Betty Arlene Susman's Obituary
Susman, Betty Arlene (Rosenbach), gently passed away at her home on the evening of January 12. Betty was born on May 6, 1937, as Chaya Baiyla Rosenbach, in Warsaw, Poland, and was the daughter of Esther and Albert Rosenbach. She was a child survivor of the Holocaust. In about 1942, after being separated from her father, her mother hid Betty and her sister Sally in sacks of hay and pushed them in a cart to smuggle them out of the Warsaw Ghetto. They were able to escape by bribing the Nazi guards. After days of running and hiding in forests, they were eventually captured at the border by the Russians and imprisoned in a Siberian Labor Camp for about two years, where her brother Michael was born. After their release, they lived in Uzgent and Tashkent, Russia until the end of the war. In 1945, they traveled to Germany and registered with a Displaced Persons Camp. The family was miraculously reunited with her father, Albert. After waiting several years, they finally received visas to immigrate to America in 1949. They boarded the ship, USAT General Harry Taylor, which was bound for New Orleans. They then traveled by train to Miami where they were sponsored by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and settled in Westchester.
Betty attended Shenandoah Elementary and Ada Merritt Junior High. She graduated from Miami High School in 1956. She met her beloved husband of 60 years, Sandy, and married in 1958. After the birth of their second child, Todd, Sandy and she worked tirelessly to open Haven School, a private school for autistic children. They then petitioned legislators to grant public education for children with autism in the Miami-Dade Public School System. By 1973, their son was able to attend Palmetto Elementary and went on to the junior and high schools, and graduated in 1984. She loved her three children, but her ultimate joys were her granddaughters. Affectionately referred to as Mima, they enjoyed many memories together. Whether it was attending their school events, dance recitals, or just hanging out, Mima was always there beaming with pride.
Betty is survived by her husband Sandy, her children Rick Susman (Trish Shearer), Todd Susman, and Laurel Schwartz (Steven), her granddaughters Kaley and Jordan Schwartz, all from Miami, Florida. She is also survived by her sister Sally Gutner (Louis) of Pembroke Pines, Florida and her brother Michael Rosenbach (Sara) of Lancaster, California. Her youngest brother, Charles Rosenbach, predeceased her. Funeral Services will be held at Temple Beth Am, 5950 North Kendall Drive, Monday, January 15, at 10:00 AM, with internment at Lakeside Memorial Park, 10301 NW 25 Street, following services. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory at the National Society for Autistic Children and the National Cancer Society.
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