Lillian Silver, fought for rights, freedom

Lillian Silver of Roselawn neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicated her life to continuing the legacy of her father-in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Silver, by working on behalf of persecuted Jews and helping them resettle in the United States.

Mrs. Silver died Saturday. She was 82.

Mrs. Silver and her late husband, Nathan, were civil-rights activists in the 1940's, '50s and '60s, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio.

''They wanted the whole community to live in harmony,'' said her son, Barry Silver. ''They believed in the total equality of all of us.''

Mrs. Silver was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, but moved to Cincinnati when she married in 1939.
She quickly became involved in the Holocaust rescue work of her father-in-law, Barry Silver said .

Rabbi Silver, (1882-1968) then leader of Kneseth Israel Synagogue in Roselawn, helped organize and finance the rescue of thousands of European Jews during World War II and later from Russia.

''She was a very close confidant to Eliezer. She was with him quite a bit, watching his work and helping in his struggle to free Jews,'' he said.

''When the refugees came here, she helped my grandfather in the resettlement and reestablishment of ties of many Holocaust victims to their families,'' Barry Silver said. ''She helped the kids when they got here from the (concentration) camps, trying to make them feel at ease after everything they went through.''

Mrs. Silver continued her work on behalf of Jews and other persecuted people the rest of her life, he said.

Most recently, she was a volunteer at Cedar Village, the Jewish rest home in Mason, Ohio.
She was a longtime member of Kneseth Israel; a lifelong member of Hadassah, the Zionist women's organization; and Amit Women, which helps resettle Jewish orphans in Israel.

Other survivors include her son, Gerson Silver of Dayton, Ohio; a daughter, Judy Silver-Shapiro of Mill Valley, California; and four grandchildren.

Shiva week will be observed at the home of Barry and Paula Silver, 6701 Meadowridge Lane, , Cincinnati, OH through Sunday.

Services were Monday at Lillian Silver.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cedar Village or the Jewish Community Center, Senior Adults programs.
Date of announcement:03-21-2000