Clara Dinner

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Clara Dinner of Monsey, NY. She was a devoted daughter, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, and aunt, as well as a cherished friend. While this is certainly a heartbreaking time for her loved ones, we take great comfort in the fact that Clara lived such an independent, intellectually stimulating, and generally healthy life for 94 years.

Clara was the daughter of Russian immigrants, and she had an enjoyable childhood in the Bronx with her parents and her beloved younger sister. Clara's first language was Yiddish, the common language of family and much of the community. However, once in public school, Clara quickly adapted, learned English, and excelled in academics. Instead of Hebrew school, she attended a Yiddish shule, a secular school, teaching Jewish culture, history, and social justice values. She spent summers in Camp Kinderland, a summer camp founded by Jewish labor activists as a retreat for their children from the tenements of NYC. Her experiences there thrilled her and the friendships she forged were lifelong.

Clara was the first in her family to earn college degrees, a Bachelors and Masters in Education. It was at City College that she met her husband, Leonard Dinner, at the age of 17.Theirs was an immediate friendship which developed into a love affair. For their 50th anniversary, they threw themselves a party in the Catskills and invited their closest friends and family to bask in their love. Clara was always by Lenny's side, and she tenderly cared for him during many years of declining health.

Both Clara and Lenny were life-long learners. They traveled extensively throughout the US, and globally as well. For years, Clara and Lenny participated in Elder Hostel which took them far and wide to over 45 destinations. There they took classes and met other intellectuals from across the nation.

Clara exhibited care and compassion throughout her life as a family member, dear friend, and beloved teacher. She was always out there routing for the underdog, involved in activism, volunteerism, and charities. In addition to her many years as an educator, she served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system. Clara always gave to others, and her kindness and compassion touched the lives of many.

Clara was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard, and her parents, Louis and Sophie Grubman. She is survived by her daughter Ellen, son-in-law Howard, granddaughter Dani, sister Sandra, niece Vanessa, nephew Dino, Vanessa's husband Jonathan, and their children Ava and Gabby. Although we will miss her terribly, Clara's spirit will continue to inspire us and she will live forever in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a charity of your choosing. A few of Clara's favorites were The Yiddish Book Center, Planned Parenthood, Ronald McDonald House, and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Clara Dinner will be held at 10:30am on Tuesday, March 31st at Robert Schoem's Menorah Chapel, 150 Route 4 East, Paramus, NJ 07652. A burial will follow at the Ramapo Lodge #485 Knights of Pythias cemetery at Brick Church Road, just off Route 306 in Monsey, NY. A shiva will be held afterwards at the Mednikoff home at 134 Lakeshore Drive, Oakland, NJ 07436 from 1:30 PM – 8 PM.