Anne Elfant

ELFANT Anne (nee Kerr), 97, formerly of New Brunswick, NJ passed away at her home in Clifton, NJ on Monday, August 10, 2009. She was born in Somerville, NJ and had lived many years in New Brunswick before retiring to Florida with her husband Morris in 1971. She moved back to New Jersey years later.Anna volunteered all through the 1950's at the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital in Edison, where she worked with the Jewish War Veterans Organization. In later years, she worked with her husband, Morris in the family business of B. Elfant & Sons in New Brunswick.She was not only the first founding member of the Poile Zedek Cemetery Association, but served as President for 45 years. although she moved to Florida in 1971, she continued as President until 1991 often coming back from Florida to handle Association business. She was very active in the Sisterhood of the Congregation Poile Zedek in New Brunswick, NJ and also served as President. The Elfant family not only founding and active members of the Poile Zedek Congregation, but the Congregation was founded at the Elfant residence firston 21-23 Hiram Street and then at 18 Codwise Ave., (Joyce Kilmer Ave.) and met there for many years until the present building was erected on Neilson Street. The chairmanof the building committee was Benjamin Elfant and his son Morris and Morris' son Mark were past Presidents of the Congregation.Being the last survivor of her generation, she was predeceased by her husband Morris in 1982 and a daughter Marcia Bronfman in 1985, Anna leaves behind a son, Mark and his wife Wendy, of Rutherford, NJ, and a daughter, Zesel and her husband Bruce Chashin, of Boca Raton, FL, seven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.Funeral service will held on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 11 AM at the Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, 239 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. Interment to follow at the Poile Zedek Cemetery, Joyce Kilmer Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ.Memorial contributions may be made to the Poile Zedek Cemetery Association (Pertpetual Care Fund) and mailed to PO Box 166, New brunswick, NJ.Shiva will be observed at the home of Mark Elfant, 121 Maple Street, Rutherford, NJ through Monday, August 17, 2009.