Miriam Arfin

Miriam (Mimi) Arfin A five year survivor of lung cancer, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, July 3, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. Mimi was deeply committed to her family, social justice and Jewish causes. The daughter of Joanne and Bernard Arfin, Mimi was born in Glen Cove, NY on January 22, 1957. At the age of two she moved with her family to San Carlos, California where she grew up. She was a graduate of Ravenswood High School, and earned her BA degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Magna cum Laude. While at Cal, she spent her Junior Year at the Hebrew University in Israel. She then earned both a Masters Degree in Public Policy and a Juris Doctorate Law degree from the University of Michigan. Following her graduation from law school, she served as a clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and practiced law in Cleveland and San Francisco. She later served as Director of the innovative Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program for the 9th District Federal Court. For her work as Director, she was honored with the Robert F. Peckham Award for Excellence in ADR. She also worked to promote ADR in Israel and was invited by the Supreme Court of Israel to speak about ADR and to train Israeli lawyers and court administrators in the subject. She married Robert Rebitzer in 1993 and gave birth to two daughters, Elana (12) and Maya (10). After living in San Francisco, they moved to Palo Alto in 2002. Mimi was an active community leader serving on the boards of the Redwood City Congregation Beth Jacob, the New Israel Fund, Camp Arazim and the Jewish Federation. In 2009 she, and her husband, were honored by Congregation Beth Jacob as a Chesed for Community Service. Mimi had survived Hodgkins Disease for over 30 years and was committed to helping others with cancer. Each year since her lung cancer diagnosis, Mimi led a team of riders and runners in the Livestrong Challenge Series of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Last year the foundation awarded her the Livestrong Challenge Award in recognition of her efforts. Mimi is survived by her husband, Robert, her two daughters, Elana and Maya, her brothers, David (Madeline Chaleff), Palo Alto, and Joseph Arfin, Houston, TX. Her parents, Joanne and Bernard Arfin of Palo Alto and her mother-in-law, Magda Rebitzer of Chicago, also survive her. She is pre-deceased by her father-in-law, Fred Rebitzer. Mimi also had many loving cousins and numerous friends who will miss her warm personality, keen sense of humor and compassion. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mimi's memory to Congregation Beth Jacob; The New Israel Fund, 703 Market Street, Suite 1503, San Francisco, CA; and the National Lung Cancer Alliance, 222 N. Midvale Blvd., Suite 6, Madison WI 53705.