Obituary
Jacob (Yaakov/Yasha) Apelberg, of Pikesville, MD, passed away on September 11, 2021 at the age of 88. He is survived by his beloved wife, Estelle Apelberg (nee Kushner); sons, Eytan Apelberg and Benjamin Apelberg; daughter-in-law Meredith (Shiels) Apelberg; grandchildren, Eliana, Norah, and Talia Apelberg. He was predeceased by his brothers, Azryel, Benyamin, and Josef, his sister Zisel, and his cherished parents Aron and Bracha Apelberg.
Jacob was born in Wasewo, Poland in 1932. In 1939, at the age of 7, he witnessed the German army invading his village. He would later recall that he thought they were speaking Yiddish and told his mother “The Yiddisher army is gekumen”. The Jewish army has come! He fled with his mother to the Soviet Union, ending up in Kazakhstan, where he would hear news of the war from Radio Moscow. He often spoke about learning the story of the uprising in Ghetto Warsaw during this time and how it had inspired him. Jacob was the lone survivor of the Holocaust from his family. It was really important to him to share his story with the next generation, including with his grandchildren with whom he cherished spending time.
After the war, he immigrated to Israel, where he lived on a kibbutz, served in the Israeli army, received a bachelor’s degree in Hebrew language and literature, and met his wife, Estelle. In 1973, they moved to the U.S. and settled in Baltimore, MD, his wife’s hometown. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November. Jacob earned an electrical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins while being employed full-time and had a successful career as an engineer. Jacob could speak multiple languages, including Hebrew, Polish, Russian, and his mother tongue, Yiddish. In retirement, he wrote and published Hebrew poetry and was an active member of the Chevrei Tzedek synagogue and the Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah.
May his memory be a blessing.
Services at Sol Levinson's Chapel, 8900 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD, 21208, on Monday, September 13th, 2021 at 2:30pm. Interment Beth Tfiloh Congregation Cemetery, 5800 Windsor Mill Road, Woodlawn, MD, 21207. Please omit flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, 956 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson, MD 21204, or Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002.
Arrangements by Sol Levinson. www.sollevinson.com