SAHRA LESE

LESE--Sahra Tal. Sahra Tal Lese, age 89, of New York City, passed away on March 29, 2023. A devoted wife and loving mother and grandmother, she was survived by daughters Danielle Farans and Claudia Morse, stepsons Bill and Peter Lese, son-in-law Douglas Morse, daughters-in-law Serena and Lauren Lese, and nine grandchildren: Alex, Emily, Matthew, Kiley, Keira, Jason, Stephen, William and Timothy. Born on February 11, 1934, in Kalisz, Poland to Isaac and Naomi Binshtok, Sahra and her parents moved to Israel within a year of her birth, and her brother, David, was born several years later. Sahra was known for her keen intellect, tremendous generosity, her passion for the arts, and her exceptional beauty. After serving in the Israeli Army, she was chosen to represent Israel in the 1956 Miss Universe Pageant in the United States, where she finished in the top 10. Sahra was married to Alvin Farans from 1961 to 1981, and William M. Lese from 1981 until his death in 2009. Sahra and Bill loved life and were lucky to share many adventures together throughout their romance, traveling the world on their own and with friends and family. They split their time between New York and London for many years, and accumulated many dear friends along the way. In New York, where she resided for most of the last 25 years, Sahra spent much of her time enjoying her many passions, which included classical music, theater, opera, politics and her friends and family. She was beloved by so many, and will be sorely missed. Funeral services will be held at Central Synagogue, 652 Lexington Avenue, at 11:00am on Sunday, April 2, 2023.