Beatrice (Theise) Israel

Beatrice (Theise) Israel, 92 years of age of Lauderhill, FL, formerly of West Hartford, died suddenly Saturday, November 7, 2020. She was the widow of Kurt M Israel z”l. Born Beate Theisebach in Grossen-Linden, Germany, she was the daughter of the late Bernhard and Henriette (Simon) Theise.

To know her was to love her. Bea had a loving nature and greeted and embraced everyone with a radiant smile. Everyone mentions how giving she was. Her motto in life was to give with a “warm hand”. Family was everything to her and her sons were the light of her life. She cherished every moment with family and friends. Her daughter-in-law Pat coined the phrase “Bea had no acquaintances only friends”.

After experiencing Kristallnacht and the horrors that followed, her family immigrated to America. After moving to Hartford, CT she attended the Arsenal School and, later, the Henry Barnard Brown School and Hartford High School. In1943, she became an American citizen and changed her name to Beatrice.

Her parents – who had changed their last name to Theise — were among a group of German Jews and Holocaust survivors who founded Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh which years later would merge with Newington’s Congregation B’nai Sholom to become B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom. Bea would serve as Sisterhood President and later in life become Bat Mitzvah.

She met her husband, Kurt Israel z”l also German who was a survivor of Auschwitz, at a Chanukah party at Tikvoh Chadoshoh and they married in 1948. Together with partners they established Hartford Kosher Caterers, opening a banquet hall in East Windsor called Imperial Caterers. People came from all over to celebrate life cycle events. Together they had great joy in catering hundreds of weddings and Bar and Bat mitzvah’s. They also
catered many civic events including The Greater Hartford Open. Bea also had the honor of serving President Gerald Ford a prime rib dinner when he visited to Hartford.

On the 70th anniversary of her becoming an American citizen she hosted a party for friends and relatives to mark this very important event in her life.

As a Holocaust survivor Bea took great pride in speaking to students and educators about her experience as a child growing up in Germany. She would end each discussion with how great it is to be an American and that hate has no place in the world and the importance to love one another. She wholeheartedly supported The Voices of Hope an organization that is a leader in Holocaust education.

A loving mother, grandmother, GG, and aunt, she is survived by her sons, Jeffrey Israel and his wife Patricia of Bristol CT, and Steven Israel and his partner Sharon Snowiss of Alpharetta, GA; four grandchildren, Jonathan Israel of Bristol, CT ; Matthew Israel and his wife Gina of Antioch, IL; Alana Funderburke and her husband William of Del Ray Beach, FL ; Kyle Israel of Atlanta GA and great-grandchildren, Ava and Domenic Israel of Bristol, CT, Scarlett Israel of Antioch, IL, Nephews Gary Lowenstein and his wife Frances of West Hartford, CT and Alan Lowenstein and his wife Miriam and their families.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 12 at 1PM at Congregation Tikvoh Chadoshoh Cemetery, Clubhouse Rd., Windsor, CT with Rabbis Deborah Cantor, Jeff Bennett and Cantor Sabrina Lipton officiating. The family asks that friends respect COVID-19 restrictions the State of CT has placed on large gatherings and that the graveside service be attended by immediate family only. The graveside service will be available on line and a link will be provided.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Voices of Hope https://voices-of-hope-inc.networkforgood.com; B’nai Tikvoh Shalom; Temple Sinai. Arrangements are entrusted to Weinstein Mortuary, Hartford, CT. For further information, directions, or to sign the guest book for Bea, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com/funerals.cfm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Voices of Hope https://voices-of-hope-inc.networkforgood.com; B’nai Tikvoh Shalom; Temple Sinai.

Topic: Bea Israel’s Memorial Service

Time: Nov 12, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Dial in early - You will be let in when the service starts a 1P

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89393623803

Meeting ID: 893 9362 3803

One tap mobile

Meeting ID: 893 9362 3803

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdqQqXXARK