KOHN, Hanka (nee Gwiazda) – Was born in Tarnow, Poland in 1921. She died in Toronto on March 30, 2018. Hanka was smart, beautiful, charismatic and always impeccably dressed. She was the toughest person you would ever meet, she was pretty much always right and she had an unlimited capacity for love. She lived a long and full life that embraced the full breadth of human experience. There was boundless joy and unspeakable tragedy, comfort and security and not knowing if she would see the next day. She was surrounded by love and had love torn away from her. And she bore this life with not a hint of pride or self-pity. Her early years were as happy as was possible in a family of 9 children raised in a Jewish ghetto in eastern Poland by a single mother. Encouraged by her mother, Hanka and all her siblings developed a range of manual and artistic skills, which would, on more than one occasion, figuratively or literally save her life. The latter part of her young life can be simply characterized by the fact at the time she was born, half the population of her town was Jewish, and by 1943, it was declared Judenrein; cleansed of Jews. At her mother’s direction and with help from a Pole whose daughter Hanka taught to knit; Hanka was put on a train, first to Lvov and ultimately to the end of the line in Uzbekistan. It was on this train that she met Edek Kohn, who would be her husband. They lived rough, but ultimately this journey allowed them to survive the war. They eventually found themselves in a labour camp and here again her skills were a benefit. She helped a Polish man make his wood cutting quota, so he would be fed, and made him a set of clothes out of flour sacks. The man turned out to be a former chief of the Polish secret police who was on the run. He was able to arrange passage to London. Irena, Hanka’s sister who came on the initial train ride, took up this offer, as did two of Hanka’s brothers who came later and miraculously found their sisters. But Hanka stayed behind with Edek. It was later that they found their way to a DP camp in Linz, Austria, where they were united with Edek’s parents, and Hanka gave birth to a daughter, Diana. Sponsored by a relative of her father- in-law, the family came to Toronto. With the liberal assistance and freedom of their new country and their own hard work, the Kohn family made a life that was safe, comfortable and joyous. They had a son, Martin in 1953; Edek established a business and Hanka contributed financially with an enterprise that produced hand-made brassieres for well-endowed women. The Kohn’s had a small but close family, wonderful friends, began to travel and bought a house. In 1963, this idyll came to a halt. Diana, at 15 years old, was killed in a car crash. Hanka entered a period of depression, but with the stunningly sensitive and tireless efforts of Edek, who encouraged her to pursue her artistic impulses, Hanka remerged as well as it is possible for someone who suffered such a senseless tragedy. She became a skilled sculptor, making works of great beauty depicting life and love. This became her main preoccupation for many years. In 1992, Edek became ill. Hanka ceased her artistic activities and dedicated her entire being to his care at home until his death in 1999. When questioned about the sacrifices she was making, her response was that she did this for entirely selfish reasons. She was so in love with him, that even in his diminished state, she couldn’t bear to be without him. After a time, Hanka moved to an apartment with a beautiful view of the sunset. There she enjoyed her independence, an active social life with her many friends, and Friday night dinners with her son. Hanka was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004. She continued to live, if somewhat unusually, for two years, after which she moved to Kensington Gardens. Here, with her determination and the remarkable care and love that were provided, she survived for an extraordinarily long time with that terrible disease. At Kensington, she managed to maintain her dignity, her social graces and even her good humour, long after most others would have given up. One of the last really coherent statements that Hanka made, when finally confronting the unstoppable tide of her illness, was: « This is now our reality. We will make the best of it. » She did this every day of her life. Hanka is survived by her son Martin (Dufflet Rosenberg) and beloved nieces and nephews around the world. There are no words to express our gratitude to Eulalee Blake, Pam Bernard and all the wonderful people at Kensington Gardens for their unlimited kindness to Hanka in the last years of her life. If inclined, memorial donations to Hadassah-WIZO, Kensington Gardens or the Alzheimer Society of Canada would appreciated. Burial has occured at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, Farband Labour Zionist Section, 986 Wilson Avenue. Visits welcome at 17 Humbert Street in Toronto until Friday afternoon.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Hanka Kohn Friday March 30 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Toronto, Province: Ontario
