Clara Berman

Clara Berman, 94, of Commack, N.Y., died May 28, 2020. Born in Zbarazh, Poland (now Ukraine) in 1926, her family — her parents, five brothers, and a sister — all died in the Holocaust.

When the Nazis liquidated the ghetto, Clara’s family hid her on a bed with the quilt covers, pillows, and furniture piled on top of her. She escaped to a barn in the woods outside Zbarazh, where she and her cousin hid from the Germans and their dogs. The Russians later liberated the town.

She then traveled to Rome and met her husband, Julius Berman, at a restaurant serving displaced persons; she was a waitress and Julius was a cashier. They were married in the Great Synagogue of Rome in 1946 and came to the United States in 1949, settling in Brooklyn.

Mrs. Berman worked off and on as a seamstress but mostly was a homemaker and mother. She also helped out at the family’s candy store in Manhattan.

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Predeceased by her husband of 61 years in 2007, she is survived by two sons, Lawrence (Ann Freedman) of Westfield and Stuart (Beth) Berman; three grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Graveside services were held May 31. Memorial contributions may be made to Gurwin Jewish Healthcare Foundation (gurwin.org) or The Blue Card (bluecardfund.org).