SYLVIA CHAVKIN

CHAVKIN--Sylvia. Sylvia Chavkin, a resident of Manhattan, NY, died at age 95 of Covid at home on January 27. Sylvia was the daughter of Hyman Inzelberg and Rose Schlessinger, grew up in the Bronx, and received her BA and Masters from Hunter College. She was an actress, preschool teacher, parenting advisor, and later in life, the founder of the Poetry Marathon in Amagansett, NY. Throughout her life, she advocated for peace and social justice and, in her 70s, was arrested for joining a nonviolent protest of police violence. Known for her warmth, style, and loud laugh, Sylvia always attracted a crowd. Sylvia had a long and happy marriage to her late husband, the author and foreign correspondent Samuel Chavkin, and profoundly enjoyed being a mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughter Dr. Wendy Chavkin, Wendy's partner Nicholas Freudenberg, and their son Sasha Chavkin. Due to the pandemic, a memorial will be held later this year. Donations in Sylvia's spirit may be made to Urban Word NYC to support poetry by NYC youth, or to RAICES to support children detained at the border.