longtime member of the Seattle Chamber
of Commerce and the Reusable Industrial Packaging Association, RIPA. Al’s family co-founded the
Machzikay Hadath synagogue in Seattle, and was a founding member of Herzl-Ner Tamid.
Al’s family meant everything. Family was always first and foremost. Al’s death was preceded by
the passing of Ruth in January 2010. He leaves behind four children: Nettie (Mark) Cohodas, Barrie
(Richard) Galanti, Brina Sanft, and Louie Sanft. He also leaves behind five grandchildren:
Samantha and Ben Cohodas, and Sam, Oliver, and Rachel Galanti.
His funeral service took place on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue on
Mercer Island. Burial followed at Bikur Cholim cemetery in Seattle.
Donations in his name can be made to Jewish Family Service, Shriners Children’s Hospital, or
Herzl-Ner Tamid synagogue.
W MusiC oF reMeMBraNCe Page 12
Our God” is used ironically, as is “Deutschland
über alles.”
Stage director Erich Parce uses the
musicians (13 members of the Seattle
Symphony) as actors. He places them,
dead or dying, in a bombed-out theater,
where Death and his assistants (two dancers)
bring them back to life to perform the
show. Parce has also added some modern
visual elements to support the action.
What should listeners take from the
production? It “demonstrates how the
Holocaust contains important and relevant
lessons for our time, and for people
of all faiths,” says Miller.
“History gives us such lessons, but we
keep repeating them over and over,” Parce
adds. “How do we then change our lives
and go forward?”
Marc Lavry (1903 –1967) was, like
Ullman, a well-known composer and
December 1 at 8pm
conductor in the 1920s. He worked with
several German orchestras and opera
companies, collaborated with theater
director Max Reinhardt, and composed
for the German cinema. When Hitler came
to power, Lavry returned to his native
Latvia, and when Fascism arrived there, he
moved to Palestine.
Lavry was reborn musically in his new
home. Within two years, he had drawn
the sounds he heard around him into his
music, and helped create what became the
Israeli musical style. One could say that
Lavry was to Israeli music what Smetana,
Bartok, Kodaly and the “Russian Five”
were to their countries.
The composer’s son, Dan Lavry, lives
on Bainbridge Island.
“[He] told me that music does not exist
in a vacuum, that it reflects a culture and
is connected to the land,” Lavry says of his
father. “When he came to Israel in 1935
there was no such thing as Israeli music,
but there was a desire to create a modern
Israel…The settlers went through a great
cultural transformation. The old Hebrew
language was revived to replace the Yiddish,
the Jewish food was replaced by Middle
Eastern flavor, working the land and manufacturing
was to replace commerce.
“So my father came into such an environment
equipped with a classical music
background and much familiarity [with]
European Jewish music. His music after
1935 reflects his experience. He wrote
early Israeli songs, the first Israeli opera,
the first symphony. In fact he was a pioneer,
a trend setter.”
Marc Lavry is represented on the program
with his “Three Jewish Dances for
Violin and Piano, Op. 192” from 1945.
The concert opens with a performance
by young cellist Benjamin Schmidt,
winner of this year’s David Tonkonogui
Award. Schmidt will play Ernest Bloch’s
“Prayer,” accompanied by a string quartet
including his father, Seattle Symphony
Orchestra violinist Mikhail Schmidt.